The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-23

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NO. rs. 4
tants are only small number of these
creatures of the Federal power authorized
by this bill, as we shall see when We have
looked 1t through, when we shall consider
the other appointments by the United States
marshals which will be made, and to which
there Is no Limitations. / said the worst is
yet to come. BY the eighth section the
marsnai OF the United States fs empowered,.
ana IL Is made his duty, on application Of
appoint especial deputies,v whose duty it
shall be to attend at all the times and places
specified Tor the attendance of the superyi-
sors. The pretence Of their appointments is
to preserve order, keep the peace, and sup
port and protect the supervisors in the dis
charge OF their duties. They are to pre-
vent fraudulent registration and fraudulent
voting, or fraudulent conduct on the part
OF any officer of election. and immediately,
either at said registration or polling place
or elsewhere, and either before or after re-
gistering or voting, to arrest and take into
custody, with or without process, any per-
son who shall commit, or attempt, or offer
to commit any of the acts prohibited BY
this act or the act hereby amended, or who
shall commit any offence against the laws of
the United States. The power to arrest Is
also conferred upon the supervisors. In
addition to all this, the tenth section pro-
yides that whoever, with or without any
authority, power, Or process of any State,
Territorial, or municipal authority"
shall in any wise "interfere with or
prevent the supervisors of elections,
or either Of them, or the marshal
or his general or special deputies, or
either of them," in any way required of
them, i" or shall molest, interfere with, re-
move or eject from any SUCH place of regis
tration or poll of election" !" . any superyi-
sor Of election, the marshal, or his general
or special deputies" or attempt to offer so
to do, or shall refuse OF neglect to aid and
assist any supervisor of elections, or the
marshal or any of his deputies, when re-
quired, shall be guilty of u misdemeanor
and liable to instant arrest, with or with
out process, and on conviction thereof shall
be punished by imprisonment not less than
one year nor more than two years, or by
| fine not less than 81, 900 or more than S3, 600
or by both such fine and imprisonment, and
shall pay the cost Of prosecution. But to
cap the climax of the enormity, to out
rage every sense of honor, proprietY,
and decency, to insult and trample
upon all law, and make the liberty
of the citizen delusion and suffrage
pretence and snare, it is provided by
the twelfth section that all these great and
little satraps, the supervisors. the marshal
and his deputies, may, when they shall see
fit, summon to their aid the bystanders, a
posse comttatuS, and require the command.
/ ~ l,n mi mi l.
itary or naval forces to enable them to nc.
complisb the purposes of their appoint
ment. Yes, sir, the bill requires it; the
biggest fool the marshal shall be able to
appoint his deputy will be in command OF
the army and navy of the United States.
"And it shall be" U use the words Of the
BILLY "the duty Of such commanding Off
Ger, upon such requisition being made, to
obey it without delay" There Is no alter
native, no discretion, no delay. The high
est and the lowest military or naval COM
mander must instantly obey the dep
utv marshals created under this act.
The President of the United States, the
Commander.in-C Chief, must be subject to
such order. The voice Of Congress is the
voice of omnipotence. 1t has made the rule,
it has established the regulation. Presi.
dent, generals, lieutenant. generals, major
generals, brigadier-generals, and all are
subject to the command OF the most insig-
| nlticAnt deputy marshal OF the United States.
Was there ever so supremely ridiculous and
absurd q proposition! This bill not only
places the States, State officers, and all
| local State authorities, but the United
States, all United States officers civil and
military, and all the powers OF the Fedora
| Government, under the control and ut the
disposal ofthese election officers. Mr.. Speak
er, it may perhaps he deemed unoign1iet
and small to look into the lesser details
of this grand scheme, this grand election
eerinp scheme ,as look upon it; this scheme
for propping up the waning fortunes o
the Republican party; but il ought to BE-
understood. 1t will do no harm to lool
into and count the cost Of this new depart
ure in politics, and see as well rs we Cal
about how much of an "eiephant' WI
shall have on our hands. There is to be II
each judicial district one chief supervisor
of elections, who Is to furnish all necessar.
books, blanks, forms, &C., and do and per
form great many other duties, with mos
extrayagant fees for his services, the aggre
gate of which Will depend upon the worl
he will find to do, aud which no man cal
estimate in advance. As we have alread!
seen, there will be two supervisors OF cleo
ton in each election precinct in every city
and town Of upwards Of twenty Thousand
| inhabitants. The marshal will, in each o
these election precincts, appoint at least two
special deputies, and as many more as he
shall see lit. Being partisan, and anx
ious to carry the elections III favor o
his party, he will of course appoint JUS
as many as the eXigencies OF the case
may seem to require. He is not limited by
! the act. I estimated, without pretending
to entire accuracy, that there Will be
supervisors and marshals from forty TO MI.
thousand throughout the United States. i
may be more. These are exclusive OF al
those who may be pressed into service iron iro,n
among the bystanders at elections. The
Hill uroyides that "there shall be allowed
and paid to each and every supervisor o
election, and each and every special deputy
marshal" compensation sat the rate OF :.
ner dav'' for each and every day he Shall
:. actually have been on duty not exceeding
ton days,n Here, then, it will be seen is
Grand army of electioneerers, OF tens OF
Thousands of party politicians, and FUND OF
millions of dollars to be paid from the
nublic Treasury for the work to be per
formed. Every one of these supervisor
nnd denuty marshals will receive at ieas
s5O. 1t is of little account that one Q
these s1lperyisors is of " different politics
from the other. Scarcely any two men car
!, he found who are not of somewhat difieren
politics. So there will be no difficulty II
having them all of one party. And lfthl'
be be not SO, no such thing is required in o., the h
Selection of the deputy marshals. They
will certainly be ali on one side, and al
ready and willing to do the work of theil
masfers. and may outnumber the superVi
sors hy thousands. There will be but two
sllneryisors in each precinct, whereas there
viii be Of deputy marshals ten, twenty, OF
any. other indefinite number the marsha
any .... i., is,duced la onnoint. But enough o