The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-05-21
TROOPS AT THE POLLS.
The Army Used to Prop Up Carpet Bag
Governments and to Oany r {.
Elections.
Artillery Trained ON Che House of Repre-
sentatives, With Officers Sworn
to Secrecy.
New York sum-

From the beginning to the close of Gem
eral Grants administration, the army and
navy were constantly used to prop up carpet
bag governments in the South and to carry
elections under the partisan act of 1885. The
intention of the Republican leaders was to
have extended this military supervision
at the polls over all parts of the
country where they were in a minority;
to crush out every form of oppo-
sitlon; and continue their rule indefinitely.
That was the object of quartering a small
force in the heart of this city, and OF
stationing two ships OF war to command the
center of commercial activity, in 1870. The
experiment would probably have succeeded,
too but for the resolute stand of our local
authorities. The same year United States
marines were marched to the polls in Phila-
delphia, and Governor Geary, though q
stanch Republican, made that audacious in
trusion the subject of strong condemnation
in his regular message to the Legislature.
After these testative attempts to accustom
the people of the North to the presence
of troops on election day had failed, they
were mostly directed to the Southern States.
where such outrages had been long prac
ticed, and could be repeated with greater
impunity. The most scandalous abuses
were perpetrated without even a show of
external decency. Take the following ex-
ample as an illustration of the whole sys-
tenn. George L Spencer was the carpet-ba
troops to suit party necessities, as appears
by this letter, addressed to the secretary of
the Republican State committee:
DECATUR, Ala, Oct. p, 1872
any DEAR BARBER-I have just returned
from Louisville, where have been to see Gen
aI have had a CON pany Of cavalry sent to
Livingston, q detachment to Pickens county,
pany to Demopoiis, and company to Seals
Station, Russell county. Also squadron of
cavalryto report to United states Marshal
81 wish Randolph, deputy United States
marshal, would use the co npany at Opelika in
making arrests in Tallapoosa, Randolph and
Montgomery Thursday morning to attend the
meeting of the State committee. would go
sooner, but can not, as IL is important should
stay here tomorrow. l wish you would go to
Tailadega and block that game. L must not,
however be known in the matter.
"The troops mentioned above win all be in
their respective places in two days from now.
yours, "GEoRGE +. SPENCER.
Kellogg, Chamberlain, Stearns, and others
of the tribe to which Spencer belonged fol
lowed in his footsteps that year, and in 1874
the Legislature of Louisiana was captured
by such barefacei frauds that Mr.. Hoar, Mr..
Wheeler and Mr.. Frye of House committee
were compelled to admit them. What the
army did in Louisiana. in South Carolina,
and in Florida in 1876 is familiar history.
The electoral votes of those three States
could not have been stolen as they were ex-
cept by the aid of troops sent there expressly
to protect and to assist the scoundrels who
did the work.
And as if to close the business 6ttingly,
and to complete the operations of John
Sherman and his confederates in crime, two
thousand picked troops were collected at
Washington to oversee the electoral count,
with artillery trained on the House of Rep
resentatives, with officers sworn to secrecy,
and with orders and preparations as If
state of fragrant war actually existed at the
capital. These last events are only two
years old; and yet, IL the face OF an expe-
rlenca dating back to 1870, and continuing
through the two terms of Grantism, Mr..
Conkiing, Mr. Edmunds, Mr. Chandler, and
the rest of them, who are all now engaged in
an effort to give Grant third term, have
the effrontery to tell the people that nothing
is to be feared from the presence of troops at
the polls.
In the view of all rejecting men, this is
the most serious question ever presented In
time of peace. 1t means force to carry the
next presidency and to destroy free govern
ment Not even . force coming from the
body OF the community, but hirelings or
mercenaries, most Of them not citizens at all,
who are not required by the terms OF their
enlistment to take an oath to obey the con-
stitution, but only to swear they will obey
the commands of their superior officers.
Let it not be said that the fraudulent
president will never consent to the employ
ment of troops at elections. or that existing
law, as he pretends, forbids their presence
at the polls He is a poor, weak creature,
without principle, or conviction, or moral
courage, and is in the hands of desperate
and designing leaders that have staked their
all on the next presidential election. In
stead of halting, Hayes will go to the fur
thest extreme in order to prove bis fidelity /;
and there is no plan, however reckless, that
he will not now adopt and pursue to remove
the distrust of the chiefs, who use but de-
spise him. The last hope is in the deter
mination of Congress to protect the ballot
against the bayonet, and to defend the hber-
ties Of the people.
Old Times.