The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-02-17
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY IT, 1871.


The Bullet instead of the Ballot.
"Many law abiding citizens would feel more
like firing a bullet than casting ballot" said
Mr.. Eldridge, the leader Of the Democracy in
the national House of Representatives on
Wednesday, when the bill tor the supervision
of elections of Congressman by the United
States authorities was under consideration
Again he said, sit would lead to war and
bloodshed." In the same debate Mr.. Cox OF
New York made the remark that ne wouiu
give notice that the Legislature oil MS ota'e
would enforce its own election laws, ior 'he
election of its own officers, by having day
for sucb elections different from that for the
election of members of Congress, or it acould
meet the federal power fairly and squarely
aoiM the State power against the a.surpation
of Congress" Woodward OF PENNSYLVANIA
and VOORHEES, of Indiana expressed similar
views. The law against which they inveigh
merely provides Tor two supervisors of cleo
tons, one from each party, in all cities con-
tanning over twenty thousand inhabitants.
The United States Marshal is also en-
lowered 10 employ specia! deputies to as.
o'ee. ii'Hi vi Tue OccdSlOn OF eleCGlOuS anu
general supervisor of elections is to be APP.
pointed in each judicial district. This IS
merely making general the provisions OF That
law under which at the last election IN New
. York city the Democratic vote was diminish
ed many thousands. aohile to this day not one
man has been found aoho can sag that he
sOas intimidated by federal authority or ,vas
II,, u zofl 20
sition to this bill from Democratic members
arises from the fact that it is designed to pre-
vent Democratic frauds. The party that re-
peals all registration laws is not TO be count
ed on to support any other device for secur-
ing an honest ballot. In the bill under con-
sideration clause in which the Marshal is
authorized to call upon posse comitatus was
stricken out, leaving nothing of which any
honest msn sincerely desiring to promote the
purity of elections can complain.
But what we wish particularly to call at
tention to is the readiness with which these
Democratic leaders appeal from the pacific
ballot to the hostile bullet. The lesson of the
rebellion seems to be entirely lost on some of
them. What kind of legislation is it p,oba-
bic we should have if these mon and their
Southern allies were restored to the political
power they held in 1866? 1t is not difficult
to ioretell: Even now, when every consider
alton of prudence enforces upon them as a
minority party, desiring return to their old
ascendency, the utmost circumspection, they
show decided and almost ungovernable pre-.
objection for legislation like the following:
First, the measures introduced in Congress
by Democratic Senator, and supported quite
generally by his associates, restoring .the Ar
lington estate to the heirs of Gen. Lee and
necessitating the removal of the bodies of the
thousands of Union soldiers, slain by Gen.
Lees bullets, who sleep there.s
Second, The case mentioned above would be
only the beginning. All the Rebels whose es-
tates had been confscated would secure their
return, and they would claim and receive COM
pensaton Tor damage done their property by
Union armies. tt-"
Third, more serious than even the cases al
ready mentioned, they would require the as
sumption of the United States government Of
the Rebel debt.
Fourth, the Democracy do not recognize
the uatdity of the constitutional amendment
that torbids the assumption of The rebel debt.
The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments, constituting an important part
OF the reconstruction scheme, they regard as
vitiated by duress and the exercise of uncon-
stitutlonal powers by the general government.
F. P. Blair, recently elected United States
Senator from Missouri, has just reiterated the
opinion, contained in his famous Broadhead
letter, that the whole matter of reconstruction
is unconstitutional, revolutionary and void"
an opinion tnat the people very emphati-
ca'iy -repudiated when Gen. Blair was call
dtlate Tor Vice President in 1868. That
Democrats do not confine themselves to mere
abstract speculation on this subject is abund-
antly proved by the course pursued by New
York. Indiana and other Democratic States In
Withdrawing or attempting to withdraw the
assent given under Republican auspices.
Fifth, the work of reao,utionizing the South
by violence, already begun, would be immedi-
ately consummated. Gen. Blair in the same
speech to which we have already referred
dwells with much qualification upon the spec
tacIe OF the exodus OF carpet-bageers, negroes
and scalawags that would ensue upon the re-
turn of the Democracy to power.
kSxith, ives should see other Legislatures be-
sides that OF Virginia purchasing portraits of
Gen. Lee for large sums of money, while they
would as contemptuously reject propositions
looking to the acknowledgment OF the services
of Union heroes like Gen. Thomas.
seventh, we will not stop to consider the
subject of the Democratic financial doctrines
further than to say that under Democratic
rule the only question would be whether re-