Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-12
RADICAL EsyImIDzrTOy.

John L. Davenport, chief supervisor of
elections at New. York. has recommended
the bull-dozing tactics that have in the pas
given him an unenviable notoriety, and pre-
Ventel thousands OF we'll qualified voters
from casting their ballots. 1t will be re-
membered that IL 1876 he caused the arrest.
without authority of law, Of several thou
sand persons who essayed to vote, and had
hem cast into prison. His excuse for thit
overt act was the allegation that they had
not been properly naturalized. He did not
pretend to say that they were not entitled to
naturalization or that they bad accepted the
papers upon which they attempted to vote
with knowledge of their irregular OF
fraudulent character. He waited until after
the election, when he compelled those men
under threat of prosecution, to take out new
naturalization papers before him, thus real
izlng some twenty Thousand dollars. It was
nothing short of highway robbery, and
should have been punished as such. The
papers in que stion belonged to the persons
who had them in possession, and to take
them away was not only illegal but dis
honest.
This year Davenport proposes to repeat
the performance of the past with few
amendments. He does it on the plea OF
purifying the ballot box. It is evident from
circular he has just issued to his subordl-
mates that he fancies himself omnipotent-
the veriest despot on earth with unlimited
power-for he ipstructs them thus:
mo power or authority, rave that of the
United States. through its officers, can m, lest.
interfere, hinder, obstruct prevent you from
dlscharging your duties. You can not be ar
rested by any State officer with or without a
warrant. upon any day of registration or the
day of election, or when discharging any duty
required or you under the laws or when going
to or returning from any place of registration or
polling place. Ii any one assaults you, threat
ems, or attempts to do, or endcavors to ar
rest you at any such time, the law protects you
In resisting any such attempt, and authorizes
you to cause the arrest of the person so offend
ing. The police are required to aid you, if
called upon so to do, and it is made crime
for them to refuse or neglect so to do. You
will obey no orders or directions from any one
save such as You receive from the chief super
visor direct, or from bin through his Aid in
youI dsocmDly OtstIlCG.
"A hearty compliance with such instructions
will be required. AID the supervisor who does
not propose to implicitly follow such directions
had better forward his commission to this of
fee before the next day of registration. Be
not intimidated. The laws of the United
States relating to elections will be enforced
peacefully, it is believed; but forcibly if SO it
must be-"
1t is about time that the Democratic
party-for it is against that organization that
Davenport directs all his efforts-should de
wise some means to squelch this petty despot.
He is bindrance to the elections and is
himself guilty of far more frauds than have
been ever charged against all those he has
had arrested. He ought to be suppressed in
some way. True, he has been cited to ap-
pear before court to show cause why he
should not be removed from Office, but he
will probably deny its Jurisdiction, and if
molested, apply for protection to the army
of the United States, which will be granted.
This he intimates is his purpose. and this
pestiferous little law breaker and scoundrel
is permitted to defy all the courts of the
land and more than million of honest citi-
zens besides. 1t is disgrace to our system
of government that such state of affairs
should exist.