The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-01-12
MESSAGE OF THE GOV. OF NEW YORK.

Governor Hoffman, of New York, in his
annual message to the Legislature of that
State, on Tuesday, after referring to the me-
cessity of change in the tariff, the reduc-
ton Of national taxation, change in our
present. financial system, and an early re-
sumption Of specie payments, proceeds as
follows
FEDERAL INTERFERENCE IN ELECTIONS.
Since the adjournment of the Legislature,
the federal government has assumed to inter
fere, directly, by its officers and armed forces.
with elections in this State. The pretext was
fear that the right ofsufrage would in some
wav be denied to the class Of persons upon
whom it had been conferred by the fifteenth
amendment to the constitution of the United
States. 1t was mere pretext; for our State
Legislature, at the last session, promptly al
tered our election laws to conform to that
amendment SO soon as it was declared adopt
cd. Moreover, this class of voters had ex-
ercised their new right freely and without
the least mo'estation at cur State election
which took place in May l st.
Congress, nevertheless, enacted law for
the ostensible purpose Of supervising the
GtCCtlOu Va OOuSA OoouCb VI ouN euC L ACol-
dent was authorized to employ the army and
navy to enforce certain Of its provisions
Under color Of this act the President and
other United States officials claimed the right
to supervise the entire election, not only for
Representatives in Congress-, but for State
and local officers. In the city of New York
special preparations were made to enforce
this claim. A large number of United
States deputy marshals and supervisors were
appointed, many of whom were men oe we'll,
known disreputable character, and some of,
whom had been convicted criminals;
A CLASS OF DANGEROUS MEN Fi
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 CT municipal au-
thority. Orders were issued which author
lied them, in the discretion Of each one of
them, to arrest at the polls citizens claiming
the right to vote, as well as the inspectors
who were charged BY law with the custody of
the ballet boxes. These arrests were to be
effected without process of law, issued upon
formal complaints. The peaceful conduct of
the election and the good order Of the city
were thus made to depend on the discretion
Of these hastily selected, inexperienced and
undiscplined men, some Of them habituated
to felonious violations of law, and all Of
them unused to the exercise Of delicate and
important trusts of power all having been
appointed in one political interest, and hav-
ing common partisan purpose to subserve.
The police and civil authorities of the city
and State, whose duty it is to preserve order,
were ignored, uuder Instructions from Wash
ington, as completely as if the people Of the
State were in rebellion against the govern
inert Of the United States.
IT WAS A BOLD ATTEMPT
on the part of the federal government to-, as
sumo absolute control of the State and local
elections in order to accomplish partisan ends,
and officials, both judicial and executive,
seemed determined to prosecute it, without
any regard to the rights either of the local
officers or Of the people. S. e!E 81 @9-
The law of Congress under which he was
acting required the federal judge to appoint
one-h of the whole number of supervis-
ors from each political party, yet he deliber.
ately refused to appoint any of the political
organization which he well knew represented
the great majority of voters in the city
Every popular right was ostentatiously deni-
ed, as if the purpose was to irritate and ex-
cite the people and to provoke tumult, which
might result in breaking up the election and
depriving the city of its yoie 1o a5I Ill,
The President we'll knew that the people
intended no .a Han bee .s5..jsf .lss
FoRCIBLE RESISTANCE To THE LAW.
Their determination was to meet it, simply
and exclusively, by the force Of public opin
ion. Thrust have been apparent to every
mind that the interest Of the great majority
in the city was to have quiet and orderly
election. 1t could be the interest only of the
minority to promote an outbreak. The Pres
ident knew also that even if disorder Of any
degree should ensue. the whole civila po-
lice force of the State, sustained by its Ma
tional Guard-a military organization Of our
own citizens, composed Of men Of all classes
and all political parties, and maintained by