The New York herald., 1879-02-03
Evils of Federal Interference
in Elections.
PROPOSED REPEAL or OBNOXIOUS LAWS.
Causes Which Cement the
Solid South.
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL.
Work of the Yellow Fever Board
of Experts.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2, 1870
EEDERAL INTERFERENCE IN ELEcTIoNs--EvILs
OF THE EXISTING LAWS AND FEELING IN TA-
voR OF THEIR REPEAL.
The proposition to repeal the clause of section 1902
of the Revised Statutes which gives army and navy
officers the right station troops at the polls the
pretenoe of keeping the peace, revives among judi
cious members of both parties the question whether
the time has not come to repeal the whole body Of
laws authorizing federal marshals, supervisors and
other officers to interfere in elections. These laws
most Of which give very great aud vaguely de-
hned powers to usually low class Of officers
who always in the nature of things partisans.
what are in the political slang called good party
workers. were adopted in the exciting days of
construction. The purpose of those who drew and
adopted them was to maintain tho ascendarcy of
their party by extraordinary measures and every
body who has paid attention to their administration
knows that they have always given rise to very
and dangerous abuses and have certainly for several
years past, caused more evils than they have pre-
vented.
It is very we'll understood that these laws give
such powers to the agents of the federal administers
ton enable these to exercise, wherever they want
to- great and wrongful influence over the result
tueSc
chosen by partisans and themselves partisans
leced from the most energetic local politicians it is
certain that human nature goes they will in the
greater number of try to turn their authority
to the advantage Of their party.
The democrats who have been the sufferers from
these laws. have always denounced them and it has
been taken for granted that Of the first of their
acts. If they should come into power in $780, would
be to repeal the whole mass of them. This ought
certainly to be done, and whenever a democratic ad-
ministration holds power in Washington there is
doubt that the republicans will eagerly help and per-
haps even demand the repeal. But there is to
fear that it will then be too late for good many
democrats indisposed to this repeal.
They say the republicans have had very great ad-
vantage from these laws for good many years aud
they will wait until it comes to their turn. If
enough republicans and democrats would join hands
for the repeal ut the present session could be done
but it would need the help Of republican votes.
NO FIGHT AMONG THE DEMoCRATs--REPUBLIcAN
DIsApPoINTMENT-cAUsEs OF 'THE SOLID
SOUTH"
Tn. disappointment Of some of the republicans at
the moderate tone and sensible sentiments Of
most of the Southern speeches Saturday. and at
the melancholy fact that there's fight" the
street boys say has the circulation foolish
and of course unfounded story to-day that
tho speeches were revised by . committee .
There is q very natural desire among the
republicans to the democratic party
break to pieces. just the democrats would
like nothing half we'll to the republican
party split asunder Unfortunately for. the repub-
lican hopes they themselves keeping tho South
solid for the democrats by their constant threats Of
interference and their general sectional policy. Mr.
Garfield is the only republican who has Of late begun
In speak fle mari rdg w,i. wouId repd a,,arf
the solid South. and he stopped short all too to
be effective. He said in December. in his speech in
the House,
SO far as / have studied the current of public
thought and of political feeling in this country.
feeling has shown itself more strongly than the
tendency of the public mind in the past few months
The man who attempts to get up political excite
ment in this country on the old sectional issues will
ind himself without party and without support
The man who wants to serve his country must put
himself in the line of it, leading thought and that is
the restoration of business, trade, commerce., in
dustry, sound political economy, honest money and
honest payment of all obligations and the man who
add anything in the direction of the accomplish
ment Of any of these purposes is public benefactor
But these statesmanlke words apparently found
response in his party, for he has not gone
further on that path.
THE PENSION LAws--AMENDMENTs SUGGESTED
BY SECRETARY scHuRz.
The well ascertained fact that the new Pension Ia
will take S34 900 900 out of the Treasury and W i'll in
crease the annual payments on this account about
$5.00o0o0 per annum besides. leads to very gen.
ersl desire for such amendments of the Pension laws
as shall make the detection of frauds and rrcg ulr-
ties more prompt and certain, that, at least, the
Treasury shall not be bled wrondully Among tho
measures suggested and urged by Secretary Schurz
is one which looks to reform very necessary In the
Judgment of the Commissioner OF Pensions. At
present pensioners and persons claiming pensions
are examined by local surgeons. their ncighbors.
who, oven whore they entirely competent. are
naturally apt to lean favoraby toward the claimant
and against the government. Hence it is we'll known
arise abuses which cost tho government very
heavily every year. persons receiving pensions
TO which they arc not entitled, which is an
injustice to the taxpayers and the honest pensioners
To remedy this it Is proposed to divide tho whole
country into pension districts and employ regular
staff Of competent surgeons for each district to
be paid q salary by the government, aud to be re-
movable and subject to be changed from one district
to another at the hands OF the Pension bureau Sur
eeons thus employed would have interest adverse
20 tho government. To test the value
of examinations by an independent surgeon
specially employed by the government the Com
missioner OF Pensions two years ago employed q
Wisconsin surgeon Of ability to make special exsnn-
atons in several counties in New York. Ohio aud
Indiana with the result that in i91 the govern
ment saved In reduced rates and men dropped from
the rolls the largo sum Of Sl6.s2i for two years.
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.