The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-03-29

Why Kerns was Appointed,
According to the Now York Sun it is
said that the Democratic party of Pennsyl-
vania has applied to detective agency
for detail to unraYel the mystery of the
confirmation of Kerns. How it ever
could have happened. it is Just impossible
to imagine.
Kerns had been a very bad Marshal.
He had appointed as many as eight hum
dred special deputy rufians to knock
down and drag out Democrats at the cleo
ton of 1878, and had even carried his
partisanship so far as to concentrate the
majority of them in the only Democratic
Congress district in the city, which hsp-
pened to be Speaker Randell's. Kerns.
in fact, was a Ring man. He was more
than suspected of partially for Senator
Cameron, and there was reason to believe
that Senator Cameron would be willing to
have him in Office in November next,
When it might be agreeable to have some
more deputies appointed at the rate OF
FIVE dollars day out of the public trea-
sury for q period of ten days together
But Hayes, who occupies Mr.. s1ildens
Office, and is civil service reformer. hear
ing that Kerns was a Ring man, q wicked
partisan, a Cameronian, and generally
bad. promised to appoint George IL.
Stuart: and thereupon Immediately ap-
pointed .Kerns
When Senator Wallace. who is unbap-
PLY the only Democratic Senator from
Pennsylvania, heard of this, he was in
censed beyond measure. He more than
half believed that it was done at the be-
hest of his remorseless enemy, Cameron,
who would stop at nothing to crush the
remains of the Democratic party In
Philadelphia. and he accordingly came
down on Kerns in all his righteous wrath.
When he thought of the Speaker strugg-
ling. in that lone Democratic district, with
horde of Republican strikers on Federal
pay. under the skilfuI direction of Kerns
and Cameron. he was so mad that he
could hardly contain himself He rained
indignant letters upon the Judiciary
Committee, advising them that Kerns was
a miscreant of the darkest dye; that his
confirmation would disgrace the Senate;
that he represented the very worst
elements of Philadelphia politics; and that
the usually carried on his pay roll
as his trusted deputies. whole |
gangs of roughs. and ballo. box
suffers, and repeaters, many of whom
had but recently completed their political
education in the several penitentiaries of
the Commonwealth. He a lso sent in the |
testimony taken by his investigating COM
mittee, and superb speech he had him.
self made on the general subject of Kerns's
villainies and delinquencies.
But with all this. Kerns was too much |
for him. Under ordinary circumstances,
Mr.. Wallace could have defeated in this
Democratic Senate almost any Pennsyl-
vania appointment But Kerns was so
slick and slippery that, somehow or
another, he never could get right hold
on him; he just elnded him like an eel,
Thus the contest went on for weeks. Mr.
v allace, meanwhile. weeping salt tears
over the situation of the Democratic party
Of Philadelphia, and of Randall. in case
Kerns should be confirmed. 1t really
seemed as if Mr. Kerns had SO endeared
himself to the Democratic Senators CT {
other States by the manner in which he
conducted Pennsylvania elections, that it
was no use to say anything against him; '
and they just rushed In and confirmed him
over the unanimous protect of the Demo :
cratic press, of the Speaker and Congress s
men. and, worst of ALL over the head OF 7
poor Mr.. Wallace, who had evidently lost,
for that fatal day only, we hope, every
particle of the great influence he had been
imposed to have with his fellow Senators
1t is certainly one of the saddest cases
ID record. The Democratic Senate turned
sqaareiy around upon the only Democratic
Senator from Pennsylvania; ignored and
nsulted him by confirming Mr.. Cameron's n
riend, the representative of the very worst r,
,lass in Philadelphia; and 10 doing SO vio- =
ated all the traditions and courtesies of 3
he Senate. 1t would be an actual relief D
{ MIR. Pinkerton. or some other shrewd B
would take hold OF the matter, Is
md let us know how it was that the Sem CT
tie fell SO suddenly and SO madly in love p
With Kerns as to confirm him out of hand, IN IN
md to snub Mr.. Wallace in that unprece- SC
Tented and cruel fashion. =
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