The daily gazette., 1879-02-03
THIRD EDITION
WASHINGTON.
EVILS OF FEDERAL INTERFER-
ENCE IN ELECTIONS.

PROPOSED REPEAL OF OBNOXIOUS
LAws-FEDxRAL INTERFERENCE IN
RLECrIoNs-EvILs OF THE EXISTING
LAWS AND FEELING IN FAVOR OF
THEIR REPEAL.
WAsHINGToN, Feb. 2, 1879.
The proposition to repeal the clause Of
section 2,002 Of the Revised Statutes,
which gives army and navy officers the
right to station troops al the polls on the
pretence of keeping the peace, revives
among judicious members of both par
ties the question whe her the time has
NOT come TO repeal the whole body of
laws authorizing federal marshals, super
visors and other officers to interfere in
elections. These laws, most of which
give very pr, at and vaguely defined
powers to a usually low class of officers
who are always in the nature of things,
partisins, or what are in the political
slang called ''good party workers." were
adopted in the exciting days of recon-
struction. The purpose of those who
drew and adopted them was to maintain
the asceudency Of their party by extra
ordinary measures. and everybody who
has paid attention to their administIa ion
knows that they have always given rise
TO very grave and danger abuses, and
have certainly, for several years past
Caused more evils than they have pre-
vented
1t is very well underst cd that these
laws give such powers to agents of the
federal administration as to enable these
to exercise, wherever they want to, very
great and wrongful influence over the re-
suit of elections; and as these fedora
election officers are chosen by partisani
and are themselves partisans, selecte,
from the most energetic politicians, ut il
certain that, as human nature goes, The,
will in the greater number of cases try /,
turn their authority to the advantage o
their own party.
The democrats, who have been tn,
sufferers from these laws, have alway
denounced them, and it has been takel
for granted that one of the first of the
acts, if they should come into power il
1880, would be to repeal the whole mas
of them. This ought certainly to b,
done, and whenever democrat admins
tlation holds power in Washington ther,
is no doubt that the republicans will eag
erly help and perhaps even demand TIN
repeal. But there is reason to fear tina
ii will then be too late, for good man
democrats are even now indisposed t
this repeal. They say the republican
have had very great advantage froi
laws for good many years and they wi
now wait until il comes to their turn.
enough republicans and democrats woul
join hands for the repeal at the preser
session it could be done, but it woul
need the hell Of republican votes.
NEW YORK APPoINTMENTs-MR CoNK
LING SAID TO BE LOSING GROUND.
There have been animated converse
tions i'll the hotels and other places t,
day respecting the future action of tn
Senate on the New y ork Custom Hous
nominations. 1t is reported to-nigl
from democratic sources that so far ;
support from that party in the Senate
concerned Mr.. Conkling is losing groun
prominent Southern Senator is said
have stated that number of democra
who have heretofore been thought to no
doubtful positions as TO their votes on Il
pending nominations would now vote f
their confirmation.
NJ fIhHllNG r AMONG THE DEMOCRA'
-REPUBLIcANs: DIsAPPoINTMENT
CAUSES OF 1.-THE SOLID SOUTH"
The disappointment of some of Il
republicans at the moderate tone al
sensible sentiments of most of Il
Southern speeches on Saturday, and
he melancholy fact that"there's no fight
AS the street boys say, has caused Il
scirL nation of foolish and of cour
unto unded story to-day that the speech
We're ''reyisrd by committee" The
isl yel natural desire among the repu
licans to see the democratic party bre;
to pieces, just as the democrats wou
like no'hin. half so we'll as TO see t
republican arty split asunder. Unfo
unately for the republican hope th
themselves are keeping the South sol
for the democrats by their consta
threats Of interference and genel
sectional policy. Mr.. Garfield is the on
republican who has Of late begun to spe
the magic words which would rend ap;
the solid South, and he stopped short
foo soon tn bn ptinctiva