The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-24


upon the constitutional limitations upon the
power ~ Congress to legisat" upon this stub
ect AMI TO assume control Of the exercise 81
tho right 81 suffrage. has also provoked them
10 throw every impehiment IN the way 81 the
enforcement Of these laws. Not only have
they Induced numbers Of negroes tn vote the
Democratic ticket. but they have actually
become SO coniumacioua NJ to arrest, under
State laws. persons selected by tho President
for That very purpose, who have "ofn'n'lteh
pei Jury for Tho lawful purpose 81 supplying
tho defects If The law This IL gront out
rage. according to Nj Devena. who Insists
upon the constitutional right of Republicans
10 lie under oath to tho full If th"ir bent pro
yided they do 81 before Federal commits
siouers.
III addition 81 this obstacle "a tho enforce
menI of the Federal election laws, iho,n Is
another arising out of this sam" "lawiess
spirit" ergendcred by Tho Democrats. To wit:
the impossibiity of securing jury ~ W"
South that shall not contain Mt loast one
Democrat. who will not consent 10 annd white
men Of his own party To III" ponitentiaty
because tho majority " negroes In THOR pro
rnc ~ parish voted tho Democratic ticket.
"It was against this difficulty that The test
oath fnr Jurors was directed the Now Nork
Timca naivnly observes The Democrats have
even gone So far na 10 insist upon the repeal
IF this last safeguard Of tho Republican
party.
I.ui these are moi NIL the difficulties In tn"
way All these might 10 overcome by
vigorous and systamaiio administration Of
4 ItiI ilyv q
Attorney General "a 10 any effective pcrs"cu-
ton without m appropriation The original
appropriation for this department was very
| mnagrc. ana sufIiced only to pay tn" salaries
| Of tho various Judges and other officials. With
| tho usual contingent fund FOR d"frayipg ordi-
nary court charges No consideration WIS
| taken of tho fact that this was an election
| year, and tho usual appropriation mad" by
Republican Congresses for tho payment 81
| the wages and expenses of supervisors, deputy
| marshals and such cattle. employed Ivy tho
party to manipulate the negro vote and pre-
| pare for Returning Board contingencies. has
| not boon allowed Tho rcsult Il that n" con
,inuent fund Is exhausted. these strikers and
pimps arc unpaid. and Dovons has u" money
"a carry on Ills crusade against tho Southern
bio for II all. and rather seem to enjoy it,
Mr. Devens wants to do ha duty, but he
cant his hands are tied and Congress re-
fuses to unto thnm. He has no appropra-
tjon To begin WITH but If he had ha cou'h
not secure n genuine "stalwart' jury, undo
Glod Nv the presence " nj least ono Demo
crat I'm all thoSouth Then. his sub attorneys
I'm these States AFRO not reliable. and, finally,
tho thing won't work any way. After ro-
viewing all which facts the Jimea mourn
fully observea that ''it is greatly to ho
regretted that the party which hnelaims with
such n show Of admiration for civi! methods
against the employment OF tho army IN on
forcing tho laws. should bs found intorposlng
almost, ins,,porable difficulties to tho enforce
mont Of those methohs"
Yes. IL Ia aad from n Republican stand
polnt. Nevertheless, we do not believe there
ia any constitutional authority Ia Congress
, In aunervIec. control or direct the practical
exercise Of the right OF suffrage, or To punish
any jnfractions Of this right. except when
such interference has been on account OF the
race aud color 81 tho voter whose right has
bccn denied. and therefore. We do not see
how an unconstitutional law Is to be enforced
, or why it should be. We are at nm equal loss
To know how any law Of n criminal nature
, can bo enforced, under tho jury system, II
T oppoaition to M almost universal public
opinite,. Finally. we do not 500 why Dem
ocratic Congress- should supply Republican
partisan Attorney General with tho means tt
enforce. for purely partisan purposes. law
il believes to be unconstitutional, oppressive
and "barbarous" We arc willing To conoed'
that IL Ia all very sad but. then, il Is Just.