The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1879-09-20
WESTON W. VA. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1879
NO. 16.

Having passed this act,the Radical
leaders next turned their attention
to the subject Of naturalization
They passed through the House o.
Representatives, ut tho same ses.
sion, a bill (No. 2,201) to amend
the Naturalization laws and to pun
ish crimes against the same. In
the Senate tho bill was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary,
who reported o substitute for it.
To some oftho provisions Of this
substitute, which was earnestly
pressed for adoption, l want to call
your attention, for of measures
ever introduced into the American
Congress hostile to the foreign-born
citizen or denizen, this substitute
was the worst. \ n \
Now, it may be asked, why do I
dwell so much upon this bill, or
rather the substitute Of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, since that
substitute failed to become n law. l
do so for two reasons: First, to
show what kind of 4 measure a
large number of the most distin.
guished Republican leaders were
anxious to adopt; and in the next
place, to show that the election
laws of which wo complain and
this Know-Nothing Anti-Naturali-
zation bill were twin brothers; for
then you will bc better able to COM
prchend how it is that, in tho exc
cution of the election laws, they
have been turned principally
against the naturalized citizen. At
the next session of Congress the
Radical leaders returned to the
charge, and by the act approved
February 2S, 1871, containing 20
sections, set up the vast machinery
Of Federal interference in the elec-
tions Of the people that now exists.
This act provides for n chief super
visor of elections, for two other su-
pervisors in each district or voting
precinct in any city or town having
upward of 10000 inhabitants, all to
be appointed by a Federal Judge;
and it then conters upon the Uni
ted States marshal, on tho applica-
ton of any two citizens Of any such
city or town, power 10 appoint as
many special deputy marshals as
he shall sec fit, TO aid and assist
the supervisors Of elections to keep
tho peace, to support and protect
the supervisors in the discharge of
their duty, to prevent fraudulent
registration and fraudulent voting,
or fraudulent conduct upon the
part Of any officer Of election, and
with power to arrest and take into
custody, with or without process,
any person who should commit, or
attempt or olTer'to commit, any of
the acts or ollenses prohibited by
the act, or any ottenso against the
laws of the United States; provid-
cd that no person should be arrest
ed without process for any otlenso
not committed in the presence of
the marshal Or his general or spec
ial deputies, Or either Of them, or Of
the supervisors Of election, or of
either Of them. And for the pur-
pose Of arrest or the preservation of
the peace, the supervisors of elec-
ton, and each Of them, should, in
the absence Of the marshals' dcpu-
ties, or, if required, to assist such
deputies, have the same duties and
powers MS deputy marshals.
The tremendous power conferred
by this law upon these officers
supervisors, marshals and special
deputies cannot be understood
without y reference to the entire
statute and tho multitude of Of.
fences that it creates. 1t interfercs
with the registration Of voters and
with the election, and undertakes
to punish the State Registrars and
the State judges of election for nu-
merous otEenses declared by the act,
and in some instances to require
them, under. pains and penalties, to
disregard the State law they swear
to support. And it places every
one of these State officers at the
mercy ofthe irresponsible deputies
appointed by the Federal marshal,
md who. according tn the evncri.