Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-10-31
The New York Outrage.

ity by the Supervisors of Elections,
appointed in New York under the Act
Of July 10, has borne immediate fruit
in an outrage upon the rights Of the
citizens such as has fortunately never
before been attempted outside the
bayonet-ridden States Of the South
The facts in the case Of Mr. Heinrich
are illustrated of the arrogant disre-
gard, not only of law, but of indivi.
dual liberty which characteriz,s the
conduct of the campaigl on the part
of the Administration. One Of the
Federal Supervisors having intruded
into Mr. Heinrich's house, and proceed
ing to demand answers to various i'm
pertinent questions, that gentleman
simply refused to answer and politely
showed his unauthorized interlocutor
to the door. For this act, involving
no violence whatever, Mr. Heinrich
was arrested and taken in a closJ car
riage before the Chief Supervisor at
his private room in hotel. Although
provided with ample bail, his sureties
were refused, and he was remanded to
Jail over Sunday, finally securing re-
lease on bail, after long and strenuous
efforts, on Monday. The circumstan-
ces making this outrage especislly
atrocious are found in the facts that
Mr. Heinrich is respectable citizen, of
wealth and position, that he is the
last man in his district about whose
antecedents, and qualifications inquiry
needs to be made, he having resided
and voted in one place for score of
years, and that in constructing the
Supervisor" he acted strictly within
the limits of the law. The occasion
for sinking an example Of this MN"
as Supervisor Davenport put it, is
found in Mr. Henrichs great influence
among the Germans of his district,
and in bis political status, which is
strongly Liberal,
A. this is the first instance i'll which
the agents of the Administration have
put in exercise at the North the ex-
cessive authority used so generally for
the intimidation of Southern voters, it
is well that the people should under,
stand that no sc NIB aace of law exists
for such int ference. Indeed, the in
structlons issued by Mr. Davenport to
his band of Supervisors deliberately
set aside the law, and order proceed
ings directly in violation Of one Of the
most sacred rights guaranteed citizens
by the Constitution, that of security
in their persons and houses against UNI
reasonable searches. The Act of
July 10, under which these Supervi-
sors are appointed, designates their
duties to be simply those of spectators
and witnesses at elections, with no
other powers and privileges than those
possesse by every citizen Their en-
trance into private houses, with com.
pulsory questioning Of residents, is a
work not coumtenances by law, and
subjects to the same pains and penal
ties as trespass by any one else, wheth-
err decorated wish Mr. Davenport's
badge or not. Yet,.tor resi- sting this
encroachment upon his rights, Mr.
Heinrich has been arrested with no
o her authority than the word Of the
Supervisor; has been put to the incon-
venience AMI humiliation Of a TWO
days residence in Jail, and has been
treated throughout the whole proceed
ing with an i"solence and disregard
of the privil ages of a citizen TO which
happily we have before been uneXpoS-
ed. TIE Elforcemcnts Acts have
undermined the liberties of the peo'
pie in the South, and it is'now evident
that the stress Of necessity leads The
Administration to attempt the same
work in the North. Not having the
law on their side, these willing agents
boldly overs'ep the legal limits of
their authority, and commit an out
rage whose scandalous atrocity will
perhaps arouse the people to Il sense
of their dangar-Boston Post.
CHEATING IN THE REPUBLICAN Con-