Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-10-07
BAYOyETS AND BALLOTS.
A Strong Article from the Leading
Commercial Organ Of the Union.
U. $. Economist and Dry Goods Reporter,


Commercial Organ of the Union.
U. $. Economist and Dry Goods Reporter
18th.
/ The order of Attorney General Taft
FOR military protection Of voters at the
South means far more than It saws.
and Is matter of the gravest impor-
tance. Our objections TO it are not
partisan or political, but general. The
presence of soldiers at or near the
polls is one of the grievances against
which our torefathers especially pro-
tested, and which in England they
particularly forbade. It is violation
of the freedom of elections in spirit
and appearance, if not in fact. Beside.
| placing them there under the direc-
tion of United States Marshals, or of
other Federal officials, is not proper.
They have nothing to do with cleo
tons except when the Legislature or
Governor of State applies to the
President for aid in suppressing or
preventing domestic violence aud
then they should properly be at the
command of the Governor, the Sheriff,
or the judges of election. The remedy
for violence or fraud at the choice of
members Of Congress is net to use
bayonets and thus give color to the
charge, which is sure to be made, that
they prevent free voting; it is to have
seats contested and elections nullifed
if fraud or violence are shown, and to
give Federal Courts jurisdiction of
such oHenses if local tribunals are
found unreliable. As to the election |
OF State and local officers, this should |
be left to the local authorities and |
the voters should be made to under /
stand that if necessary they must pro-
tect themselves. 1t is the feeling that /
they can call on a distant power for
protection that does most of the mis-
chief.
But our main objection to this ac-
ton is that 1t operates to prevent the
return of prosperity. So long as the
Government officially brands a large
section of the country as disposed to
revive civil war, so long will confidence
be slow to revive and trade be sure to
languish. The rise of new political
issues in .he region lately desolated by
civil war is greatly to be desired, for
on such issue voters of both races can
harmonic without regard to past diff
ferences or to color. This in itself
will quiet the South, if it needs quiet.
ing, more than anything else could do.
Nothing will effect so much to recon-
cile the white men of the South to ex-
listing arrangements as to find large
part of the freedmen voting with them.
Any act that tends to renew past irri-
tatlons, or to revive or prolong past
issues, operates to endanger the peace
and quiet of the section affected, and
thus directly to delay the re-establish-
ment of trade. Especially is this the
case now, when the possibilities of a
close election are upon US. Should
the result of that election turn on the
vote of States where troops have at
tended the voting places, it will be
easy for the party which had not con-
troll of the army to believe that with
out the presence of regiments those
States would have voted otherwise.
This might lead to an attempt to re-
fuse to count their votes, and such an
attempt might be met with the sword,
which would plunge the country into
war, indefinitely postpone revival of
business, and imperil our liberties.