American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-08-30
Miscellany.
Federal Interference.

One OF the most offensive OutgrOWthS OF
the centralIzing policy of the Republican
party is just now being exhibited. Two
Republican aspirants for the nomination
for Governor of Texas have appealed for
help-to whom, To the Republican par
ty of Texas? No; but to the President
of the United States, fifteen hundred
miles away. Governor Davis claims that
he ought to be re-nominated; and Post
master Clark at Galveston thinks the
honor is due to himself; and in their des-
picable quarrel over the matter it is pretty
clearly proved that neither should have it.
But this is not the worst; whoever gets
the nomination will next appeal to the
President to elect him. He will ask the
President to make such use of the Fede-
raj patronage and authority in the State
as to insure the election of the Republi
can ticket. This is what we have just
seen in Virginia. The first thing that
Hughes, the Republican candidate, did.
after being nominated at Lynchburg, was
to apply to the President for help. As if
the President of the United States had any
right to help this man or that to be nOmi-
mated or elected in Texas or Virginia.
The Republican press of the North has
the good sense to be disguised with the
Davis and Clark quarrel in Texas and to
advise the President to send them both
about their business. But this is not 60
ing far enough; the Republican press
ought to take the still higher and stronger
position, not only that the President
should have nothing TO do with contest
between Republicans for a nomination in
a State, but that he should have nothing
tosdo with a contest between Republican
and a Democrat for election in State.
In plain words, the elections in the States
are none of his concern, and he has no
right to interfere in them. Cannot the
Republican press bring itself up to this
attitude? Something like it is due from
it in PREPARATION for that press approval of
the interference that has brought about
this servile dependence Of the Republican
party at the South upon Washington.
Why is it that Davis and Clark go to
Washington to ask the Presidents aids'
Simply because the Republican party in
the South has heretofore been directed
from Washington, and because the Re-
publican press of the North has either
openly or silently approved the Admins
tration's systematic obtrusion of its au-
thOrity in the Southern States to elect its
partisans. The despicable quarrel be-
tween Davis and Clark in Texas is really
very triding matter compared with some
other transactions in which the Admins
tration took part. Did not the Admins
tration last fall intrude in the quarrel be-
tween Warmoth and Kellogg, in Louisi-
ana, and subsequently in the contest be-
tween Kellogg and McEnerys Did it
not take part in the Arkansas quarrel be-
tween Clayton and CattersOn? Did it
not detail two Cabinet Ministers to make
speeches in North Carolina last fall? Did
it not exert every particle of its authority
and strength to elect Hartranft in Penn
sylvanias And not one word of con-
demnation did we hear from the Republi-
can press while all this was goin5 on.
The only notable apprehension of Admin
istration interference in a State election
was in the case of the Missouri canvass
of 1870; and even the Republican jour
nails that censured that interference have
allowed similar intermeddling in other
States to pass without rebuke.
1t is about time that Administrations at
Washington were taking the position that
State elections are strictly State concerns.
1t is the practice in France for the central
government to use its authority to secure
the triumph of its partisans in the distant
provinces; but this is strong reason why
the practice should not be allowed in our
country. II the Republican party in Tex
as or Louisiana, or Virginia, or Pennsyl-
vania, or any other State is too weak 10
Fl 1T its own battles, let it be defeated. If
il -.nnot maintain itself without the sup
port of the Federal authority, it is because
it is guilty of crimes or abuses that deserve
defeat The Louisiana lesson, in which
the Federal Judiciary, the Federal Gus
tom House and the Federal army were
employed to secure the violent triumph
of the Administrations adherents, is one
that the President cannot afford to forget
1t shows what Federal interference in a
State election leads to when pushed to its
end, and furnishes the strongest possible
reasons for abandoning the habit of inter-
ference entirely-Nissouri RepaJlican.