Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-05-12
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
EcIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MoNIToR.1
WASHINGTON, May 6, 1879.

WASHlNdTON, MAY U, 1919.
The fall of the Bourbons is fearful
one. After a week of caucusing and
wrangling and uncertainty, they have
finally discovered that the country will
not endorse their revolutionary designs.
So instead of starving the Government
to death they will attempt, under
plausible cover, to entice the President
into an endorsement of their scheme to
strike down the civil power of the Fed
eral Government over elections. In other
words, the Bourbons have been outvoted
in the Democratic caucus itself, so far as
we can learn, and will have to remain
satisfied with the best they can do in the
way of compromise, which will be very
little. They have agreed after much
swearing to support a bill declaring that
the presence of troops at the polls is
contrary to the spirit of our institutions,
and "That it shall not be lawful to bring
to, or employ at any place where gen.
eral or special election is being held in
State, any part of the army or navy of
the United States, unless such force be
necessary to repel the armed enemies of
the United States, or to enforce section
4, article 4, of the Constitution of the
United States, and the laws made in
pursuance thereof, on application of the
Legislature or Executive of the State
where such force is to be used.''
Now this appears to be a very HARM
less law, but in reality under the appear
ance of fairness, it is as dangerous as
anything could be. 1t would effectually
destroy the power of civil officers to call
upon the troops as a posse cOmttatns for
any purpose. 1t means that the Demo-
cratic mobs in the South are not to be
subject to the control of u. S. officers.
This is the view taken of it by the Re-
publican leaders, who in caucus last
night decided to defeat the new bill if
possible. Messrs. Conkling, Edmunds,
Hawley and Robson made strong
speeches in denunciation of the democrat
ic tricks to cheat the country into the
adoption of policy that is distasteful
to large majority. 1t looks now as
though another long discussion would
ensue. The Republicans will present a
bill as substitute. Messrs. Edmunds,
Robson and Frye have been selected to
draft one for that purpose, which will
be effectual in disposing of the Demo.
cratic objection to troops at the polls,
but will stand for maintaining the civil
power of the Government.
A large meeting was held here last
night to take measures to help the desti
tute colored people who are fleeing from
oppression in the South. The informa
ton from all quarters is to the effec
that the migration movement is under
} way and threatening to break out NOR,
largely than ever in all the Southern
States. Senator Window made speech
to the meeting in which he declared h,
was not in favor of asking the negroe
to fly. for their action should be frou
! choice and voluntary and the danger wa
: that they would 60 too readily. Whel
it became fixed, he said, in the minds o
r the white people of these sections tina
: this exodus was to become general the,
e met the negroes upon the river banks
with rifles in hand, and said, You shall
not leave the State; you shall net eros
: the Mississippi" He read quotation
from newspaper giving accounts of tn