The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-10-05
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force.
1t provide, that each Circuit Court shall al,-
,oitlt, on or before May. 1871, from the Circuit
court Commissioners, Il chief supervisor of
elections in the district for which he is commits
>oncr. III any city or town Of more than
twenty thousand inhabitants. whenever any
Two citizens shall make known their desire to
have any election ut which a federal officer is
10 he chosen guarded and Scrutinized, the
ill,lgc shall open his court ana appoint for each
toiing precinct, for which such an application
has been made. two citizens OF different pollt-
cad parties, Mho shall he special supervisors Of
that election. These supervisors shall attend
the election: count the votes; challenge any
whose qualifications they doubt: remain with
the hall0t-boX from the opening OF the polls un
til the votes are counted; personally inspect
and scrutnizc the manner in which the voting
is done. and how the poll books are made and
kept. They shall personally scrutinize, count
and canvass each and every ballot, and make
and send TO the chief supervisor such returns
rs he may require, and attach to any return,
though made under State or municipal law any
statement touching the fairness of the election
The supervisors. or either of them. shall
take and keep in such positions, before or
behind the ballot-boN, rs they may think best.
10 enable them to see each person offering to
vote and TO scrutini2e the manner of voting.
At the closing of the polls they are able to take
such position about the ballot-boN they may
think necessary for canNassing the votes, and
shall remain there till the work is finished, any
State law to the contrary.
The United States Marshal, on like applca-
ton of two citizens, appoint special deputies: :
and the Marshal and his deputies Shall attend
the polls, preserve order, keep the peace, pro-
lect the supervisors, prevent fraudulent voting,
and, 1T the polls, or elsewhere, either before or
after voting. arrest. with or without process.
any person who shall attempt to do ANYTHING
in violation of this or any law of the United
states.
Whoever shall refuse to assist when called
upon shall be guilty of mistcmeanor and be
liable to instant arrest without process, and on
conviction may be imprisoned not more than
two years, or fined not more than $4,000, or
both. Whoever, during the process OF verify
ing the list of voters. shall refuse 10 answer any
lawful question, shall he liable to fine and inn
prsonment.
Whenever the Marshal and his deputies shall
I've forcibly resisted, or shall by threats or men
aces tie prevented from doing what is required
ut them, or from arrcsting any person liable TO
tTest they may call TO their assistance the by
ISLANDERS or the posse commitatus of his dis
trict.
All voting must be by ballot any State law
Ia the contrary.
1IIH LAW Is TO CONTROL THE NORTH
Now what need of This law and what is its
purpose Observe: 1t is not law for the
south Don't sleep under that lullaby. 1t is a
law for The North; the cities are in the North
there are five such in Ohio. The very large ma
iority of such cities is in the North. The wolf
is ut your own door. What have they all done
10 subject them to This extraordinary interfcr-
cncc> This is II declaration by Congress that
our elections have not been properly conducted
or il is an attempt 10 scIZc them
What of our elections and how have they
been conducted during the eighty years of our
national life: ! challenge comparison with
elections iii any other country, or in any Other
lrliod of history. In every excellence ours
are unsurpassed. Notice, too, the character OF
the State 10 regulate them They leave The nj
most possible freedom to the people. and avoid
uil necessary Show of force. Their very titles
;rc significant. There are laws to regulate
elections and preserve their purity This
could with proprety be entitled law to punish
crimes. II is full Of threatenings. and subor'li-
mates civil 10 military power. Every section
declares crime and a1iiXeS heavy penalty.
II plainly says the people are not to be trusted.
rhey must be watched and all their conduct
scrutnzed. Power is ostentatiouSly paralet,
and The election must be carried on under its
trown and hv its permission 1t makes large
preparation beforehand; has its military on
hand, and stations its forces AT the polls in the
1ir>t instance, and before they are needed.
What is election: Emphaticaly the peoples
day; the sacred day of the freeman the day
when he uses his highest privilege; the day of
peace before all other days. the day when The
citizens should be most respected; the day
when officers are made and unmade, and when
All of them, especially military officers. should
Withdraw and keep oat Of sight. The day when
individual sovereignty appears Nlsibly and
makes known its will-the day sci apart for its
greatest day. II the time shall ever come
when the people are not intelligent and Yirtu-
Gus and good enough to perform this duty, cX-
rept under those ovcrSeerS and supervisors.
they are no longer fit for seli-goveInment.
How dare this Administration parade its mill
tary on that day and make this great show of
force? This legislation is an insult to all the
cities of the land. 1t was intended as a means
to awe the voters, to dominate our election and
force them to do the will of a party. They
must guard and scrulinlZe the manner OF con-
Quoting the election; they must station them
selves before and behind the balot-bOX. and
last where they best see each person Offering to
vote quote the law. They must watch him.
How pleasant this will be for us all, when they
got the law in full operation. How respectful.
They must preserve order. 60 up TO the polls
hereafter quietly and mcekly; don't be noisy;
not too much freedom. There are eyes watch
ing YOU, and bayonetS surround you. Any two
citizens may bring all this upon us, any two
mean mischievous bad-tempered citizens; they
need assign no reasons; it Is enough that they
desire to have it 50. Can this legislation be in
tended for peace: Not a word in it about the
state keeping order or helping to keep the
peace: no plan or even suggestion of harmOni-
1llS cooperation. but exclusive control asserted
and taken by the Federal Government. Il de-
GRADES the States, rs unit to conduct these pro
cecdmeS, and it insults the people. It's anti to
he trusted and all this, too, when nothing had
occurred TO excite alarm on Justify this interter
tnce.
THE MASTERS OF THE PEOPLE.
And why are these officers having this ex-
traordinary command over us on this great day
oiprylege: Men of our choice-imesponsibIe
men, special deputies picked up by a Marshal,
who give no bond, and vet are authorized to DO
bout what they please The law nowhere
imposes apenalty upon them; the law nowhere
even a,monishcs them. ltbristes with threats
against the people; il does not contain one for
their masters.
In the language Of Story, when the peo-
pie submit TO such legislation they have
consented 10 their own degradation. Agitate
for lis repeal. start the hue and cry upon it
pursue it until YOU have slain it, rs you would
elAy dangerous beast upon the highway. Re-
sist its execution by every lawful means. If
an arrest is made under it sue out a writ of
habeas corpus; if Il thousand arrests are made.
sue out a thousand wrlts. Deal with ii AS the
Fugitive Slave Law was dealt with give it no
rest.
THE KU-kLUN LAW.
There i. one other law of this Administration
| desire to notice. 1t is what is termed the
ku-kluX law.
In the act of May, 1870, to which | have re-
fcrrcd, Congress has legisated to enforce the
Fourteenth Amendment by providing that if
Two or more persons conspired to injure or
threaten any citizen in order to prevent his free
exercise of any right granted by the Constitu-
ton, they should be guilty Of felony, ana upon
conviction could be imprisoned net more than
Ten years, and fined as much as $4,000. That
law also provided that all persons should have
the same right to sue in every State, and equal
benefit Of all laws, and equal protection, any
state law TO the contrary. SO the law stood,
putting upon the same footing, and Furnishing
heavily all combinations to iniure any citizen
in his constitutional rights. This would seem
enough