The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-19
LET AMERICANS READ THIS!
WHAT Is CTTIZENSHIP UORTH WHILE
THESE ODIOUS L.IUS EXIST?
Davenport. pcvens a Co.'S Conspiracy Against
the Voters Of New York-Ihe Plot to IN
ciudc 10000 Mcn from the Ballot BoS-
Wrongs for an American Congress to Hight.

Wrongs for an American Congress to Hight.
WAsutNGrON. March 1S-On the day be-
fore the adjournment Of the Forty fh Con-
ercss Mr.. Lyndr. from the Committee on Jul
dietary. submitted a report Of the investigation
into the Office Of John !. Davenport. Chief
Supervisor Of Elections in New York. 1t
was published Mt the Government print
ing Office yesterday. Mr.. Lyndc. who
wrote the report. says that he was unable
10 do full justice to- the political iniqutirs
Of which he thinks Davenport was proved
guilty because Of lack Of time. llo regrets that
1t is beyond the power of Congress either to inn
peach or to remove Davenport from Office Tho
report is a succicnt history Of the tactics re-
sorted to hy Davenport in New York last fall to
keep Democratic voters away from the polls.
The facts elected by the investigation OF the
Chief Supervisors Office furnish Il lorcible argu-
mcnt in favor of the repeal Of the laws which
authorize Federal olIlceholdcrs to manipulate
elections and attest tho wisdom OF the last
House Of Representatives in refusing to grant
supplies for the maintenance OF the Govern
mcnt until the statutes providing for the APP
pointmcnt OF deputy marshus and supervisors
Of election are repealed. The letters written
by Davenport, United States Attorney Wood
ford. and Attorney General Devcns. and con-
tanned in tho report. are highly interesting.
and Illustrate the desperate attempt That tho
three worthless made To lend u colorng OF legal
ity to their raid upon the innocent holders OF
naturalization papers 81 lscS.
The report says that the testimony shows
that John |. Davenport. lis Chief Supervisor.
caused stephen Mo=hor. clerk IN his employ.
~ swear to n complaint in May. ISIS. against
Q 800 persons ~ foreign birth. who held certiil-
Gates VI naturalization issued from the superior
4 4 la off 4 q
1sis ON which they had registered and voted
IN 1876. On this complaint 5.uui warrants Wrr"
ISSUED 10y John |. Davenport n- clerk ~ th"
United States Circuit Court, aud placed IN Inc
hands of the Mnr-hnl, ratlrnnhle before John
|. Davenport. | nltpd States Court Commits
sioner MIR Davenport tcstines that the whole
number OF persons who registered i'm 1876
ON 1865 papers was between 05ub and
10000. The compliant WIS. therefore. IT..
tented To- be against all or nearly all
persons of foreign uitih WHO hnd exercised
the right ~ cit2enshtu 10y voting upon or r"gs-
t'riQg upon n" certificates Of naturalization Is
sued by the supreme ana superior Courts IN
lStS. On consultation. IL was determined that
this complaint was invalid Dy rcnsun of thr
number OF names inserted in it. and the war
rants wrrr Withdrawn about the 2njh ot May
from the hands ct the Mnrshni. Th"reupun
swora 20 new lot Of complaints 10 the unher
ol ono on which 1900 warrants wer" issued
10y John |. Davenport. clerk Of thu Iniied states
Circuit Court rrturnnhl" before John |. Daven-
port. ntrd states Court t'mml.sioncr. anu
about 3uu arrests were made and hearing had
before Com 5;Ionrr Davcnpor,. re bisiritt
Attorney. IL" Ton. stewart J.. Nuntiurd, trSti-
ilrs IA "a these 800 gnses; TIE parties were In
every iu-tauc" discharged he SAWS ipage 4i9.
The ca~ts really grouped themselves into TWO
classes There. were a few men who evidently
ought not 20 have been proceeded Hguiust. whose
papers seemed To be- regular. The great ma
jority of them seemed 10 be men who had been
mlde Use Of los designing and snr"wd men. and
| ielt that II would b" wrong To- tax" criminal
proceedings against them. and 30 advised their
After starting out boldly to prevent 10000
men ia IN" city 81 New YORK from voting both
Davenport and NuoGiord seemed to roaliz~ that
they had job ot some magnitude un their
hands. md the former wrote to dc iarto Aitur-
ney- General IeVrns telling how in the past no
had arrested thousands of persons who held
naturalization papers 81 1865 AMI expressing
n desire to lmE 10000 mora Of them In the
autumn oi ISIS Before beginning his opera
tons. Davenport desired instructions from the
Attorney Genernl. Mr.. Devcns IN reply. said
IN substance. that Ice appreciated the value Of
Davenporis services ~ puTllcr OF elections.
but that tho Department ot Justice could not
superiutend the munner IN which Supervisor
stewart l.. Mooi'ord also ASKED for in-truc-
lions from tie Department of Justice. and on
Owens. In which the far'otum OF tie law de-
partment Of the Government said tnE, in
regard t. criminal proceedings Hruu-t
persons holding IN" papers Of ls6s. hr
knew Of no urnciple except that which
applies in all other criminal cases. II does
not seem TO mo proper that criminal proceed
inEs should Dee commenced which ARE NOT I'M
tented TO be pursued ana not intended
20 result IN any punishment, Ilf oNN Hh-
leot being % luiu'" parties 10 give az these
fraudulent certificates. II they have been or
are guuiyoi any offence th"y ar" 10 De- lr"-,-
cuted and punished. II not guiVoi any oi-
fence. the criminal process is not 10 be- used Cor
any other than rs leEitmnt" purpo-" ot pun
l9hlug of 'ud"rs.' This udNi," WIS uni salts
factory ~ Davenport, ana Mootinri wrote
again TO DeVcns, and received reply saying
that be could not give any clearer INSTRUCTIONS
than he had already given. Al ia" -nme time
prNcns snld THAT d" would not SANCTION me * p
penliture necessary 10 l~su" larse number Of
warrants, take up the fraudulent certificates,
anu mus ruuriud" me farce.
Notwithstanding he INSTRUCTIONS OF the At
torncy-G neral contained III his Letter OF the
3lst 81 July. that no case should he prose-
cuted unless II u Your Iurpo~" T. pursue II.
AMI, II pos~ bic. obtain verdict. Davenport
again directs con plants % be made aud HE'D
against All VINO liHd voted IN $50 upon iuprrs
issued by those iwp courts IN l-b~. On the 2llh
OF August he wrote TO the DlslflG Attorney.
asking MIN what ne proposed u d" respecting
the complaints on HE charging fraudulent reg
istratiun and the possession 81 fraudulent Ger
tnca'es oi naturalization. Al mat time thrra
were Duu complaints Ned ana .JOu addilonnI
complaints expected. Noodlord felblrd 20 inns
letter ny suggesting mat card DE publi-hti,
inviting all persons holding tlrS" iraudurht
cert Hcltrs 10 surrender thom u you a7 thl"i
supervisor OF Elections ana StnlnE thht thnas
WHO should avail themselves ~ inns kinl PRIV,
iege briore ~" lulh ni september, l9l', SApuil
he exempted from arrest. At"r thiu datr, ga
lrrsou- against whom Complaints were Hiel hy
Nu-nrr VINO Nui not surrendered iN"lr papers.