Daily Republican., 1879-04-05
why Repeal tho Federal kssssieS
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amount Of party prejudice an indiv'd'
ual possesses. Stripped Of all political
bias, 1t cannot but bs conceded that
the Federal election lave are right and
proper and that they are = necessity
Tasy wsre passed to protect tho Par-
ity Of the ballot by punishing those
who would corrupt it and protecting
those who vote honestly. Until the com
msncsnent Of the rebellion the purity
IF tho ballot was rarely If ever en-
croached upon except in large cities
whore there were large masses OF peo-
pie unknown to each other, and since
the rebellion and the admission Of the
colored man to the ballot, violence
and intimidation in the South b,sane
almost general. The passage OF laws
to urotect tho freedmen in their rights
to tho ballot became = necessity and
even in spite Of all these precautions
they have been defrAuded out OF their
votes. Tho Federal election laws never
yet kept an orderly quist man frsm
voting. 1t has never occarred in the
history OF the nation that any part OF
the army, that supervisors OF election
or deputy marshals were ever called
upon to exercise the functions Of their
office where 4 q uiet and honsst election
poll was being held, and If half tho
voters Of the Union had been supervi-
sors or deputy marshals the result
would not have been different. Such
officials wore never needed except in
those localities where ignorance and
prejudice prevails, where rico ahounds
AID where the lawless OF the nation
oongreeats and where they are partislly
shielded and protected in their dis
honesty. In some Of these localities
the very worst outlaws of society are
elected to Office, and are notonly voters
but judges upon the qualifications Of
others. 1t is easy to see how, under
these circumstances, the purity Of the
ballot becomes impure, and outlaws be-
come unjust judges instead Of being
Judged by upright and honest men. To
them there is nothing sacred. They flip
rantly take the oath of Office upon the
Holy Bible only the next moment to be-
come pnrjurors, and while under oath
to protect the purity of the ballot box,
they stuff it with fraudulent votes. !"
such persops the success of their party
is of much more importance than their
sacred honor; indeed they have no sa
cred bonor and to them the sanctity Of
an oath is but the most flippant twad-
die. These ar" the kind Of persons who
violate the election laws whenever .hey
have the power to do so, and they al
ways get into power in some Of the
most vicious localities Of crowded cities,
such as New York, Philadelphia, Gin.
cinnati and Baltimore.
Another class Of people who care
' more for party than for honesty hav,
com bined in the South to manipulate
tho votes Of the freedmen and to stuff
the ballot boxes with frauiul-n, votes
IL that section not less ll3n 500, ,t0(
former slaves, having had their shack
10. stricken from their limbs have beer
admitted to tho privileges of citizen
. ship. Grateful to the party that con
fprreG upon them their freedom, they
; felt in duty boand to gratefully ren-m
Der that party 10y giving it their suf
frases. For the protection Of their for
NOR slaves in their new y conferred priv
ileges, Congress as in duty bound die
" pass the present Federal election laws
What are these laws' One Of thera i
Q that supervisors of elections shall y
!. appointed by the Judges of the Unite,
States District Courts, Whose duty it i
to b. in the room whore the ballot
e are received, and protest against til
a reception of any illegal ballots, an,
l. against any attempt to stuff tho ballo
J. box. Another Of those laws is tina
e deputy United States Narshals may b
, appointed by tho same courts, whose du
! ty it is to protect the voters in thei
g right. and to arrest all Who may al
d tempt by foroa to prevent = legal vote
d from casting ballot, no matter whs
n tho color Of that vote may be. The Of
"a ject Of these election laws in short is t
3 provide that everybody having a rgt
l. to vote shall vote, and vote for whor
1t be pleases; ard also that the ballC
1f boxes shall not be stuffed with traudr
: lent ballots made Of tissue and onior
N san paper. These are the laws ths
the Democracy are trying to blot fro'
~ the statute books. Ars these law
4 right or are they wrong' Can there /
:. but one honest opinion Of them frol
q honest people' Does not the yer
r. fnntest attempt to repeal laws passe
"A for such wise and honest purpose, re
10 veal very dishonest purpose on th
"a part Of tb bose who are trying TO repet
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