The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-11-03

STAND tnat the OOSSlng OF state ELECTIONS
is not the chief duty of Federal Adj
ninistration, but that, ON the contrary,
such an Administration has no moro
right to NEEDLE 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 los, 900
officers pertaining thereto; and it is
quite 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-deined limits Of
Federal jurisdiction.
Twenty years ago two great dangers
threatened the destruction of this Gov
eminent. 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
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
ssweight," 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 60 out of the Federal COM
pact.
The Administration bad 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 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 intermeddling in a way
that will not soon be forgotten. Believ-;
ing that Mr.. Folger was the Admins
tration candidate, and that the AdmiDis-
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, learned jurist and worthy
man. But Clevcland's candidacy rep
resented local self-government. Fol-
gers stood for Federal interference, and
the vote for Cleveland was the DECLARE
ton of the Presidents own State, the
Empire State of the Union, that the
people who had crushed secession had
no tolerance for its twin evil.
While this was transpiring in New
York, 1.-THE whole weight of the Admin
lstration," 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
tons in States where there were large
o-ad ,,,.r rSasa ,o,.scr :. sa,.. ia -,
EaJa-.I ot,,o;sls dpta;IoJ e.. s,,ch Oh, sa ~
v;cs and ~ ys;d o,,t - tha ,,,,bI;c T.essrr"r
that tha Prss;dsnt h s s p his rsorast
for them hen r. vote for This that and the
&c. a...J;ssts '''' s'.->' '''
osn~' o r,N1a
NEST ulacAs arg no' 70 DI vlaineu ,or
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lng cIeuulous, pu' .nSir Pecuisr COZ
us'l 4S ula a eneln - Plians ~ Inc nanus
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gasp OF : paker; Ineleiore, II nap
Peneu .ha. inc poncy "nlcn was 20 IN
MgnanIly reouked ana stamped ON IN
view 1 orn cSlne near He'ng . gIest sue
= veSs ~ swo ~. Iou'1 4Sa A Sta: anu mus
- nsPpouS :nas .no 'ls.'o1, ~
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0Outus vi