Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-04-03
Election Marslials.


. |
the deputies appointed by Marshal
kerns for the late election, must max @
any Senator or Congressman Of either
party blush when he assumes to defend
tho continuance of such irresponsible
officers to attend our national elections.
| Whatever may have been the real or
apparent necessity for such officials in
the South while the reconstructed
States were turbulent under the rule of
thieving carpet baggcrs, it will not be
pretended that there is now. or that
there ever was, the shadow of an excuse
for the appointment Of six or eight
hundred Deputy Marshals III Philadel.
! phia. The complaint has uniformly
been that these Deputy Marshals have
been, as "a rule, the most reckless phrti
sans that they have been the fruitful
/ source of disorder, crime aud perjury in
the South during the last eight or ten
| years that they have wautonly op.
| pressed legitimate business TO attain
fraudulent political ends; that they
have intimidatcd lawful voters. inlsiiied
! registrations and returns, and that they
have, III very many instances, been the
mere creatures of the side that paid
| them to promote fraud. That such has
| been the general character of the Dep
| uty Marshals in the South, has been
| abundautly proven by every election
| since 1872: Tut 1t has not been known
| how shameinlly the authority TO ap.
/ point them has been abused in the
! North.
! Marshal kerns must be credited with
a wholesome disgust for himself and his
own work in the selection of his depu.
ties for this city. lie has done about
all that lac could TO mitigate his late
| oilense against law and dccency, by
! frankly confessing that the deputies
were needless; and the fact that he
I was so heartily ashamed of his round.
/ ers, repeaters aud conyicts that he con.
| cenlcd his list until IL was forced before
| the public 10y a committee of the senate,
| is plain admission that one of his most
! important official acts could open die.
| grace only by escaping public scrutiny.
And when the list is presented to the
/ people OF peaceahle Philadelphia, they
must bear the shame wantonly flung
upon them by Marshal kcrns. Here j.
a Republican Judiciary; Republican
Mayor; Republican police of twelve
hundred men; host of Republican
officials welding all the poor Of the
municipality thousands OF Republican
[ contractors. dependents and expectants
10 fight the battles OF the party:
large majority Of Republican assessors
10 register the votes: a Republican Tax
Olice to facilitate the qualification OF
Republican electors, and four tiIhs OF
the election boards Republican 10 &C.
ccpt or reject doubtful voters and to
Z a.. ~ AZ
the minority party Is Powerless, save ss
fraud can escape the vigilance OF the
multitude Of Republican safeguards in
few localities. To summon Deputy
Marshals in this city for the protection
of the majority party, even If done with
the utmost integrity. would have been
an unpardonable abuse Of public trust
but TO prostitute the authority OF the
/ Marshal by the selection Of nearly eight
hundred deputies, most of them mere
partisan dependents and very many Of
them so disreputable that they would
not be allowed within sight Of a shop.
mans ill, was violation Of tho plain
letter and spirit Of the law and re-
proach to Philadelphia, that should not
. only demand the repeal or modification
Of the statute, but that should dismiss
Marshal Kerns from his Office in the
disgrace he has deliberately invited
upon himself.
II Marshal Kerns had been content
10 abuse hIs powcr 10 the extent Of SO.
lecting reasonably reputable rnrtisRns
TO act "a window men, distribute party
tickets and bring out party voters n,
the cost of the government, IL might
have been regarded ne a waste Of public
money that could be pardoncd on the
ground of political necessity but when
he called the thief from his den. the
rounder from his Hlums, tho convict
from his haunts Of shame and the hal.
lot stuticr from his low rum. mill retreat
TO wear the badge Of the national gov.
erument and violate the law in the
name Of the law, he committed n crime
against every decent citizen Of Philadel-
phia, whether Republican or Democrat,
and made the law that IL presumed TO
protect honesty in elections the instrl.
ment Of its own degradation. And
when IL is considered that these bum.
mers and criminals are empowered to
interfere with the most sacred rights of
citizens without process Of law. or any
restraints beyond their own dishonest
or brutal instincts, the outrage upon the
people Of this city ia one that can scarce.
ly be portrayed in adequate terms. IL
is violently reversing all rules Of order
and public safety by making the thief
and the bully masters Of the liberties of
reputable citizens, and conferring upon
them the power 10 pollute the ballot
box under the protection Of the law
itself. We do not assume that this
abuse is exceptional because Republi
cans happen 10 have the power 10 day.
Had the Marshal of Philadelphia been
| a Democrat Of the average partisan
stamp of the age. IL is quite probable
that like wrongs would have been com.
mitted. so far as possible in the face Of
thellocal Republican means to counter.
act it but the fact that these terrible
wrongs have been committed by one
party and may hereafter be committed
by any party that happens to be in