The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1871-03-16
Federal Interference in state
Eleetions ID New York.

oluc6 Lle a0lOuEmm60G on the
Legislature, the Federal govern
ment has assumed to interfere d.
rectly, BY It's officers and armed
forces, with elections In this State.
The pretext was fear that the right
Of suffrage wculd, in some way, be
denied to the class Of persons upon
whom it had been conferred by the
fifteenth amendment to the Consti-
tuition OF the United States. IT
was a mere pretext; for our State
Legislature, at its last session,
promptly altered our election laws
to conform with that amendment,
SO soon as If was declared adopted.
Moreover, this class Of voters had
exercised their new right freely and
without the least mOlestation, at
our State Election, which took place
in May last.
Congress, nevertheless, enacted
a law for the ostensible purpose of
supervising the election OF con-
gressmen only; and the President
was authorized to employ the ar
my and navy to enforce certain Of
its provisions. Under color of this
act, the President and other Uni
ted States officials claimed the right
to supervise the entire election, not
only for representatives in Con-
gress, but for State and local Off
GERS. In the city Of New York spe-
cial preparations were made to en-
force this claim. A large number
OF United States deputy marshals
and supervisors were appointed,
many of whom were men of we'll
known disreputable character, and
some of whom had been convicted
criminals; q class Of dangerous men
never before chosen BY any ruling
authority, in any community, as
conservators Of the peace. They
were instructed, under advice Of the
Attorney General of the United
States, to submit to no interference,
from any quarter, under State or
municipal authority. Orders were
issued which authorized them, In
the discretion of each one Of them,
to arrest at the polls citizens claim
ing the right to vote, as well as the
inspectors who were charged by
law with the custody Of the ballot
boxes. These arrests were to be
effected without process of law, is
sued upon formal complaints. The
peaceful conduct of the election
and the good order Of the city were
thus made to depend on the disCre-
kion of these hastily selected, mex
perienced, and undisciplined men,
some of them habituated to felO-
nions violations of law, and all of
hem unused to the exercise Of del
.cate and important trusts ofpower;
all having been appointed in one
interest and having a COM
mon partisan purpose TO subserye.
Hhe police and civil authorities Of
he city and State, whose duty it
s 70 preserve order, were ignored,
lnder instructions from Washing
on, as completely as if the people
j the State were in rebellion a
yainst the government Of the uni-
ed States. IL was q bold attempt
"a the part of the Federal govern
nent to assume absolute control
# the State and local elections In
rider to accomplish partisan ends;
both judicial and execu-
i've, seemed determined to prose-
ute il without any regard to the
lights either of tie local officers Or
t the people.
The Law of Congress under
ghioh he was acting required the
federal Judge TO appoint one-half I
1 the whole number of supervisors
rom each political party; vet he
deliberately refused to appoint any
{ the political organization which
q wen knew Represented the great ]
aaiority OF voters IN Che city.