The New York herald., 1879-02-03
Evils of Federal Interference
in Elections.
PROPOSED REPEAL OF 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.
wAsHINaToN. Feb. 2. 1872
FEDERAL INTERFERENCE IN ELEcTIoNs-EvILs
OF THE EXISTING LAWS AND FEELING IN FA-
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 to station troops at the polls the
pretence 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 marshas. supervisors and
other officers to interfere in elections. These laws,
most of which give very great aud vaguely de-
fined powers to usually low class of officers
who always in the nature of things partisans,
what in the political slang called "good party
workers. were adopted in the exciting days OF re-
construction. The purpose of those who drew and
adopted them to maintain the ascendaEcy of
their party by extraordinary measures, and every
body who has paid attention to their administration
knows that they have always given rise to grave
and dangerous abuses, and have certainly for several
years past. caused more evils than they have pre-
vented.
1t is very well understood that these laws give
such powers to the agents of the federal adinistra
tion enable these to exercise, wherever they want
to- very great and wrongful influence the result
of elections and these federal election officers
chosen by partisans and are themselves parsans.
lected from the most energetic local politicians It is
certain that human nature goes they will in the
greater number of cases try to turn their authority
to the advantage Of their own 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 into power in $780, would
1ok k,~ rrt:
certainly to be done, and whenever democratic ad
Innistration holds power in Washington there is no
doubt that the republicans will eagerly help and per-
haps demand the repeal. But there is to
fear that it will then be too late, for good many
democrats arc even now indisposed to this repeal
They say the republicans have had very great ad-
vantage from these laws for good many years aud
they will now wait until it comes to their turn. If
enough republicans and democrats would join hands
for the repeal ut the present session it could be DONE
but it would need the help of republican votes.
NO FIGHT AMONG THE DEMoCRArs-REPUBLIcAN
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF ''THE SOLID
SOUTH"
Thc disappointment Of some Of the republicans at
the moderate tone and sensible sentiments of
most of the Southern speeches Saturday, and at
tho melancholy fact that there's fight" the
street boys say has caused the circulation of foolish
and of course unfounded story to-day that
tho speeches revised by committee"
There is q very natural desire among the
republicans to see the democratic party
break to pieces. just as the democrats would
like nothing half well to the republican
party split asunder. Unfortunately for. the repub-
lican hopes they themselves keeping the South
solid for the by their constant threats of
interference and their general sectional policy Mr.
Garfield is the only republican who has Of late begun
to speak the magic words which would rend apart
the solid South and he stopped short all too TO
be effective He said in December. in his speech in
the Aouse:-
SO far as have studied the current OF public
thought and of political feeling in this country,
feeling has shown itself 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 the old sectional issues will
lind himself without a party and without support
The man who wants to serve his country must put
himself in the line of its 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 who
add anything in the direction of the accomplish
ment Of any of these purposes is public benefactor
But these statesinanke words apparently found
no response in his party, for he has not gone
further on that path.
THE PENSION LAws-AMENDMENTs SUGGESTED
BY SECRETARY sCHuRz.
The we'll ascertained fact that the Pension Ia
will take S34, 900 O0O out of the Treasury and will in
crease the annual payments on this account about
$5.000,000 per annum besides. leads to a very gen.
ersl desire for such amendments of the Pension laws
shall make the detection of frauds and irrcgular-
ties more prompt and certain that, at least, the
Treasury shall not be bled wrongfully. Among the
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 neiqhbors,
who, even where they entirely competent. are
naturally apt to lean favoraby toward the claimant
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
saf of competent surgeons, for each district to
be paid q salary by the government, and to be re-
to another at the hands OF the Pension bureau Sur
Reons thus employed would have no interest adverse
70 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 n
Wisconsin surgeon Of ability to make special exsniin-
atoms in several counties in New York. Ohio and
Indiana, with the result that in iol cases tho govern
ment saved In reduced rates and men dropped from
the rolls the largo sum Of Si6,s2i for two years.
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