Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-06-04
HOW TROOPS HAVE BEEN
USED AT ELECTIONS.

FROM the peglnnihR 10 Tue ciOSe Oh
General Grants administration, says
the Sun, the army and navy were con.
stantly used to prop up carpet-bag gov
ernments in the South, and to carry
elections under the Republican leaders
was to have extended this military
supervision at the polls to all parts ofthe
country where they were in minori-
ty; to crush out every form Of opposi.
tion; and continue their rule indef.
nitely.
This was the object OF quartering O
small force in the heart of New York
city, and OF stationing two ships Of
war TO command the centre of com
mercial activity, in 1870. The expert
ment would probably have succeeded,
too, but for the resolute stand of the
local authorities. The same year Uni.
ted States marines were marched TO
the polls in Philadelphia, and Governor
Geary, though staunch Republican,
made that audacious intrusion the sub.
ject of strong condemnation in his reg.
Lular message to the Legislature.
After these tentative attempts to ac-
custom the people of the North to the
presence of troops on election day had
tailed, they were mostly directed to
the Southern States, where such out
RACES had been long practiced, and
could be repeated with greater impuni.
ty. The most scandalous abuses were
perpetrated without oven a show OF
external decency, Take the following
example as an illustration of the whole
system. George K. Spencer was the
carpet-bag Senator from Alabama, and
be disposed of troops to suit party nee.
essities, as appears by this letter, ad-
dressed TO the Secreiar, Of the Repub.
can State Committee
DECATUR, Alabama, Oct. 20, Is72
"MY DEAR BARBER / have Just returned from
Louisiana, where have been 10 see Gen. Terry
about troops for Alabama.
I have had n company Of cavalry sent to Liy.
iugston, q detachment to Pichens county, a com
pany of infantry to Rutaw and company to De-
mopolis, and company to Seals Station, Rus
sell county. Also squadron Of, cavalry 10 re-
port to U. S. Marshal Thomas at Huntsville.
~ wish Randolph, Deputy United States Mar
shal, would use the company at 0pelika In
making arrests in Tallapoosa, Randolph, and
Cleburne as - suggests. will be in Mont.
gomery Thursday morning to attend the meeting
| Of the State Committee. would 20 sooner, but
cannot, as II Is important l should stay here to-
morrow. l wish you would 20 to Talladega and
block that game. must not, however, be know n
in the matter.
"Tho troops mentioned above will all be in
their respective places in two days from now.
Some have already arrived. In haste, truly
yours" dEo. Z. sPEscER.
Kellogg, Chamberlain, Stearns, and
others of the tribe to which Spencer
belonged followed in his footsteps that
year, and in 1874 the Legislature Of
Louisiana was captured by such bare.
faced frauds that Mr.. Hoar, Mr.. Wheel.
err and Mr.. Frye Of House commit.
tee 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 except 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 fit
tingly, and to complete the operations
Of John Sherman and his confederates
in crime, two thousand picked troops
were collected at Washington to over
see the electoral count, with artillery
rr"rn"n nr rms rr'..-. 80 n-pr-~-nti,-
tives, with officers sworn to secrecy,
and with orders and preparations as il
a state Of fiagrant war actually existed
at the capital. These last events are
only two years old and yet, in the
face OF an experience dating back to
1870, and continuing through the two
terms of Grantism, Mr.. Conkling, Mr..
Edmunds, Mr.. Chandler, and the rest
of them, who are all now engaged in
an effort to give Grant a 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 government.
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