Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-11-14
FEDERAL OUrRaGI:S,

| Unlawful interference by Federal
officials with State elections is unhap-
PLY no new thing. Indeed, it would
doubtless create much surprise were
an election to pass without some out
rage on the part Of the officials # the
| Federal Government upon the rights
of citizens and the sovereignty of
| States
The election last Thursday was no
exception to the general rule. In New
York City, Mr.. Davenport made him
self conspicuous in the performance of
the dirty work required by his party.
Mr.. Davenport is an old and expert
offender in the business Of prostituting
Federal official position to the behests
of the Administration and its party.
But New York was not the only place
where Federal officials sought to pre-
vent citizens from exercising the right
of suffrage. In Maryland the ''despots
heel is still felt. The Baltimore Ga
zette of Wednesday says
One Of the boldest outrages against
the freedom of election and the liberty
of the citizen that has occurred in this
State since the war, was perpetrated
by the Federal authorities yesterday.
We give the story as it reaches us
Yesterday morning some fifteen or six
teen persons, having their residence in
Anne Arundel county, and legally en-
titled to vote there, chartered the
! Robert j. Rieman, one Of the tugs
in the harbor, to take them home to
vote. The tug had proceeded on its
way, as We understand, without moles-
tation, until off Stony Creek, when the
United States revenue-cutter plying in
these waters brought he: to by firing
shot across her bows She was then
boarded by the revenue officers, who
seized the tug and brought her and all
on board back to Baltimore. 1t being
then made evident that the persons
arrested on the tug were citizens OF
Anne Arundel, and entitled to vote
there, they were set at liberty, after a
detention at Fort McHenry OF several
Eours. but to hide this scandalous out
rage, hi..l t. give Il colorado preteyt
for the seizure O. Tie tug and the unlaw
ful arrest of some sixteen citizens, a
charge was trump2l up against the
tug OIL wing passengers WiLhpilI
q license, and on this SI.bterfuge she
was held and Ilrr papers seized. The
citizens Of Anne Arundel thus sum
1IlariIv arrested and rs summarily dis
missed Ola their arrival in Baltimore,
made subsequently, an uuavailing
effort to reach home by private con-
veyances III time to deposit their bal
lots, bat failing in this they lost their
votes.
Now mark the contrast. At the very
time the Robert J. RIeman started
from Baltimore with a number of
Democratic voters, another tugboat,
In charge of custom-house officers, was
gathering up negroes from the oyster
boats in the harbor for the purpose of
voting them III Anne Arundel county.
They were taken subsequently down
the river and landed at the same creek
off which the tugboat Robert J. RE
man was stopped and turned back.
Such is this story OF Federal outrage
as related to us on good authority. Ii
the particulars that have been fur
nishcd us should turn out to be true,
it i, L shameful interference in our
local affairs Only eIualed by that of
Casey in Louisiana. OF the main fact
there is no doubt whatever.