The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-06-11
THE SUPERVISORS BILL.


More Modification by the Democrats.
The Senate of the United States, after
an animated debate, has passed the bill
introduced by that innocent lamb from
Delaware, the glileless Bayard, having
for It's object the repeal by indirection Of
the Federal Election law. It defines
the terms of the Chief Supervisors of
Election, and its principal object will DO
to GUST the energetic squelcher of Dem
ocratic attempts at election frauds in
New York city" johnny" Davenport,
the United States Supervisor OF
Elections at New York. The
tOmahuwk that is intended tG
give Mr.. Davenport his quietus is
contained in the following prOviso
"That no person now holding or who
has held the office of Chief Supervisor
of Elections shall be reappointed. The
discussion of the use of tissue ballots in
South Carolina proved very enlivening
for a time, and the Republicans were
accused of Haunting the bloody shirt
snd digging up u miserable old report
n Southern outrages." The Chicago
EUcaing journal, commenting upon
this act of virtual notification by TIN
BourbOns, says:
"The measure is eminently character
Stic of tho pussy-cat stripe of DemOc-
racy, of which the Senator from the
Blue Hen State is n distinguished repre-
sentative. Plausible and sly, it purpOrts
to be one thing and is another. Sheathcd
within the velvet paw are ugly claws
What seems to be n harmless cluster Of
willow buds, gentle TO the touch and
noiseless to the tread, are the wearonc
Of n regular tcarer,'
From one point of view the original
bill merely provided that the Chief Su-
pervisorb Of Election, now appointed by
the United States courts for an indefi-
mite period of time, should be appointed
by the President, by and with the con-
sent of the Senate, for period of two
years. Mr.. Bayard, in his usual
childlikc and bland way, explained
that the object was not to af-
feet the power of these officers in
any way, but to provide for the reglIla-
ton of the tenure of their office, in itself
certainly harmless if not commenda-
BILE mode of procedure. But the de-
bate disclosed the difference between
paws and claws, and that the one object
aimed at was, i'll general, to prevent
such officers from interfering with Demo-
cratic frauds mt the polls, and more par
ticularly to lcgislate john S. Davenport,
of New York city, ont of office, an Off
cial who may stand seriously in the way
e of hn IA,
which were perpctrated i'll 1868, and
upon a repetition of which i'll 1880 the
Democracy rely for overcoming the
natural and lawful Republican majority
in the Empire State. But clause which
was kept back from the bill rs intro
duced was grated ON, Mt the suggestion
of Senator Thurman, rs an amendment,
to the effect that the President must
not reappoint present incumbents. The
blunt Voorhees, frankly avowed that the
amendment was aimed Mt John Da-
venport and similar pirates in office.
The other Democratic speakers did not
conceal the fact that they would really
like to repeal the whole Election law.
and that, unable to do that, they pro-
posed to weaken it all they could. If they
could get this Bayard. Thurman bill
passed and Signcd (for all the difficulty
lies in the italicized world, their object
would be substantially attained. The
Senate, being Democratic, would con-
firm the appointment of no Chief Super
visor not known to be opposed to the
enforcement of the Election law, and
under such Supervisor the law, hard to
enforce at best, would be a dead letter.
eve do not believe the President will
hesitate as regards his duty, i'll case this
bill reaches him, as of course it will.
He is bold man, firm and unwavering
i'll the use of his veto power when duty
demands it. He has been a steadfast
friend of the Election law thus far, and
he will remain so to the end of his term
of office. There is no reason to fear ON
that score.
"The debate took a wide range and
was largely occupied in banter and
what boys call 'twitting.' The Demo-
Gratis We're tainted with their cowardice
in parliamentary discussion. During
this session King Caucus has ruled the
Democracy i'll Congress with rod OF
iron, and the edict was that no amount
of provocation should incite the Demo-
Gratis to any such talking right out i'll
meeting as characterized the extra ses-
sion. Thoroughly frightened by the
elections of last fall, the claquers have
kept remarkably still. Even Black
burn, of Kentucky, has bridled his
tongue. But enough has been said to
show that the revolutionary threats of
the extra session fairly represent the
real abiding and aggressive sentiment of
the Democratic party to-day. Just now
the Republicans are having a little
tiff among themselves, but the Dem
ocrats need not fatter themselves with
hopes of victory next fall on that
ground. Their only reasonable hope is
in fraud and bulldozing at tie polls.