Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-03-08
KERNS'S CONFEDERATION.
WHIST the "Patriot" Has Gathered.
Harrisburg Patriot

What the "Patriot" Has Gathered.
Harrisburg Patriot
Senator Wallace is bitterly assailed for
permitting W. H. Kerns to be confirmed
as United States marshal for the eastern
district of Pennsylvania. We have gath
bred the following facts in regard to
this matter: When the nomination of
kerns was sent to the Senate it was re-
ferred to the judiciary committee of which
Senator Mcdonald, of Indiana, and SEN
tor Garland, of Arkansas, are Dem
ocratic members. Mcdonald and
Garland are also members of the in
vestigating committee which sat at Phila-
delphia known as the "Wallace commit
tee." All the testimony affecting Kerns
was sent by Senator Wallace to the judi
ciary committee accompanied by letter
opposing confirmation. Mcdonald, Gar
land and Edmunds were the subcommittee
Of the judiciary committee to whom the
appointment of Kerns was referred. They
knew all about kerns's action in regard to
deputy marshals at the election in 1873 and
they had Senator Wallace's protest before
them. Nevertheless they reported to the
Senate in favor OF Kerns's confirmation.
The reasons given by them for their action
are that Kerns's behavior as an official OH
election day was good; that he( Kerns) swOre
before the investigating committee thatnaar-
shals acere not needed in Philadelphia that
he was compelled by law to appoint them
when two citizens asked for their appoint
ment and that such applications were made
to him everywhere in the city; that he
took the recommendations of his political
friends as the vouchers for the character of
his marshals, many of whom were infamous,
but that from all the proofs he seemed to
have been deceived in this respect and did
not know those persons himself; that no
charge except the bad character of some
Of the deputy marshals seemed to be sus
tanned against him, and that his own char
acter and official conduct were shown to
be good. Finally the judiciary committee
concluded that it would be better to have
a marshal who himself was opposed to the
use Of deputy marshals at the polls, than
risk the appointment of new man who
might prove much worse. These were
the grounds on which the judiciary COM
mittee based their report in favor of Kerns,
and Senator Wallace could not defeat that
report without showing the facts on
which the committee relied to be false.
In matters of this character the Senate acts
in a judicial capacity and it is very diff
cult task for a single senator to secure the
rejection of an appointment except
for cause, and it is very rare
thing that recommendation of commit
tee III favor of confirmation can be de-
feated. Mr.. Speaker Randall was as
deeply interested in the appointment Of
this marshal'as any member OF the Senate,
for the appointment affects particularly
his own city and district, and he has
certainly as much influence with the
Democratic members of the judiciary COM
mittee as any public man in Washington.
Nevertheless the judiciary committee
reported in favor of Kerns and the Senate
confirmed him. We do not see that either
Randall or Wallace is worthy of death or
bonds because of this matter.