The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-01-12

States troops In controlling the elec-
tions in the several States, we copy
from the annual message of Governor
Geary, of Pennsylvania:
"Thc employment of United States
troops at elections, had recently re-
ceiycd considerable attention and rep
rehension. 1t is regarded as an inter-
ference with the sovereign rights OF
the States, which was not contempla-
ted by the founders OF the general
government, and, if persisted in, must
lead to results disastrous 10 peace and
harmony. The practice is one so Sc
rious n, its charas'tei', and so injurious
in its tendencies. as TO inern prompt
consideration and decisive action, not
only BY the General Assembly but by
Congress. One of the complaints of
the colonists against the British King
was the oppression growing out of
the assumption of this power. They
said He has kept among US in
times of peace, standing armies, with
out the consent of our Legislature 3
and, what is especially pertinent to
the case in point, +" He has affected to
render the military independent of
and superior to, the civil power" The
alleged authority for the use of troops
at our State elections, is derived from
the tenth section of an act of Con-
gress, approved May 81, 1870, entitled
g An Act to enforce the right of cifi-
zens of the United States to vote in
the several States of the Union, and
for other purposes which authorizes
United States Marshals to call to their
assistance, g ssuch portion of the land
and naval forces of the United States,
or of militia, as may be necessary to
the performance of the duty with
which they are charged, and to insure
faithful observance of the Fifteenth
| Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States" But it must be a
/ forced construction of this law that
! it will justify the presence of armed
] national forces at our places of cleo
ton when no necessity exists therefor,
and where their presence is calculated
to provoke collision. With a good
President, the exercise of the power
referred to might have NO injurious
results, but in tine hands of q bad
man, governed by personal ambition
| it might prove exceedingly calami-
! tous. Unconsciously good Presi
dent might be induced to employ il
| wrongfully a bad one would be al
most certain to use it for his own ad
vancement. Under any circumstance
in my opinion, it is unsafe, and antag
lIonistic to the principles that shOult
govern our republican Institutions
At the last October election United
States troops were stationed in Phila
i delphia for the avowed purpose of en-
4 forcing the election laws. This wa
done without the consent or evei
d knowledge of the civil authorities o
!, either the city or the State, and with
j out any expressed desre on the par
Iof the citizens and as far as can b
. iascertained, without existing necessi
i ty. From conscientious convictiol
, of itsfimportance, have called you
; attention to this subject. The civi
authorities of Pennsylvania have al
WAYS been, and are still, competent t
, protect its citizens in the exercise g
} elective franchise, and the proper an
only time for United States militar
!. ! forces to intervene, will be, when th
power of1the Commonwealth is ez
! hausted and their aid is lawfully II
quired.D a
Ergo, General Grant is bad Pres
II dent, because he has exercised tn
power where there was no necessit
for it. without the request, and in OF
, position to the protest, of the civ
4 authorities of the States in nearly ey
!. cry instance. But is not Gov. Gear
danger of being denounced as
f .disloyaL, secession-sympathizing ira
e tor and copperhead when he tall
8 about g interference with the sovei
5 eign rights of the States ?" Has /
: Ebeen so long leader in the ranks {
!, Radicalism and not learned that it
!. rank @copperheadism to talk a5ol
: the " rights OF the. States," and "Stat
/. Sovereignty ?" that, according to tt
: Radical theory, the States have Il
: rights which the Federal authoriti'
are bound 10 respect? 1t is true tai
this is an interference with the so'
: ereign rights of the States, which WI
Ii not contemplated by the founders
d the general government but of VIII
II great leading measure of public pol
a ey of the Republican party may N
IL the same be said? During the yea
Il of Radical rule what regard have the
# shown for the principles of the fat
- ers of the Republic, and what respe
for the Constitution they bequeatiie
us? -s..ls ..g5,. If;,sf 5ess
:. T. SINCE 1854 it has required an ave
3 age of 1886 votes at each Congress
:, ional election in Pennsylvania to ele
= a Democratic member of the Hou
: of Representatives, while an avera,
] iof IL, 800 has been sufficient to elect
3 Republican. The difference in Il
- totals of the entire Congressional yo
cast since 1854 has been about 5000
i and yet the members sent to Il
!. House from Pennsylvania in tn
5 time have aggregated sixty-fonr r
- publicans to thirty-one Democrat
!, Now there is Democratic majori
: in the State Senate the signs are hop
v full for such new apportionment
= = the State as shall prevent so unjust
4 discrepancy hereafter, since the Hou
< cannot stand before the people
Pennsylvania as defending q perpet
alton of the present iniquitious a
rangement of the Congressional di
= tricts. The totals of the Congressio
: al vote of Pennsylvania in the Ia
- four elections stand 1,143,080 Repu
- ican to ], lis, ,420 Democratic and t
- members elected sixty-four Repub
: cans to thirty-one Democrat, or I
difference in the vote 2 per cent, al
. the differsnce in the Congressm
!, over 100. ~ 2 9> - jiis#
ya] A RESPECTABLE CoNyICT.-A BE
y ton Illicit .distiller of whiskey, w
~ was fined 100000 under the Unit
States revenue laws and failed to pa
was sentenced to five years impr
OF onment, in whatever Jail in the Sta
D. | cuifad him host Ha choea4 anr