The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-11-19
the THIEFS ELECTION LAW

1t is not surprising that none OF US ex-
poets an honest election in louisiana,
underline auspices ofthe notorious knaves
thrust into Office by Grant. How could |
we? The Kellogg Government, so called,
is itself fraud as barefaced as any Il |
can ever commit. The abandoned scoun-
drels who conspired with a drunken |
Judge and equally other disreputaole
Federal officers to seize the State and
keep il by force. are not likely to be over
nice about continuing themselves in place
by similar means. They can do 1t, anc
for that reason, they will They were
not at the pains Of devising those lnia-
nous registration and election laws tor
nothing. They will perpetrate every
fraud the laws allow and the laws were
made to allow every fraud known to an
election.
Kellogg appoints the Registrars and
Supervisors They register whom they
please. In the absence Of the Superyl-
sor, names may be stricken of on the ain.
davits Of two respectable persons and
we we already know how maryellously
handy these fellows are with their oaths,
while they have courts and Governor
all their own to protect them from the
consequences Of perjury. But the Super
visor is unhampered by even these re-
strictions. He "strikes" according to his
pleasure, and knows no law but his own
will. If he objects to a name, he Just
draws a red line through it, and there
the matter ends. Then, lest he may by
any possibility have neglected to prune
the list down to the limits of.pertect safe
". the law requires the good manto look
over it again the very day befote tie sfee-
HOa, and strike out until he is entirely
satisfied. The names remaining after
he is through, constitute the registry OF
citizens qualified to vote in the said par
ish or ward at the next election. ms
admirable law provides that the Superyl-
sors decisions in these little matters are
final The courts are forbidden to inter
fere, under penalties Of fine and imprls'
.onment. Against the majesty OF Su'
pervisor in Louisiana judicial writs dc
not run, and judges and people are pow
erless. And it is just aswell that way az
the other, for between the time when the
Supervisor quits striking on the nigh
before the election, and the opening o
the polls in the morning, there is small
time for due process of law, unless, in
deed. all the Judges in the State shoult
sit, like Durrell, drunk at chambers,
{ the live-long night, and sign whateve
came to hand.
Perhaps our foreign born citizens ma,
be interested in knowing that an import
ant part Of this beautiful and convenien
election machinery was invented tor tn
especial benefit Of such Of their class a
went to Louisiana in search OF the 'bes
! Government the world ever saw.
certihcate of naturalization is as nothln
before this mighty Supervisor. The claim
ant Of the poor privilege Of being regl;
{ tered is subjected to a long list OF lmpei
: tinent and unnecessary questions, an
\ forced to produce witnesses not only a
y y to his own identity, but witnesses wh
u can prove the circumstances under whlc
. the certificate was issued, as well as b
I whom, when and where, and whetht
u the person or persons issuing It were al
thorized or not; lot OF conditions whlc
not one naturalized citizen in thousan
can comply with. But even il he can
l. this, his case is very little helped by tn
W almost impossible feat The great r
,r ouirement after all is that he shall sat-
,e fy" this exacting and utterly irresponsl61
,s Supervisor. Ifhe simply declines to
j. sotf.6ed. there is no remedy this side
a. the Judgment Day, when it is supPost
e. by disloyal persons that an honest lrls
in man or German will stand on at least
a. good footing as any louisiana tint
a white, black, or yellow.
e. But even should the Supervisor cond
I'd scend to be satisfied, there is no tellil
gy how long he will remain so. He mi
register the name one minute al
red line it the next; or he may wait u
til midnight of the day Of the eiechc
and leave the unsuspecting citizen
We find out at the polls, with the bal
nd lust ready to drop from his fingers, Il
.es after all his case has been reconsider
.es by the noble-minded Supervisor, and
no IS "struck." If there is anything eql
in to this in Ireland or Austria, or in any
he the effete monarchies we respectful
lie but earnestly solicit correspondence
to relation to it.
In fact the whole system is such
grossly open and indecent fraud, so
bitrary shameless and wholly brutal. Il
even Bill Kemble or Bill Mann wol
asst blush to own it. Philadelphia is Ri
to cursed and scoundrel-ridden but sht
YER free and blest compared to Louisia
ad- We could bear it better too, If the in
ne, lent rogues had not written it so Plal
to- in their highwayman's law.-M = S