Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-25

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Il viii be remembered that Law was
passed by Congress last May, under color
of which the United States Marshals in
Philadelphia ard New York undertook to
regulate the fall elections. From some
defect inthe law, or its execution, this
interference failed of the desired effect !;
ard the enlarged Democratic majority in
New York rather indicated that any pre-
vious frauds must have been on the Radi-
cal side of the house. This bad showing
led the last Congress in its closing hours
to patch up stronger amended act,
which promptly received the Presidential
signature, and is for the time bling tie
law of the land.
The operations of this act are appar-
emily confined to cities of 10000 inhabit-
ants and upward. 1t goes beyond the
ballot box, and provides for two Federal
supervisors of registration as well as
elections, at every precinct. These super
yisors are required to challenge any
person offering to register" Registra-
ton is at best tedious task on the time
and patience of the citizen. Those ia
milisr whit the process can see what an
interminable job, eminently profitable to
csptious supervisors, it must become
under this requirement. In like manner
at the election they are required" to
challenge any vote offered" And this
bill is sarcastically entitled Gan act to
enforceable right of citizens of the United
States to VOTE" when it really prevents,
binders and delays them at every step.
But further: the United States Mar
shais are authorized to swear in deputies,
in unlimited numbers at discretion, to as
sist them at the polls. These deputies
are authorized to arrest, without warrant,
even the State officers holding the cleo
ton. Thus the polls are liable to be
closed summsrily, as was actually done at
/ the last election in Richmond, where the
officer conducting the election was hustled
i off before United States Commissioner
on frivolous charge, of which he was
immediately acquitted; but the election
was thereby suspended for over two
hours. Any bystander refusing or
neglecting to assist these deputies is pun
ishable to the extent of $4,000 foe and
two years imprisonment. And any
deputy has power to summon any officer
of the army or navy with all his com.
msnd. Gems. Sherman, Sheridan, Han
cock, and even Commander in chief Grant
himself is placed under the orders of the
lowest political hack from the slums of
our large cities. In the Delaware cleo
ton these deputies were composed of
Philadelphia roughs. These unlimited
myrmidons are to receive S. per day for
no more than ten dsys, $50 each. AS
their political complexion will be govern
ed altogether by the marshal, we may
suppose that he can arrange with the
candidates of his party to make the can
vass very cheap affair for them, at the
expense of the public treasury.
To cap the climax, these supervisors
are placed beyond the reach of any law
or process. "Whoever, with or without
authority, power, or process of any
State, territorial or municipal authority"
shall in any wise ''interfere with or pre-
veut the supervisors of elections, or either
of them, or the marshal or his general or
special deputies, or either of them," is
visited with the direst penalties.
Forty or fifty thousand is q moderate
estimate for this unlimited army of Fed
era officials, which, at $50 piece, pre-
sents an additional bill of two or three
million dollars for the people to foot.
While the South is to be Ku- Kluxed,
this law seems specially aimed at the
Northern States. OF the seventy cities
in the Union containing 900 inhabi-
tants, we cannot count a dozen in the
South. But the expression "city or
town" is elastic, and can be construed
according to party exigencies. Through
out New England, and in the Northwest
also, the words ''town" and township"
are synonymous; so that the whole face
of the country may be overrun with dep
uties and armed troops under color of this
law, and our elections become as mean
ingless as the plebiscites of Europe.
Whom the gods would destroy, they
first make mad. This enactment is the
death-warrant of the Radical party.
When the Northern people are made TO
feel the mailed arm of power, they will
at length make common cause with us in
repudiating this Radical party of usurpa-
tons.