Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-10-27
The BAyOnet at Elections.

fairs are assuming in New York andB Brook
lyn relative to the new election law seems
to require a brief examination of the law,
itself, as well as the questions involved in
its execution. Section 5 ofsan net approyqdl
July IA, 1870, provides in substance as fol-
lows: That in any city having upwards of
twenty thousand inhabitants, it shall be.
the duty of the Judge of the Circuit Court
of the United States for the circuit where
in said city shall be, upon the application
of two citizens, to appoint in writing for
each election district or voting precinct in
said city, and to change or renew said ap-
pointment as occasion may require, from,
time to time, two resident citizens of the
district or precinct, one from each politicali
party, who, when so designated, shall be
n are hereby authorized to attend at all
times and places fixed for tha-Reeistnafious
of voters, who, being registered, would be
entitled to vote for representative in Con-
gress. These commissioner are to over
see the registration, and also to exercise
the same supervisory care on the day of
election; witness the aeounting of ballots,
watch the b~allot-boxes until their contents
are counted, etc, etc. This portion, though
manifestly Objectionable, is not so linblet0s
abuse as section 6, which we quote infu4s
"And BE- u 6ashss ENACTED, That in any city hasc
ing upwards Of twenty thousand inhabitantes it
States of the dlsfict wherein said city shall bet
appoint as many anacial deputies as may be nee,
1855 ~ - A0C a. ~ CCeAO . NAhOu
rasd deputies arc R%ssss satSoSzsd to preserve
Tiew.n
A clause in what is known as the enforce
ment bill provides that the commissioner
appointed by said bill may issue warrants
or other legal processes for the~arrest Of
guilty parties, and tie persons empowered
to execute said wafrants or processes may,
ifin their opinion the emergency requires,
summon to their assistance a posse conf
tatus, and if is Inadequate for the work
in hand, the land naval forceSpf thel
United States may be called in. The prac=,
teal effect of these two bills taken togethet
may be clearly nnderstOodW the interpresl
tation placed Upon them by the United
States Marshal of Philadelphia, and his ac-
ton in the late eIectioh-S This Official 4oE
merely wore in a1arge number Of deputies
to usurp the functions of the police and
keep the peace, but called ogt akb6dyz of
United States RaIinesto suppQtt anddeend
his deputies ~iftneecessary. ANhetherAthS
Marshal was governed in this high-handed
business, by formal, INSTRUCTIONS from
Washington, does n0talteF tie featukek 6f
the case, or lessen the outrage an atom.
BY this course, which. as he claims, is in
strict accordapc& VIII hd MMB ofChE
gress, the ityof PhiladelRhiaV Was #rtu-
ally placed for the time beng. Attthei abso-
lutte mercy of a Federal agentS Hdkfd by
Federal bayonets, This TGmitedis States
Marshal, withN0r without directions ffop
the President, coul6d6cfde 10hat cbnstitAt-
ed a breach of the peace or a violation of
good order; when the breach or violation
assumed the din4hAloW O nr5T md
when it was pA6pSE f61tHB-h8GfideStdObs
fire upon The citizens. He was, to, all in
tents and purposes, as much the military
master of the situation as was Napoleon
Ill. when he swept the streets of Paris
xufth Srrono-chnf aud honfs1o6 tho eo,.xa
d. etat with the blo6phof Rfenehfaens Md
as the MarshaI's &etfbn las Aeftherobedh
~repudiated nor reh1ked by the g~oFerun1eut
we are compelledt TO be1ieVe thatfSft
S GssiSet the "a a9pF$ sasE
Marshal Sharp New York, is
evidently determined to sfolloY SthF
same path, having alsea5H, astte telegtsDA
informs us, sworn in eight hundred depu-
S SsS e3n seF .yS1GcE&RsseeR&2aE y Essiaf
artillery, which EssFp@ Gin 1encsSiE
just o ordered from Fort BedlQes ISL
and, may be detailed to aoanNe~ York,
what the marines did in Philadelphia; and
SO the matter Ffsts i9r the present. To as
a shadow JF5 tAti6ta Eioa 81 the Co1g
s st2In is the Of shssS IEFsETI
ers them, nothing but the machinery of
despotism ~trapsplapted from the old world
to the newTe9d H4flS0&isefFg GersTge HU
terests of a party, as they detheretR on
bition of kings. A peSpleyJ WHO, @fUEgh
indifference OF ignorance, fall @ recognize
this palpable truth, arednft to be free, and
cannot expect long TO retain the little free
dom Radicalism has left them@MSssouri
Repu0Sca1o4d RGs bsjisosJDs odDi
sbsTT5H9SMIst P[aTidsJIt ERTel