The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-06

Nothing could more clearly evince the
character of the pretence on which tie
Administration is acting IN the Southern
States than the letter OF the Marshal OF
Georgia TO the Chief OF Police of the city
of Atlanta. This Federal Marshn', find
ing hs cue in the Infamous circular Of
Attorney. General TAFT, aud taking his
stand upon the puibhle tuat the Enforce
ment acts were declared unconstitutional
Ivy the supreme Court only when applied
To state elections. has the presumption TO
claim that he aud his deputies are exolu-
sively AMI solely invested with the preser-
walton of the peace ut the polls in the
coming election. because there are no
state officers TO be voted for. and no oih
GERS are to be chos, II but members of Con-
gress and Presidential electors. He tnerc-
fore calls upon the police 81 the city to
ahdicate their functions aud to leave the
protection Of voter, TO him ant ms depu-
ties. who II seems have been armed with
Remington pistols.
Thus the march of usurpatiou goes on.
one after another of the local authorities
and the state powers Is crushed, in order
TO make way for the exercise Of II Federal
force which isto assist 10 defeating the will
| Of the people. under the guise Of protect
ing voters. If tho subject We're not too
grave for ridicLlc, the whole country
might laugh ut the idea OF "a Federal Mar
shal laying down tue law for such State
rs Georgia. constituting decisions of the
! supreme Court of the United States, and
I pretending To find in Thorn authority for
| thrusiing aside the entire police power Of
the state, aud all Its laws, and all the city
ordinances which govern the peace on the
I iry of an election.
Let Tie people Of New York make the
case their own; and it might havs been
| their own, if 1t had 50 happened that their
state election had hecl severed from ne
election OF Federal officers. Let the peo-
pie of New York now appreciate what
COMES from the pretence that u Federal
law. declared by the supreme Court to be
unconstitutional cause II WAS not "np-
prOpriate legislation" 10 execute u certain
amendment of the Federal Constitution, il
constitutional when Federal officers alone
are 10 ns voted for Lit them appreciate
what comes from the pretence thar, be-
cause Congress has power 10 regulate the
! tlmo, place, aud manner Of choosing Fed
oru Representatives, therefore Federal
executive officer can suspend the eNecu-
tom OF every State law and every local
orllnau 80 ia the hands of the state and
local authorities, and assume 10 himself
tho sole and exclusive control of the pub
lie peace on The day Of such an election.
Let them Imagine thcircntire police power
thrust aside, and their polls surrounded by
Federal deputy mirshals armed wi,h
Io, sir
70 make arrests ut the polls without any
process of law. Do they suppose that such
power, iusting on such protences, is 10 be
exercised for any honest purpose? DO
they suppose that 1t can he anything but n
usurpatlou to assume that the state police
OF such state ~ Georgia cannot preserve
the peace at any aud all elections at which
its citlIens have occasion to vote? Bat
Georgia is a Democratic State. It, State
aud local authorities are in the hands, for
the most part, Of Democrats. The ma olml
Administration il determined 10 defeat
the election of all Democrats wherever I
can. one of it, most direct means for do
! ing tins IL 10 assume the exclusive control
OF the public pcac6 wherever it can fnf
the prct.Xt for thru5tnS aside the an.
thority of tn state pn,lc5 AMI the state
laws THIS prefer would have hAd just
the same force hero, aud have lie I to last
the same usurpa ION, Remington pistols
and all. if our Congressional an Presiden-
tal election hai h2ppcns h b. iieli on a
separate day from tho state election.
Patience patience patience ana i
will soon he over, Everyw where through
out this broad land the People are 10
morrow to meet these usurp9rs ~ pence
nll struggle for the preservation OF thai
systcm Of government watch our father
ms ie for IT,, and which can be saved on.
by p a,rrn attenuation of this Executive
Mterfereu, u with our elections by the ia
trusion OF armed nount the polls Through
out the whole South there IS most aI
Z mlrlble temper even TO tho extent o
submission to the most pIlpahle wrongs
Z because tho people OF that section bel ev
that by such submission no importan