The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-22
rne -Four OBJECTIONABLE Laws.

The -Four Objectionable Laws.
There are four laws which the Democrats
tried to repeal at the last session OF Con
cress, and whose repeal they are SUN ae'
sirous il possible TO effect. These are
4. The law authorizing two supervisor
or election. one belonging to each party 20
be appointed by the Federal courts fof eacn
yoting-place. ,.,, },
9. The law authorizing the marsnais 70
anooint an unlimited number OF deputy
n,arshals. all OF whom may be OF one party
70 sustain and support the supervisors in
tbcir efforts to secure fair (D election.
4 The law authorizing district attorneys
and other persons to require grand ano
petty snrors in the Federal courts to take
The iron-ctad oath.
4. The law authorizing the President 10
station troops at the polls to preserve Tue
peace when elections for congressman arc
going on. :
It is understood that the President is
willing to allow the two laws last nameo 70
be repcaled. As half-lod is better tnah
no bread. it would be wise in the Demo-
Gratis in Congress to pass separate biils re-
healing those two laws. it would be
point well worthy OF being ga,neo-ah
achievement upon which any congress
might we'll plume itself victory for good
government, and sufficient Justincatlon
for the extra session, even II nothing else
were done. Its passage would lift burden
from the shoulders Of the southern people,
and make it possible to get jurors In every
southern State who are not enemies OF the
people amongst whom they live. its pas
sage would also prevent the overawlns OF
the voters by Federal soldiers.
The law authorizing the appointment o.!
suneryisors is held by many to be uncon-
stitutional. But Mr.. EDaUNDs, who IS an
able constitutional lawyer, declares that he
believes it to be clearly within the power OF
Congress- to pass such law. The debates
in the United States Senate at It's last ses-
sion upon this point were characterized D'
great ability. The speeches OF Mr.. MORGAN
OF Alabama, and Mr.. EDMUNDs OF Vermont,
the one on the one side and the otnef
on the other, were based upon the
very fundamental principles OF the Gov
eminent. Mr.. EDMUNDs did the pest
that could be done on his side OF
the question; and we are apprehen-
sive that il case involving the point
were carried to the Supreme Court OF the
United States that tribunal might decide
that Mr.. EDMUSDs is right. OF course no
strict construclionist can for one moment
couccde that he is right. The history OF the
formation OF The Government, and the de-
bates in the convention that framed The
Federal Constitution, and particularly the
views OF the fathers Of the republic and all
their legislation, prove that If was never IN
tended by those who formed this GoV-
ernmcnt that it should be consoll-
dated central despotsm. But the pro-
cess OF development" has added TO
It's powers number that its trainers never
cypected it to have. Let it be remembered
that the power to provide for supervisors OF
elections is not derived BY Mr.. EDMUNDs
from the new amendments, but from the
Constitution as it came from the Conven-
ton CT 1887. We must, therefore, look at
facts as they are, not as We would have
them. The whole country must first be
educated up to the high appreciation OF
constitutional rights which prevails in the
South before the Democrats in Congress
can stake too much upon the absolute re-
peal OF the law authorizing supervisors;
and to put all four measures of repeal into
one bill would be to stake too much. Let
it be amended, II it can be, so rs to remove
some of the objections to it, and then let it
go for what 1t is worth. IL the other three
laws were repealed, this one could do COM
paratively little harm.
But the law authorizing the appointment
BIZ partisan marshals Of an unlimited num-
Der of deputy marshals ought certainly to
be either repealed entirely or so changed as
to alter its whole character. AS it now
stands, it is disgrace to the statute-book.
It not only authorizes an unlimited number
O! deputy marshals, but allows professed
Democrats to be bribed to work for the Re-
publican ticket 1t takes the peoples money
and uses it to debauch the voters and to sci
at naught the will OF the taxpayers. Ii
makes the money in the United States
Treasury corruption fund to be used
for the election Of Republican con-
gressmen. It permits deputy marshals
TO browbeat voters and drive them
from the polls, as the villain JOHNNY
DAVENPORT has done in New York city at
every election for Congressman held since
the law was passed. In word, it brings
the irresistible power OF the United States
Government into play to aid in the perpetu
alton of the power OF mere party, and
that the worst party which this country LA:
ever known. Ii such law can possibly bt
repealed it ought to be repealed, even at th'
risk OF dozen extra sessions; but not a
the risk OF the failure Of the repeal Of The
other three laws. The life OF the nation l:
really involved in the matter; for il the Re
publicans are allowed ever by its use TO re-
gain control of Congress, they will never:
never again surrender that control
But the President cannot be coerced 10
sign bill repeating it by putting in one bill
words that would operate to repeal all four
laws. In fact, to put the whole four to.
gether would be to give him a plausible rea-
son for refusing to sign the repeating bill;
whereas by presenting each question in Il
separate bill he would be compelled to act
upon each upon its own merits.
1t is not craftsmanship to insist upon the