The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-10-05
TAFTS TYRANNY.
DO WE LIVE UNDER THE WILL
OF A DICTATOR,
The Attorney Generals Circular OF
instruction Reviewed by George
II. Curtis The Army at the Polls
the First step to Sovereignty.

Genenl Tatt's orderof obstruction W die MaISb%s
in theSe0th Eor their government IN tle approach
iug natoDal election, We make tAe following
extract from the able Letter Of NJ Curtis;
An ESGecUrsey Harmful " COlOred YOte"'
The 6rst thing THAI notice IN the circular IL
the statement that I'm the present CONDITION of
legislation the United States occupy position |
toward v ters aud voting which varies according |
w the election is tyr Slate and Other loeal 9fss's
only, OF members OF Congress-" this Is ekmsmey I
iuGee0rste, aud DIE e9loJsq people have 10 res !
son Do BE- Thankful 70 the Attorney General Tor
bis blUndeT Under no condition u legislauon,
Jigbtfully Interpreted by constitutional provisions
can the United states occupy toward voting and
yotsn any projecting position but that one which
Is ths saale al All elections II a state were W
psss law excluding eolored men otherwise quail
lied, from voting VI state elections, the United
states would have just the same authority "
eouDteraet or nullify that law that they would
have # Il prohibited e0l0red men from voting for
members Of Congress Or presidential electoE. u
Is not The officer who i 70 be voted for, but u is
tbe Kind and purpose Of The Discrimination
against the voter that gives the United states sii
he authority they have W become protectors %
the right of suifJsge But this sweeping ana IN
seeurste statement was introduced inL0 the clfc1'
lar 70 prepare The still more eEusysgaDIslsle-
uents that Immediately follow H. bul before J
anslySe theSe further statements JET me repeat a
distinction have made The law which stations
federal officers u the psees Of registration spd
voting, seeks % prevent traudulept registration
and fraudulent voting The laws ~igel uls q
t0rney General now seek " enforce by sfmed
power are laws aimed W punish or prevent lhe
acts Of IndiyidUsls which 0bsrlct the exercise by
other individuals Of the right of suffrage. These
latter laws have been declared ny The supreme
Court t0 be unconstitutional, because fbeY 90 not
extend " the voter the specific ami only pf0tee'
ton which the United states are authorized "
give him,
Position Of the Supreme Court.
Lis due 70 the Supreme Court Of the United
States, whose authority Is treated by the EEeed-
tive with so much contempt that the Executive
DspeT am now exsmining does not even n0lcs
what the GogTt deeidsd-it s due, say, TO Ihe
Court thst the people Of the United states should
take pains 70 understand precisely what the Court
we're dealing with in their late decisions, espec-
tally in thst 0f the United states against Reeves,
which came up from Kentucky They were
dealing, not with The right 0l the United STATES W
prevent or punish ffandulent registration or
fraudulent voting st any election, but they were
dealing with the right Of the United ststes, al any
and all elections 10 constitute themselves pro-
teetors Of the right Of suffrage, They SAID that
the Constitutional power Of the United states W
become protectors Of the hight Of suffrage is Nm
tied " the one single object 0f protecting lhs
voters from discrimination on account 0i lhelf
race on color; and thar as the laws Of The uhiten
States we're not limited 70 ths object, and did not
even provide, but aimed 70 grasp The whole gen
eral subject Of protection Of individuals agalhst
the wrongful sGts Of observation-disclosures fhhcuPh
that belongs " The ststes-h0se laws are uneoh-
stitut0nal and void,
Now when We consider that IL was only last
March tHat The Supreme Court afLef lie most ds-
libeTate consideration, decided that The United
States did not and cannot Secure voters against
whatever in general binder ana prevents lhem
from d free exercise Of The rights Of suHfage !"
that this general protect N Of the vote belongs
entirely ~ the State jurisdiction ana aulhonly'
and that the only thug that the United states can
do is " prevent any discrimination against me
voters Gu account of their race or color, We are
driven t0nne Of two eOnGusl0ns-eithef that inc
Attorney General did not understand the deei-
siOns of the Court, or that he had puTposely mis-
represented them, VIXEN he tells The mafsials liHt
he has founded his instruction upon the laws aa
effected by the decisions, and that the decisions
do moi affect federal elections
No Legislation Even for Protection Against Dis
GTiminatiOn,
Even for the discharge Of the only duty toward
voters which the United States an ever undertake
10 peTfOIm protection against Discrimination on
account Of race 0T COl0r-the Supreme Court has
told Congress, has told the Executive has told
the whole country, that the United States have as
yet no legislation appropriate 10 that end Yet
the Attorney General appends 10 his circular for
the guidance of the marshals the very provisions
of the law which the Court has said are unGOnsli
tuti1nsl and void The marhhals are 10 aot al
state elections, for even II no 0llcers but members
Of Congress and Presidential Electors are TO be
chosen The elections are held under state author
ity, under State laws, for The exercise ofa right Of
suffrage derived exclusively from the tate, 70
do this the marshals are authorized 10 have pres
ent any force they may deem necessary, incud
ing tho armed forces OF the United states,
A Hold and uRlaWfal Scheme,
say that this IL bold and unlawful attempt 10
grasp the .maGhinery OF State elections, | say
that IL ID not 10 be attributed aa necessary peril
10 tha concurrence of the federal and Stale cleo.
tons al the same times and places because II
goss, by clear and palpahle usurpatiOn TO the
no authority TO do al any election, II assumes
ana asuIRs power to do that which belongs eK.
GlusiVely 10 the State authorities 10 do, namely, TO
exert a general and universal supernlendenoe
over the exercise OF the elective franchise II i'm
pOssibla 10 conceive of any motive for such u
plain HsurpatOn OF power al time when they
have no law for the exercise of their appropriate
function, except the purpose TO take advantage OF
the excitement ana collision Of feelings that pre-,
vail Ia the South, aud the apathy win which II
Is expected such all interference will he regarded
here In tho North 10 arm the federal otrCeTh Ia
the states into which this circular has been sent
with practical power over the elections,
Death Under the instructions Would be Murder.
There is but one other thing in this circular
which desire 10 notice, The mafshals ara in
struCted that in preventing and quelling disOr-
der'-mark the extraordinary language they
aud each of their deputies, general ANA special,
have II right To use military orcea of all kinds US
part of the posse oOmHatIs ......
suppose any of these ohensea against the right
OfanotRef 10 vote ID committed in the presence of
amarsha and he undertakes 10 arrehl the often
der WITHOUT process. A disturbance arises the
arrest Ia resisted, Is the marAhal to order the
troops 10 hre on the people is he 10 shoot down
the supppaed offender who viii not submit 10 an
unlawful arTesti Is he To kill the man II he tries
to esoape' Death inflicted under such oiroum-
stances would be murder and no circular that
ever was penned by any Attorney General that
ever lived could AFFORD the least protection TO the
man who Glhus caused the death of another,
Charity would lead ono TO believe that the AtOr,
ney deneral really did not appreciate the oharac-
tor of the paper to which he put his name,
Danger OF PerPeiuaIing the EVIL,
believe have now said enough for The proper
explanation of this AuhiecI and enough to justify
the charge that thisa bold and unlawful attempt
to grasp the machinery of an election at which
electors of President OF the United States are to
be chosen We have neverbetDTe had that odlous
thing, the presence OF the army OF the United
States, at the polls, II throu shout the region
whore these dangerous powers will be exercised
hv ANNA man unHt In ha trustad with sunh a.,