The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-09-11

In his speech Saturday evening at
Columbua Senator Thurman dwelt at
considerable length in discussing the
subject OF Federal interference with
State elections and the efforts of .
Democratic Congress to repeal the
odious Supervisors law. Speaking
of that law which Hayes vetoed three
Appropriation Bills to keep on the
statute books, the Senator says:
"And it places everyone of these
State officers at the mercy of the ir-
responsible Deputies appointed by the
Federal Marshal, and who, according
to the experience we have had of the
act, have generally been men of the
basest and most degraded character
that could be found; men who have
served terms in the Penitentiary men
who were notorious thieves men who
kept houses of infamous resort; IN q
word, the most despicable characters
that could be raked up in the great
cities of New York, Philadelphia, or
elsewhere. To these wretches is given
the power to tear the Judges of elec-
ton from their seats by an arrest
without warrant, arrest any, the most
respectable voter in the. city, aud
thereby prevent him from exercising
his right of suffrage and TO terrify
whole bodies of voters by threats ol
arrest and by outright violence. This
is NO oyerdrawn picture. 1t is not
drawn strongly enough. Whoever
will read the testimony taken, before
Committees of Investigation Of Con-
gress' I'm regard to the elections In
New York, especially the election; ol
last year, will be amazed; at the detail
of enormities, almost too shocking foz
belief, committed by these Supervis-
ors and Deputy Marshals. ~ Their
great object seems to have been, 70
prevent naturalized citizens from vot-
ing, and for this purpose hundreds oi
arrests we're made, and the persons
arrested held In custody until they
surrendered their naturalization pa
pers or agreed that they would; NOT
vote. Among the hundreds of arrests
actually made and the thonsands o
persons against whom variants werl
prepared, IL is diflcult to find, 80 fl
as have been lable to- discover, thl
name Of On American. n.borns citizen
Indeed, the execution of the law WA
q regular Know Nothing crnsad'
aeainSt the naturalized citizene, and !
haa been estimated, with appaRen
reason that ct lesst i've or six, sth0ns
i and Of such citizeps. were ,deterrel
from voting last fall in the single Cit.
of New York by this Pefsecutfon. =
yrThe truth is that this Election Law
oE Iat least 20 much of lite, provisi0n
a. authorizes the appointment of ,Su
i Ipervisors aud Deputy Msrshals, 10 /
mere scheme TO buy voters by. ap
pointing them Deputy Mafshaas,' aa'
to employ Republican elsctioneerer
and Republican desperadoes. to con
troll the elections of the people and. +
i pay them out Of the TreAstfy Of th
U4ited- States. When sthe' bill sWa
under, considerations dnd Congress /
4 Was said that, snch . lAwiNAso necesa
4 Ary for the protection Of the freedme
OF the South +; but the truth IL. that th
law originated ID the Union Lea9a
Club Of the City Of New York. an,
was made especially. for; that city.n'l
4 The Senator here read several ex
tracts from his apeeoh delivered in th
Senate at the Hast session. snpon thi
subject ,.nieiia sdl ind ,oia5sa IL