The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-09-20
The Bossing Of State Elections.

The BOSSing OF State Eiecti0nss
It Seems next to impossible for any
robustly StalWart politician to under
stand that the bossing of State elections
is not the chief duty OF Federal Ad-
ministration, but that, on the contrary,
such Oh Administration has 70 more
right to meddle with the local elections
of the people than it would have to un-
dertake the management OF churches,
benevolent societies, baseball clubs or
insurance companies.
The Constitution and the acts of Con-
gress prescribe the duties of the Execu-
tive Department, including the 10000
officers pertaining thereto; and It is
quit, as exasperatingly insolent and far
more dangerous to the public welfare
for this great Department to push an
obtrusive hand into the local concerns
of any State than it would be for the
Executive authority of State to force
itself within the well-detined limits OF
Federal Jurisdiction.
Twenty years ago two great dangers
threatened the destruction of this GOV
ernment. One was the secession of
States, the other the absorption of the
rights of the States and the people
thereof by the central authority. The
former was crushed out, at fearful cost,
but the latter still exists. 1t is as great
q menace to the future of the Republic,
and as bold an invasion of. the rights
guaranteed by the Constitution, as was
its twin evil-the one that gave up the
ghost at Appomattox.
The right of local .self-government,
the right of the people to elect all Their
local officers without any intermeddling
on the part of the hired men whom the
people have assigned to do work under
the Federal system, is as clear right
as was ever defended by ballot or bullet.
And the officials who invade this right
by 'the whole weight of the Admins
tration," or by any part OF that
weight" are just as clearly working
for the destruction of the Government
that the fathers erected as were the
secession leaders when they called on
the States to go out of the Federal COM
pact.
The Administration had an opportu-
nifty in the elections of 1882 to learn
what the intelligent people of the United
States think of Federal intermeddling
in local affairs. 1t learned, at the same
time, that such interference has a totally
different effect in the South from that
which it produces in Northern States.
In the great State of New York the peo-
pie resented intermcddling in a way
that will not soon be forgotten. Believ-
ing that Mr.. Folger was the Admins
tration candidate, and that the Admins
| tration was trying to manage the cam
| paign they rose up in their might and
| buried Mr.. Folger under majority OF
about 100000 votes.
This was no fair test of the relative
standing of Folger and Cleveland. The
| former was known to be honest and
| capable, a learned jurist and worthy
man. But Cleveland's candidacy rep
resented local self-government. Fol
gers stood for Federal interference, and
the vote for Cleveland was the declara-
ton of the President own State, the
Empire State of the Union, that the
no tolerance for its twin evil.
While this was transpiring in New
York, ..the whole weight of the Admin.
1stration," not its finger. not its hand
but all of its vast power and influence
that could be thus disposed of, were
brought to bear on certain local cleo
tions in States where there were larg6
masses of ignorant and credulous col
ored men. These persons were told by
Federal officials, detailed for such ser
vice and paid out of the public Treasury
that the President had sent his request
for them to vote for this, that and the
other candidate.
These blacks are not to be blamed fol
being ignorant, not censurab.e for be
ing credulous, but their peculiar con
dition made them as plant IN the hand
of the Administration as dough in The
grasp of baker. Therefore, it hap
pened that the policy which was SO in
dignantly rebuked and stamped on il
New York came near being great sue
cess in two Southern States. And thu
it happens that the Administration, &C
cording to its central organ, is deter
mined to repeat this year and next th
policy of 1882, so far as relates to tn
South.
The resources of the Federal Treas
ury are to be drawn upon to overrid
the will of the people. Thousands O
Federal officers-the hired men of tn
people, each of whom is paid to do Ger
tain specific work for all the people I'm
der the Federal mechanism-are to b
sent all over those States to bring tn
black voters into harmony with the ne,
allies of the AdminiStration-"th tn
desperadoes of the South" as th
New York Tribune appropriately style
them.
1t is q beautiful programme, but it
bound to miscarry this time. The cul
rent of public opinion is against il
The intelligence of the country
against it with force that will max
itself felt. The coarseness, the gross
ness of Stalwartism will be compe!le
to halt. The right of the people t
choose their own local lawmakers an
other officers will be maintained. !
decent regard for the opinions of. mar
kind will be enforced on the Admins
tration so effectually that it will not at
tempt to repeat the abuses that its ol
gans threaten.
The attempt to destroy the Govern
ment of the fathers by Federal invasio
of the most cherished rights of th
people must go into its grave beside ii
twin brother, secession. - Ame'ica
Register.
The most valuable bristlcs used
brush-making are white, and the bree
of hogs that produces them is ever
year growing scarcer. The best bristlt
come from KamtSchatka; the ne,
in grade from Russia and German,
They sometimes reach a length of nea
ly ten inches, and cost as high as S4.5
pound. Nothing yet in use who'll