The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-03-08
"Thers is Life in the Old Land YETI

tue respect nuu auhNubion Oh ull Nu'
cherish the principles of civil liberty ant
believe in tho freedom Of the elective fran
chlsc, We cannot withhold the expires
sion Of our qualification that the way has
been opened for the repeal Of those obnox
ious laws at the extra session to assemble
on the 18th inst These laws have been
made the instruments of vindictiye cruelty
and oppression until they are in fair way
to become as odious as the Alien and Sc
dtiOn laws of the Federalists under the
elder Adams Under those despotic laws
and the spirit which they inspired in the
breasts Of the fcderalists men were fine d
and thrown into prison for criticisiug he
administration, and Gen. Sumter, an old
revolutionary patriot, was knocked down
and beaten at the theat re in Philadelphiai
by one of the officers Of the Administration
for neglecting to take of his hat when it
was announced that the President was
coming in. In like spirit, under the
laws which the Democrats ia Congress
have sought TO repeal, hundreds of citizens
have been dragged from their homes in
different States, and number of them
fiued and thrown into prison. A system
of terror has been attempted through ma
lgnant partisan prosecution made possible
under these laws, until there is imminent
danger that our elections will no longer be
free. This state of thing the Democrats
in Congress have determined to bring to
an end. All honor TO them for the noble
stand they have taken. They may now
be classed again among the rerteJrdfes,
classification they lost when they enacted
the Electoral Commission aud tamely sub
mtted to be cheated out of the Presidency,
when a majority of more than quarter OF
million of voters had cast their ballots
for their candidate, and subsequently
adopted the Hartridgc resolution. But a
new aud better state Of things has arisen,
and new era is about to dawn upon the
country through the instrumentality Of the
Democratic members of Congress. We
subjoin few comments Of the press upon
the closing hours of the session.
WE'LL DoxE-The New York Sun says
The Democrats in the House of Represen.
tiyes have done their duty in insisting upon
their amendment to the Legislative Appropri
alton bill repeating the act appointing FEEDER
al supervisors over elections for congressman;
and also insisting upon their amendment to
the Army Appropriation bill prohibiting the
presence Of United States troops at the polls
on election days
The two Houses failing to agree respecting
these subjects, the bills were not passed, so
that no appropriation has been made for leg
islatiye, executive, and judicial expenses, nor
has any appropriation been made for the sup.
| port Of the army; and accordingly an extra
sessions rendered necessary. Atthat session
the Democrats, being in majority in both
Houses, will be able to pass these bills in
the precise form in which the Senate rejected
| them.
The thanks of the country are due to the
| Democratic members Of the House for stand.
ing firm to the last in behalf Of these amend.
ments, because they were matters of funda-
mental principle. The one against the use of
soldiers at the polls is Of the first moment;
and il seems surprising that Republican Sen.
ators should have contended so obstinately
for thing so dangerous to liberty as q law
empowering the Executive to use the armed
force Of the country for the purpose Of man.
aging elections.
Hardly less important is the abolition Of
the system of Federal election supervisors
system of which Mr.. John !. Davenport of
this city has from the first been the most
conspicuous exemplar. 1t is vicious and
noxious system. Thousands upon thou.
sands Of officials have been appointed at i'm
portant elections, aud large sums OF money
expended to control the result in the interest
Of the dominant party, This system was not
created through the enactment of an indepen.
dent statute. The question Of its establish.
ment was never broadly discussed and fairly
determined by Congress. TWAS inserted into
M appropriation bill in 1872, and passed at
the end of the session. Ii is eminently fitting.
then, that it should now be repealed in an
appropriation BILL
we congratulate the country, upon the fidelity
and steadyness now displayed in these mat.
tiers by the House Of Representatives. Bet.
ter five extra sessions than the continuance
of these unjustihable, anti-democratic laws
The Baltimore Gazette says:-For once the
Democratic party in Congress, by its aggres-
siyeness and determination in behalf OF the
right, is in a position to command the respect
Of the country. 1t was resolved by the Dem.
ocralie House that henceforth elections in
this country should be free FROM the in
tervention OF armed soldiers and that the bal.
lotboxes should no longer be at the mercy OF
bands of Federal Supervisors selected to man.
ulacture victories for the Republican party.
In other words, II was agreed that the infa.
nous political machinery set in operation by
the Republican party to secure It's own per.
petuation should be swept from the statutes.
Clauses seeking this end we're attached to two
OF the mostimpor tantappropriation bills-the
Army and the Legislative, Executive aud Ju.
dicial-and q Republican Senate was asked
to decide whether It would submit to the wip.
ing out Of its odious legislation or sacrifice
the Appropriation bills. True to their in
stincts, the Republican leaders elung to their
political MISUNDERSTANDING full well their
yalue--and per consequence, we are to have
an extra session Of Congress on the 18th.
The new Congress will meet and adjourn and
when il adjourns there will be no Jurors test
oath, no soldiers TO yex electors at the polls
and no voice Of the Federal Supervisor, n,
five dollars a day, heard in the land. Oh
course the Republican organs will denounce
as revolutionary the conduct of the Congress
just closed; will predict direful results aud
will make disagreeable noise in the political
wilderness, but the fact will remain that the
Democratic party has been once more uni.
fed and inspired with hope. Its rspresen.
tatlves have shown something Of tho s, irit
and hire which should actuate the leaders Of
naturally brave and honest organization.
II has seen its old enemy bound and gagged
in the halls Of legislation. II will see in Two
or three weeks the Republican party shorn Of
the power which it cruelty sat up by tyranncal
means to divert the will Of the people and
thus inspired and rejnyenated il will 70 into
its next battle with vim aud ardor. In facl
we may say that the Democratic party feel,
Oday like u giant refreshed with new wine
1t is suggested that If these laws are repealed
at the forthcoming extra session that Have.
will veto thsm and that there will not be \
majority sufficient TO pass the repeal over nj,
veto. lie, him dare to try It. The amend
ments will be placed on the appropriation
bills and not one dollar will be voted unless
coupled with the repeal The Democracy
would desire nothing better than 10 go belor.
the contFy in 1880 upon this issue ~ E'I
THE BALLOT BOX BE FREE. M
| TROOPS AT THE POLLS. No ARMY