The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-07-17
Thursday, July II, 1879.
California, and the Supervisors. z

Inc republican feauerSi are beginning
to show an unusual interest in California
politics and il is stated will send into that
state one thousand supervisors of elections
TO preserve the peace at the polls, as they
ingeniously term it, but which means to
intimidate voters, as others understand it.
The shameful corruption and illegitimate
voting in California in 1876, by which the
republican vote OF San Francisco was lar
ger than the usual combined Uote of both
parties, is still fresh in the memory OF the
people, and the proposed appointment of
one thousand federal supervisors, to look
after republican interests, is bold attempt
to force the election of the entire republi-
can delegation. Public feeling in the Col
den State is at present at high pitch and
should any attempt be made to repeat the
frauds of 1876 there is danger of blood
shed. There is no occasion whatever tor
these scoundrels under cover of national
authority, interfering with state election
There is no excuse, at least no legitimate
excuse for their appointment and the peo-
pie of California will do we'll to appeal to
the state courts and imprison every one of
the unprincipled scamps who, for the sake
of amonied reward, and the promise OF
political preferment, pledge themselves to
do any and all kinds of dirty work in the
interest of the republican party. 1t is idle
for the republican organs to
talk about intimidation in Cali
fornia; it does not and never did exist, to
such extent as to warrant the Intervention
of gang of lawless rufians, armed with
power to arrest with or without warrant,
in defiance of any and all laws of the state,
any person found guilty Of voting the dem
ocratic ticket. This is all there is to it,
and there is not republican paper or
leader but knows this to be the true state
ment of the matter, Take, for instance,
the $500 arrests made by the scoundrel
Davenport, in New York, and Of
that number there todS not a
solitary republican arrested Among
those unlawfully detained by this un'
principled whelp, were some of the most
honorable and responsible business men Of
New York, men whose personal character
was above reproach, men who would be
the first to aid in suppression of crime
What was the cause, then, of their arrest
They had committed no crime, were no
allowed to vote, were thrown into filth
dens and treated like rufians or thieves
There is but one reply-they were demo
Gratis. And because they dared to sa!
they were democrats, this was sufhcen
cause to arrest them, and to treat them a
thieves, under the supervisors law, ant
that ingenious pretoxt-"to keep the peac
at the polls" Does any one doubt tina
the tactics of New York 10 1873, vii
not be repeated in California in 1879
If they do so. the illusion may as We
be dlspelled The republican party
desperate, its prestige is gone, its recor
SO damuable that legitimate success, car
not be attained through honorable means
and now. rather than lose their grip on th
public crib, these stalWsrt vultures, pre-
pose to fill California and the other state
with federal supervisors. and further
will be found that these supervisors will
selected because of their iuiquity an
and adaptability to the dirty work befor
chem. But why, is asked, should th
republicans be so anxious to carry Calif0r
MIA. Why-because if the four congress
men to be elected are republicans,
gives the democrats I9 states and Ii
republicans IS states, and therefore make
tie vote of states. should the presidenti
contest be settled in the house. But it
hardly probable, however, that Californ
will tolerate these supervisors, and it won
be step in the right direction if IL
scouudrels and ex -penitentiary convic
who compose the gang, be made to fe
the state law, and that the stalwarts |
taught lesson 10 law that they vi
remember and profit by. The states hav
the exclusive right TO control state affair
IN state matters in such manner 40 eGC
state may determine. Congressman rel
EeseHt states, and as such representative
are state officers, consequently there is I
such thing SIS national elections. The on
national officers are president and viz
president, therefore the states have I'll
andoubted right to act as the otate ma
direct 40 state matters.