Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-11-03
q
FROM BALTIMORE,
Governor Swann,s Decision N ReRa I'd
m TO the Police Com m sAi Oncrs ,o

q l ,haye duly considered the charges which
have been preferred by certain citizens OF
Baltimore, who were denied the right to
vote at the late municipal election for Mayor
and members of the City Council, against
the Police Commissioners, In connection
with the testimony submitted for my guild
ance In the cases. and have arrived at the
conclusions which shall proceed briefly
to state. .sr,ibi0G
The refusal of the Police ECommission
at the opening of this investigation to ap-
pear before the Governor upon his sum
mons, to answer the charges of misconduct
in office, look upon as an offense for which
they might have been held responsible
without any further inquiry into The evil
deuce Of official misconduct In the late cleo
tiOn. h,. faifF--H ~. .ri.l Ft'
It's true that the Commissioners, through
their counsel, have to some extent retraCed
their steps and announced their willingness
TO appear and answer any questions the
Governor might, have to PROFOUND, but I
don't understand they have yielded the
ptint of Jurisdiction, to which they still
adhere. Their action in declining to re-
spond tn the summons of the Governor
places them in the attitude Of State officers
made by the law subject to his direct su.
pervision, treating with contempt the pow
er specially delegated to him by the Legis-
lature. and the still higher power conferred
by the 18th section of the Goth article Of
the Constitution, to take care that the laws
be faithfully executed. '.',. .,
How Is the Governor 1t may be asked,
representing the sovereignty of the State,
to discharge an imperative duty imposed
upon him hv the organic law, In conflict
with rebellious officers, setting his author
lity at defiance, and denying his right to
hold them accountable for official miscon-
duct, or rpalpable violation or neglect of
their duty? ".m .#.
7 The Police law invests these Commits
siOners with almost absolute power, fearful
in its scope in the hands of designing men.
without check somewhere TO protect the
public Interest. The Legislature never in
tended any such thing. ~ Io.s
/ The State of Maryland Is at this very mo-
ment threatened with invasion by armed
hordes from other States. Military organ
iZations have been formed In the city Of
Baltimore for the open and avowed pur-
pose of resisting the authority of the laws.
Nosingle step, so far as / am informed,
upto this time, has been taken by the Po-
lice Board to suppress this tendency to
anarchy and rebellion now threatening
to excite riot and blOOdshed among our peo-
pie. o. r.0 ...-.
IG is well known that, so far as the action
Of the Governor Is concerned, no pretext
has been furnished for these revolutionary
proceedings. Is the Governor, to whom
these officers are made directly responsible
by the law, to rest quiet and see the laws
OF the State, the public peace disturbed,
the State invaded by armed revolutionists
in completely with those whom the Police
Board are encouraging by their apathy and
make no effort to protect the dignity of the
State against insult and outrage? But the
Legislature did not leave to implication this
power of the Police Commissioners in the
discharge OF their official duties as State
officers. '.H7@ .
The Governor then proceeds to review
the law governing his action, and proceeds
to argue that the exclusion of the newly
registered voters at the last municipal cleo
tion by the Judges was flagrant violation
of their duties, and says: The examination
of the Judges of the Election, all radical
in their prOclivities, with one or two eXcep-
tions, produced a most unfavorable impress
sion upon my mind as to their conduct in
the future if continued in office, entertain
ing the intolerant view that loyalty resided
only with those who support their policy.
Is it not a reasonable Inference that they
would claim, in the absence of any instruc-
tions from the Police Commissioners, who
aii So ~ do not con,o W nm toItbsir .u St.nSerS
aF 1i +ha' inuoS Ho US tha ohI;Hot;n of ooaud
halIot b1x for reiected 1otos 90 nIa;OIG
Daintod @ o,,t bv tbs lam s,,roiS ~ ~ ,,p,ia ~
| no greater stretch of authority to go be-
hind the registry and recognize whom they
please as legal voters. 80 = 'A--t-F
The Governor next reviews the registra-
| tion law, and the various decisions under it,
a,... ~ wy 'ft"S' 'D' ~ 20 'iVA
III. ou;doroo IN tho ooso ,,rovos horord
nht .hnt ,ha po,;oo S0 ;SS;orSS pOS1S ho
iS uHISs snaS 'he OG1 @ daS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS tIN naDo
vV'Ueu .ho IA" "nu ionuoiou oneuieess co
laolo W tile qua, ~ .iisooiuucS III olnce,
py cIeaClnS vi i.,' PeILtIIVinE W sIow unuer
Sneir. eyes, nnu Will CneiI conlpilclsy,
o1nS parD,9an " VI sa,l,HsS'on' .Ieat.Dg al
40 40 Saa ~ ~ ny sne fieWs ~
SIe Wy, t'c,.'o". paaSt oy yeE Sne ltSlis
o1 " to a. .S
i sns Sn"So ~ ~ O'TS Tn, uS0S ,ins;onru Pr
"ka'nSs CI1 ~ oinn.; Uy ap
po,;;i.lns W oniIe " o,HeSion, epevlai
R, Rol;cenen , anu 0,e d T.; @ onE,usatey I Ironl !.l
Sneli omn pai.S' ast .L ~ many i1sVaes Is. III.
@~ c1npeten.' @~ anu d ~ J; snH nosS I,steputaole .e
Snai tt "eS Us Hmu 5s sppuin'inenss @ h', S, W
any oSuer an SaTs y. oHl otS'Ieas, s oy ueie-
SaClnS W Cne MaIsnal a. @ anu ollCeLS umuer
nun CnS pOWeI 10 appo'iC special police. tt
nieh ,SS.su miSHu. 'aontso,seS ,pqnns iu'o snS
qasn1 qaaillcaIlUns .h " mViaa sIaug tSg VI salu
Vneois' ,,i ,uus aT1etp'tAS ~ WI oM JUG Le-
spo.ns.ooy p.n1, lily " Sne I@u appoluSuleuCs, .
,hair ru uhoyd;rotas I m G ~ th. upUa
sHell o suDoienud.es VI W sun JenS .h .no JuugeS
otsG boiiotS ~ "nS +Son, no .Go
to their obligations under the law to use