Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-16
DESPOr DAVENPORT.
Rh0t an Independent Paper Thinks OF
Has Pretensions to Dictatorship.
New York Herald

RIs0t an Independent Paper Thinks OF
Has PretensiOns to Dictatorship.
New York Herald.
There is an urgent necessity that the Pres
ident of the United States return from his
long pleasure trip on the distant Pacific
coast to his post of duty at the seat of gov
eminent. Matters that require his vigilant
personal attention are fastening to a DOS
sible crisis. In at least two States political
passions are infamed to such a pitch that
threats of violence have been publicly utter
ed. There is ground for anxiety, if not for
alarm. Disturbances of the public peace in
connection with the pending elections would
be a national calamity. The constitution
makes it the duty of the President to take
care that the laws be faithfully executed. In
time of threatened danger he can not dis
charge this paramount duty while enga ged
in pleasure jaunt three or four thousand
miles from the national capital. Let us
hope that the prudence of local party leaders
and local officers will prevent violent out
| breaks. But nobody can tell what may
happen, When party animosities have
| been deeply stirred by exasperating recrimi
nations and incendiary appeals, there is nc
| knowing to what lengths few reckless men
may go.
But what, it may be asked, has the Presi
| dent to do with these fermenting elements
| of local disturbance. Unfortunately ne has
much, he has everything, to do with them,
! if they should break out in overt acts of vio-
lence. II is one of the incidental evils OF
| the federal election laws that they throw up
on the President the duty of suppressing cleo
/, ton riots in the States. We are not arguing
for or against these laws. We prefer, at
this time, to keep aloof from that thorny
question. They are not now before Con.
| gress. 1t is enough that they are in the
statute book, and that it is the duty of the
President to enforce them. If they are for
chilly resisted, he must put down the resist
| ance. He is authorized to employ federal
| troops, and to call out the militia of any OF
| the States for that purpose. When there is
| even possibility that he may be suddenly
called to discharge so stern and painful 8
| duty, he ought to be at his post, like SEN
tinel on the watch tower, in readiness for
every emergency.
Should occasion arise for the Presidents
intervention, his duties will not only be del.
icate but difficult. One of tie embarass-
ments of the situation lies in the mineline
of executive and judicial authority by the
| federal election laws. The chief supervisors
although their duties are purely executive,
| are appointed by the circuit judges, who
alone have power to remove them. If, like
the United States msrshals, they were an.
pointed by the President, and directly re-
sponsible to him, he would have authority
to instruct them, and to regulate or restrain
their action. But, although they are execu-
tive officers, they are withheld fro", the con-
troll of the Chief Executive. This arrange
ment will work badly in an emergency, as
curtailing the authority of the President to
direct the administration of this branch of
the laws and to exercise wise discretion in
wardpg off approaching danger. It would
be safer if the chief supervisors were subject
to instruction and removal by the President,
as the marshals are. He certainly ought to
return at once to Washington, in view OF
POSSIBLE emergencies.