Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-04-17
TROOPS 1T THE POLLS.

TROOPS 1T THE POLLS.
Senator Blaines speech on the army ap-
preparation bill on Monday was very IN
geniously constructed one, we'll calculated,
as it was intended, to mislead the public as
to the true issues involved in the proposed
amendments. He devoted the principal
part of his argument to prove that the army /,
is now so small that if the federal govern
ment really desired to interfere in the cleo
tions it could afford to send but one soldier
to each election precinct at the South, and
that therefore the fear that the presence OF
troops at the polls would intimidate the
voters was all a fiction of the imagination
an absolute impossibility.
We agree fully with Mr.. Blaine that if the
government attempted 10 place the elections
in every part of the country under military
control it would be an impossibility without
a large increase of the army. But no one
is foolish enough to attribute such a design
to the present or any other adj
ministration. It would be the height
of folly. The only places at
which the presence of troops at the polls
could be made available for purposes of in
timidation would be in districts where the
parties are very nearly evenly divided. There
are but few of these in the country-not
more than dozen, perhaps, but in these the
change of few votes would turn the election
one way or the other. This fact was recog-
nized by the Republican national committee
at the Congressional convention of 1878.
That committee did not pretend to aid can
didates in any district other than those that
we're considered close, and allowed all others
to care for themselves. So in the appoint
ment of supervisors of election and deputy
marshals. These we're assigned only to the
close districts where efficient work could be
done-where the change of a dozen to fifty
votes would alter the result. It will thus be
seen that no large number of troops would
be necessary to sufficiently menace the voters
to entirely alter the political complexion of
Congress-two thousand at most.
In presuming that, if any intention ex-
listed to intimidate voters it would be neces-
sary to place soldiers at every polling place
in tho country, Mr.. Blaine begs the ques-
ton. The military could be absolute mas
ters of the situation by simply taking pos
session of two or three election precincts in
perhaps dozen Congressional districts,
while leaving the rest of the country to care
for ITSELF To station troops in districts that
are certain to elect Republicans to Congress
would be manifestly absurd, as it would be
to station them in districts that are known
to be reliably Democratic. But in close dis
tricts the military is capable of doing inf
mite harm.
Mr.. Blaine but half states the question
when he claims that the real motive of the
Democrats is simply to get rid of federal su-
pervision at elections-to get rid of the civil
power of the United States IN the election Of
Representatives to Congress-, and therefore
this bill connects itself directly with the bill
which was before Congress last session
. known as the legislative, executive and judi
cial appropriation bill. While he is
right in stating that the Democrats
l desire to get rid of the super
t visors of elections they also desire to clea1
the polls of the presence of the military, fol
they regard both as menacing to the liberty
of the citizen and the purity of the ballot
. box, and insist on getting rid of both. This
r purpose has never been disguised, and Mr.
. Blaine has not made as great a discovery al
d he thought he had. This intention has beer
Q heralded abroad for several months, unit
+ every man, woman and child, from Maine X
California, understands it fully. We wan
to get rid of both these implements of des
potism and centralized power, and to restor
o to the people the right to control the cleo
n tions under the laws framed by the severa
@ States, thus relieving them from any outsid
n pressure that might influence their votes
10 and at the same time guaranteeing pure AM
l. fair elections. It is only since the fedora
10 government has essayed to control the cleo
q tons that we have heard of frauds at tn
v polls to any extent. Under the old and tn
- only constitutional system such con
IL plants we're exceedingly rare, an
J. when made we're promptly in
j. vestigated and the perpetrators Of the fraud
If speedily punished. To say that the Stat
n authorities have lost either the power or tn
,e disposition to punish frauds upon the ballc
lg is to assert what is absolutely untrue. Th
,e same authority that formerly existed sti
at resides in the election officers of the sewers
g. States, and will be used as fearlesslv and 6
O. conscientiously as ever.
le We do not believe that the presence of til
N military or of supervisors or deputy marsha
ut has tendency to prevent illegal voting, b,
r rather the contrary. Men who are not 81
ut titled to exercise the franchise, but may ha,
n an interest in the success of the ticket the
be officials are sent to support, will cast the
Al, ballots in the consciousness that they will
ed sustained in so doing, while others, wit
al contrary interests, but legally entitled to vot
an will fear to do so lest they incur displeasu
&C. or perhaps provoke arrest. The federal Gle
en- ton laws protect no one but scoundrels, al
ey the sooner they are blotted from the statu
We books the better it will be for the country.
ty, - -.:===:
he The speech of Senator Wallace in reply
%. Blaine is described by Washington CORE
it's pondents as the best, both logically 81
to rhetorically; delivered in the Senate
tie years. One enthusiastic commentator I
of marks that he 'sentirely demolished Blaine
on and thereupon felicitares himself upon ha
Oh ing paid the Pennsylvania Senator hi
od oopoyEpoont II did not ronniro Yonoh loc