The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-06-04
THE SUPERVISORS BILL.
More Notification by the Democrats.
H1,n Conn4o &C IL Tr..AI GILL;. acAo-s

| A"AVAO ny INC
The Senate of the United States, after
an animated debate, has passed the bill
introduced by that innocent lamb from
Delaware, the guileless Bayard, having
for its 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 be
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
tomahawk that is intended to
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 time, and the Republicans were
accused of Haunting the bloody shirt
and digging up miserable old report
Evening Journal, commenting upon
this act of virtual notification by the
Bourbons. says:
"The measure is eminently character
1stlc OF the pussy-cat stripe of Democ-
racy, of which the Senator from the
Blue Hen State is distinguished repre-
sentative. Plausible and sly, it purports
to be one thing and is another. Sheathed
within the velvet paw are ugly claws.
What seems to be a harmless cluster of
willow buds, gentle to the touch and
noiseless to the tread, are the weapons
of regular tearer.'
"From one point of view the original
bill merely provided that the Chief Su-
peryisors Of Election, now appointed by
the United States courts for an indef-
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
childlike 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 regula-
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, in general, to prevent
such officers from interfering with Demo
cratic frauds OF the polls, and more par
ticularly to legislate John S. Davenport
of New York city, out of office, an Off
cial who may stand seriously in the way
of the repetition of the gigantic frauds
which were perpetrated in 1868, and
upon repetition Of which in 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 as intro
duced was grated on, at the suggestion
OF Senator Thurman, as an amendment
to the effect that the President must
not reappoint present incumbents. The
blunt Voorhees, frankly avowed that the
amendment was aimed at 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 signed (for all the difficulty
lies in the italicized word), 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 dead letter.
eve do not believe the President will
hesitate as regards his duty, in case this
bill reaches him, as of course it will.
He is bold man, firm and .unwavering
in 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 wide range and
was largely occupied in banter and
what boys call twitting.' The Demo
Gratis were tainted with their cowardice
in parliamentary discussion. During
Democracy In Congress with rod of
AOA, ttuu LIE 0u1CG WAS bIldG uO AulOuuG
of provocation should incite the Demo
Gratis to any such talking right ont in
meeting as characterized the extra SEES
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 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 the polls