The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-26
A Question of Some Moment.

A Question of Some Moment.
Tho great issue between the two Houses
OF Congress Is whether the Senate will agree
tO strike out those sections OF the Revised
Statutes which relate TO the appointment
and powers OF supervisors 81 elections, and
an unit",ited supply Of deputy marshals to
aid them. NC original legislation was par
ti.an: and It's cnfo.' cement has been oiicn-
slve aud enormously cos. We ~ was iorecu
upon an appropriation bill, as '" '.pV"i %
now proposed TO be done. so that f.. '0i IL
denounced as vicious 10y these who orig
lnatcd II rs returned to plague the inventor.
The Treasury accounts tell the story
nbout those supervisors and- their sub
ordinatcs In a way that the plain people can
understand far better than by arguments,
however eloquent or powerful, because they
touch every taxpayers pocket, and by that
ready method quicken his Intelligence re-
markedly. In 1876 there were 1863 super
visors and iiGlO deputy marshals employed
In twenty-thrcc States, OF which fifteen were
southern, at cost Of two hundred aud soy
cnty-sx thousand dollars in round num-
bcrs. In this state l,770 supervisors and
1866 dcnuty marshals were employed, at an
expense of one hundred and nitysi thou
san.l dollars.
At the Congressional elections last fall
the operation OF this political machinery
was confined chiefly to particular localities
and to doubtful districts No effort was re-
Taxed in this state, for there were 1853 su-
pcrvisors and 2,95s deputy marshals, costing
silo,S6l23. Altogether the expense was
500, 29lo9 n far as returned. But Che OIL
ci,u statement shows that the Chief SUI
rorvisors' accounts in Northern and South
crn New York" had NJ. been sent to the
department., and that those OF New Jcr-
scy, eastern New York, and Pennsylvania
had not been fully adjusted" Whether the
figures werc conveniently kept back or not,
there Is no doubt but the totals will exceed
those '"O' ''"'-' pvi ~
Here, then, is tho proof '''us''. .''''' "
campaign fUad OF mere than qua. "
,-iNioa.with thouso uls OK active and unscru-
pulous partisans to expend 1t FOR the advan-
tagc OF one side, is drawn from the Treasury
every second year, to elect Republican men,
beers Of Congress, and every fourth year to
aid the election Of Republican President,
and in ease Of failure at the polls, to help
him into the White House by shameless, UNI
blushin., fraud The effect of such system
must be dcmoralIzinG, and II drags tn" judi
cary into the active conflicts Of politics,
because the Judges Of the Circuit Courts ap-
point the supervisors, but have nothing to
do with the deputy marshals.
Mr.. DEvESs has gone as far as LANDAU
LET WILLIAMS ever did in converting this
patronage into huge political agency. II
he has any scruplcs, they have yet to bc
exhibited. He has responded to every call
made upon him by the party managers, and
volunteered TO go even beyond their requi-
sitions To-day the Federal Courts, dis
graccd by Judges like BOND, BILLINGS, and
SETTLE, are pcrvertng the forms Of law into
bitter persecution for mere political gain.
The inspiration of this policy comes from
the so-callcd Department OF Justice.
A back bill for round quarter OF mill
lion, on account Of supervisors and deputy
marshals, was presented in the Senate at
the instance OF Mr.. DEvESs, TO be added TO
the Deficiency bill which the House had
sent there only few days ago. He re-
sorted to that roundabout method because
the Committee on Appropriations had de-
manded the items Of that large account, and
he could not furnish them satisfactorily
The Congressional election in California is
DEvENs asks an appropriation OF twenty
thousand dollars for Supervisors and mar
shals In 1876 California was carried by Q
fraud hardly less revolving than that prac
tised in Louisiana, and the deputy mar
shals played conspicuous part in that in
iquity. They averaged from SIS to sl7
each for services ON that occasion, and Mr.
DEvESs will not hesitate to repeat that out
rage il the House be weak enough to gran
him the money.
Fair and free elections cannot be ha'
while this Federal machinery is intrude'
into the States, and hundreds Of thousand
ere annually voted to grease the wheels am
TO keep partisan engineers ut work. The Re
publicans have been doing this for the las
eight or ten years; and ii the Democrat
should succeed 10 power they would doubt
less walk in the footsteps Of their illustrlOu
predecessors, just as they have been prOmp
10 learn and TO employ the sharp practice
Of their opponents ia Other respects. A
those OF the people who are not mere part
SANS are against any such corruption fund