The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-09-16

OF power which he makes is so full of dau
ger, not TO the South alone, which afford
the immediate pretext, but TO every sec
ton Of the country, the North and tn
West as well, that it should be instantll
met by all who love law and order, with
out regard to party, with the sternest re.
probation and condemnation.
! What does Judge Taft mean by speak
ing of the "peace Of the United States,
which the marshals and their swarms oI
deputies are to preserve and the violation
OF which they are to suppress. ant
which protects /" amongst otlier rights th,
rights specified by him? Does he moi
plainly mean, that as the United States
include all the States, the preservation Of
peace In each State and the right to sup
press violations Of the peace in each State
are taken from. the control Of State off,
cials and handed over TO Federal power ?
What are the breaches of peace Of the
United States for the violation of which
they may arrest and secure all persons
Does Judge Taft mean, is it intended to
obliterate the States and State power in
relation to all matters connected with the
preparations for or conduct Of an election?
Ii not this, what does he mean when he
says "the United States secure voters
against" tclLdteUer in general hinders or
prevents them from full exercise Of the
elective franchise, extending that care
alike to the registration lists, the act Of
voting and the personal freedom and So
curity Of the voter, as well against violence
on account Of any vote he may intend to
give as against conspiracy "Jecaase of any
he may have already giyen?" If this
language does not include absolute and
unlimited police control over the elections,
1t would be difficult to find words BY which
to give it. What does Judge Taft mean
when he speaks Of the fright to vote which
the United States have given or have Sc
cured?" Where did the United States
give ''the right to vote p And to whom?
The Supreme Court of the United States
distinctly affirm, in the last decision on this
subject, that the fifteenth amendment con-
fers the right of suffrage upon no one, and
yet it was only under that amendment of
the Constitution that any claim was made
in the argument of the cases in which this
decision was made. The Supreme Court
had long before and repeatedly decided
that the fourteenth amendment in no way
touched the right of suffrage. Although
Judge Taft proposes to evade the effect
and force Of these decisions, which should
have bound him as lawyer, and to which
1t was his duty as citizen to conform his
conduct, by stating towards the end of his
opinion that he 'has considered these re-
cent important judgments given by the
Supreme Court Of the United States upon
the acts of Congress which regulate this
general topic, yet he proceeds to aver that
he need sin this place to add no more than
that these judgments do not concern Fed
eral elections" The decisions he refers
to define broadly and yet explicitly the
power vested in the United States in re-
ference to the right of voting without re-
gard either to Federal or States elections,
and distinctly limit the powers Of the
United States under the fourteenth and
fifteenth amendments to the enforcement
Of single guarantee, which is that the
right TO vote shall not be abridged or
denied on account Of race or color or pre-
vious condition Of servitude," and that
where the abridgment or denial is for some
other or any other reason or cause the
protection Of the exercise Of the right must
be found in the laws Of the State and not
in those Of the United States. 1t will be
observed that the prohibition to abridge or
deny is addressed to ''the States and the
United States, and yet if any State should
for reasons Of its own seek to impose new
and general qualification upon the right
TO vote, such as property or education, or
as penalty for the smallest or most venial
offense, and difficulties arise at the polls
and riots, Judge Taft and his colleague,
Cameron, and their master, Grant, would
have just as much right to secure their
new-fangled "peace Of the United States"
as they now claim, aud could call in their
troops or swarms Of deputy marshals in
New York or Boston or Chicago or st.
Louis, and their all-embracing posse CONT
tatus, to take care "alike of the registra-
tion-lists, the act of voting and the per-
sonal freedom and security of the voter.
as well against violence on account of any
vote he may intend to give as against con-
spiracy because Of any that he NAV have
already given"
R-Tb;s ord.r .son so,.... -.
tbus in daf;.n.s os ~ aas;a;ss = oe.hs
Sunrame Corrs a,d w;,hsa. 0n - 'ae
law ~ tba Const;,n,;om ~. ,aa.I ass.a. y
ran Il have IN b;nJ;no aood 20. s;.;gsn. I s0'
T so0N
oon. Dopon me ~ wouid nave none'
DsnM. Dosmeen .ne aeOisions o. 'ne supreme
s;.;.0n Gtas sn.,s .enins NY sense 2, du'y as 2
.l''Aen ~ unueI government Oh Jaws, ana
Ilo E un.aiiaa'eu u ana partisan order Of an
.1Asou.lso . n. omc,A ! couiu no. nesisate ior
= = molnen' nome wmcn way my duty lay. 1 am
i, J,,Sao ie ne. rs a.n u my eA's'enee 'na. 4
!. yo Ia: JUL ean ge carried Out IN
D''s .ossoc anu "a sPns = win lc.a1y supVert
w. iolm vi governments anu leave local