Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-03-17
THEEASTERN MA RSHALSH1P.

A few thin.skinned editors with slight
Democratic proollvites are attempting
to find fault with Senator Wallace, be-
cause he did not have Federal ap.
pointee rejected The Harrisburg
Patriot, in calling attention TO the mat
ter remarks:
Senator Wallace is bitterly assailed
for permitting W. II Kerns to be con.
firmed as United States Marshal for
the Eastern district Of Pennsylvania.
We have gathered the following facts
in regard to this matter: When the
nomination of Kerns was sent to the
Senate it was referred TO the judiciary
committee of which Senator M'Donald,
of Indiana, and Senator Garland, of
Arkansas, are Democratic members.
M'Donald and Garland are also mem
bers of the investigating committee
which sat at Philadelphia, known as
the "Wallace Committee" AL Of the
testimony affecting Kerns was sent by
Senator Wallace to the judiciary com.
mittee accompanied by letter oppos.
ing confirmation. MDonald, Garland
and Edmunds were the subcommittee
of the judiciary committee to whom
the appointment Of Kerns was referred.
They knew all about Kcrns' action in
regard to Deputy Marshals at the
election in 1878, and they had Senator
Wallace's protest before them. Never
theless they reported to the Senate in
favor of Kerns' confirmation. The
,.oasor,s e,'-an by iha", fo~ their action
are that Kern's behavior as an official
on election day was good, that he
(Kerns) swore before the investigating
committee that MdrShdlS pere mol
needed IL Philadelphia; that he was
compelled by law TO appoint them
when two citizens asked for their ap.
pointment and that such applications
were made to him every where in the
city; that he took the recommends
tions of his political friends as the
vouchers for the character of his Mar.
shals 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 him
self; that no charge except the bad
character of some Of the Deputy Mar
shals seemed to be sustained against
him and that his own character and
official conduct were shown TO be good.
Finally the judiciary committee con-
cluded 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 committee based their report
in favor Of Kerns, and Senator Wallace
could not defeat that report without
showing the facts on which the com
mittee relied to be false. In matters
OF this character the Senate acts in a
judicial capacity and it is very difficult
task for single Senator to secure the
rejection of an appointment except for
cause and it is a very rare thing that
recommendation Of committee in
favor of confirmation can be defeated.
Mr.. Speaker Randall was as deeply
interested in the appointment OF this
Marshal as any member of the Senate,
for the appointment affects particu-
larly bis own city and district, and he
has certainly as much influence with
the Democratic members of the judi
ciary committee as any public man in
Washington. Nevertheless the judi.
ciary committee reported in favor Of
Kerns and the Senate confirmed him,
We do not see that either Randall OF
Wallace is worthy of death or bonds
because of this matter"