The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1870-11-05

TnE somewhat serious aspect which az
fairs arc assuming In New York and Brook
Ign relative iO the . election law, seems
10 require q brief examination Of the Law
itself. Us well a. the questions involved in
IT, execution. section Of an acl approved
July II, 1870, provides In substance ~ FOL.
lows That in any city having upwards OF
twenty thousand inhabitants, II 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 10 change or renew satd ap-
pointment rs occasion may require, from
time to time, two resident citizens Of the
district or precinct, one from each political
party, who, when 80 designated, shall be
and are hereby authorized TO attend at all
times and places fixed for the registration
Of voters, who, being registered, would be
entitled to vote for representative In Con
gress. These commissioners are to over
see the registration, and also 10 exercise
the same supervisory care on the day Of
election; witness the counting OF ballots,
watch the ballot.boxes until their contents
are counted, etc, etc. This portion, though
manifcstly objectionable, Is not SO liable to
abuse as section 0. which we quote in full
"Asd BE- u further enacted, That IN any city hay.
Ing. upwards Of twenty thousand inhabitants, u
shall be lawful for the Marshal Of the United
appoint a. many special deputies a may BE- nee.
essary to preserve order al any election at which
re : Songrers are q Ds chosen and
order rM Il s sneh e %iS /, "S, snS ad ~ arrcs, f @ p INV N.
fence Or breach Of The peace committed il their
view"
A clause in what Is known as the enforce.
ment bill provides that the commissioners
appointed by said bill may issue warrants
or other legal processes for the arrest Of
guilty parties, and the persons empowered
TO execute said warrants or processes may,
If In their opinion the emergency requires,
summon TO their assistance a posse conf.
taius, and ifthis is inadequate for the work
in hand, the land and naval forces Of the
United States may be called In. The prac-
tical effect of these two bills taken together
may be clearly understood by the interpre-
tation placed upon them by the United
States Marshal Of Philadelphia, and his ac-
ton In the late election. This official not
merely swore in a large number Of deputies
70 .usurp the functions Of the police and
keep the peace, but called out a body Of
United States marincsto support and defend
his deputies if necessary. Whether the
Marshal was governed In this high-handed
business, by formal instructions from
Washington, does not alter the features Of
the case, or lessen the outrage an atom.
BY this course, which, as he claims, Is In
strict accordance with the laws Of Con
gress, the city Of Philadelphia was yirtu-
ally placed for the time being, at the ALSO
lutte mercy Of a Federal agent, backed by
Federal ~bayonets. This United States
Marshal, with or without directions from
the President, could decide what constitut-
ed a breach of the peace or . violation Of
good order; when the breach or violation
assumed the dimensions Of q riot, and
when II was proper for the marines TO open
fire upon the citizens. He was, to oil In
tents and purposes, as much the military
master OF the situation as was Napoleon
Ill, when he swept the streets OF Paris
with grape shot and baptized the coup
q dat with the blood Of Frcnchmen, and
AZ the Marshal's action has neither been
~repudiated nor rebukcd by the government
we are compelled TO believe that il