The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-18

The Republican papers with great I'M
animity seem delighted that the marshais
bill is not q law. and that the deputies
are to be appointed in the old way. The
cause for this general rejoicing is claimed
90 DO because of the victory for free,
full iiand fair election. which without
the deputies would DO impossible. This
sounds plausible and with the mass of the
party followers is received as true and suf
ficient. IF this were the object to be at
tanned by the employment of specia
deputy marshals. the people would be
justified in reioicing-but it is not the
case. and the Republican papers whose
columns TEEN with praise of the marshals
law, knows that il is not true. AS at
present enforced the special deputy mar
shals gre appointed with special reference
to their partisan fidelity to the Republican
party-none but the most pronounced
partisans being placed on the list. These
so called government agents, under guise
of enforcing the law, commit all sorts OF
crimes in the interest of the Republican
party. Their power is absolute. No Judge of
the courts, or officer of the law. has such
unlimited power MS they. Indeed, their
power is absolute on election day. They
can make arrests with .or without cause,
without warrant or process. and thus they
are enabled to deprive thousands Of Dem
ocrntic voters of their ballots, by this
means increasing the Republican vote. far
beyond the actual strength of that party.
and virtually defrauding the people Of
their choice. Is there anything fair in
thisP Is such law calculated to secure
fair elections? IF these Republican papers
we're sincere in wanting fair elections why
not favor the appointment of these special
deputies from ali parties equally? IF far
elections are only to tbe secured through
the marshals. why ares they not appointed
from all partiesf
The measurespassed by the Democratic
Congress- and vetoed by Mr.. Hayes. pro-
vided for the appointment sof the deputy
marshals from all parties equally, the ap-
pointments to be made by the Q. s. court
judges, and the appointees to be men of
character, and residents in the district in
which they were TO serve? Gould any
thing be fairer than this? Is there any
attempt at notification there2 Does.this
look like an attempt TO abrogate the cleo
tion laws2
The great. trouble with these Republican
shouters, they do not discuss the facts
bat purposely mislead their readers
They do not mention the fact that under
the present obnoxious law the special
deputies are chosen from the slums of
society, in many cases, aud that in New
York especially. prison convicts have been
labelled with government authority as
deputies. They do not state that these,
so chosen, are sworn to do the dirty work
of THAR Republican masters; that they
arc appointed not to secure fair election,
but to drive Democrats from the polls.
en- port, chief supervisor, and his horde OF
bummers called deputies arrested thous-
ands of Democrats, many OF them the
most reputable citizens of New York, and
hurled them into dungeons like criminals
under the pretext that they were violating
the election laws. When the polls closed
they were released and never were tried,
for the very good reason that they had
committed no offense. This ia notorious
fact which cannot be contradicted. 1t is
for this reason, and because the election
laws admit of unlimited abuse of power
that the Republicans desire the continua
ton of tho old law.
There is nothing fair 10 politics with
Republican leaders. They tmay be eyer
50 Conscientious in business-honest in
pecuniary matters, but when it comes
to psrty-then you will find them all Oh
the side Of the party right or wrong. OF
course there are exceptions among the
masses. but the leaders of the party will
Go anything, no matter how questionable,
Tor the continuation of Republican party
rule. a
The election laws as now in force are
partisan in nature, unfair and unjust.
Instead Of preventing sparty advantage
they afford the utmost scope for fragrant
frauds, andsunder the rule Of patronage,