Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-10
WRIGHT'S BULLD0ZERS.
AN ARMY OF 1,66S MEN AT A
COST OF SIS, 1922.

Representative Springer's Sub Commit
tee Getting Ready to Let the Light of
Day on the DespicabIe Methods EN-
plOyed in Ohio in Wright's
own Words Being Collected.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.-The ATTORNEY
General in reply to letter from Hon.
William NJ. Springer, Chairman of the
Committee on Expenditures in the De-
partment of Justice, has sent to that CON-
mittee copies of the correspondence on
file in the Department of Justice relative
to the employment of United States
Deputy Marshals at the Congressional
election in Ohio last October.
In a letter, dated Sept. a, Marshal Wright
| asks to be put in funds to the amount of $S,255
| for the payment of Marshals, ETC., for duty at
the ensuing election, and he says that he shall
| not be surprised If he has to appoint double
| the number of men then estimated for.
| Acting Attorney General Phillips replied that
| there was no warrant in the law for the
! money to be advanced in the manner re-
| quested by Marshal Wight, but that payment
would be maze upon proper account and
| voucher. When this account was rendered,
| it called for $lS,322 for the payment of l,t6S
men and incidentas. There is no item for
| weapons of any kind in the first estimate, or
| final account.
| Following is the substance of the correspon-
| NCHCC III MI. CpTlDRcfS nanUS. Under date
| of Cincinnati. Sept. "A, 1884. Marshal Wright
| IN letter to the Attorney Genera, says:
| "Ihe election for members of Congress in
this state is held Oct. IA. 1t is estimated that
| there will be needed to defray the eXpens es
| of said election the sum specified within.
| VIII you please approve the expenditure and
| cause warrant to be issued in my favor for
| the amount, VIZ, eight thousand two hundred
| and thlrty-fve dollars (SS,235), with which /
| am to be charged on the books of the
| treasury Department, and direct that a
| draft on the sub-Treasury on Cincinnati
| for said amount be remitted to me here for
| 600 deputies, 2 days each. $4,000 for deputies
| 10 days each, $500; for deputies, 5 days each.
| $50; for 6}0 metallic badges at 25 cents, $50:
| for 10 horses and buggies, one day, $50: for
| printing for the marshal, $50; for conveyances
| on election day, the necessity for which is un-
certain but is anticipated, $3.50; for use of the
| telephone, uncertain, s25; for l26 supervisors
at $40, 1850; for printing for supervisors, $50;
total IS, ,235.
| PROCESSING To BE MYSTIFIED.
Il desire to say that the situation here Is
| peculiar, and 1t is very difficult to correctly
| judge as to the necessity of the foregoing eX-
| penditure, but that after long and close con
| sderation am fully of the opinion that | am
| Justified IN calling on you for said money and
authority to make the expenditure / will
| try and make 1t fill the bill, and Will make it
| as much less than the above a, in my judg-
| ment, 1t is safe to venture, but shall not be
| surprised if L found it necessary to appoint
| double the amount of the aforesaid
| number. l shall be glad to
have this requistion acted upon
| at as early day as you can find it consistent
| with your duty, ana to receive such instruc-
tons and suggestions from you as you may
| think wise to offer. Fraud at the elections in
| this place IS the rule, and it is my earnest de-
| sire to break it up, to bring the UransgressOrs
! to justice and to fully protect the people in
| their rights at the polls. The sum l ask for
seems large, but it is small in comparison
| with the object to be attained"
PHILLIPS REPLY.
The next letter is dated Sept 30, and is the
| reply Of Acting Attorney General s. f. Phil
| lips to the letter of Marshal Wright, of Sept
| a. 1t is as follows:
''Your letter of Sept. a has been received
| asking that an advance he made to YOU to
| defray the expenses of the Congressional
| election on Oct. "a. You are informed that
| the department, as rule, does not advance
| funds Tor the expense mentioned, but paws
| for them reasonable amount after the eX-
| penses have been incurred, upon presenting
| an account, when such an account has no
| Objectionable features.
| After the expenses have been incurred YOU
| VIII make up the account, forward the same
| to the department, when you will be Inform
| ed of he amount allowed to each emDlOve
| and be instructed as TO the manner in which
| payments should be made, The department
| may think, upon the rendering OF your ac-
count, that the advance you ask for is all right
| our letter includes two items, namely: l26
| supervisors at $40, 81 ,2j0 (Sic): printing for
| supervisors $50, matter distinct from the SER
| vices of deputy marshals. If by supervisors
you mean those so named in the statutes-if
| you mean United States supervisOr5-their
| accounts must be kept separate from deputy
marshals, and will be paid in the matter and
| form mentioned above bearing upon the ac-
| counts of deputy marshals."
A WHOLESALE ONSLAUGHT.
The next letter is dated Cincinnati, Sent
| 25, 1884, and is as follows:
II forwarded to you last night a requisi-
| Uion for funds for e. penses at the approach
ing election. desire to state more speciG-
| cally that therein is set forth what
our trouble is here. AS l stated, fraud has
| been the rule here for years. Without a
| doubt the last four elections here-two being
! held IN the spring and two in the fall-were
| thus carried, and the will of the people de-
| feated. AL the methods that can be thought
of are resorted to, the colonization of voters
| repeating, refusing to let men vote who are
| entitled to vote, Intimidating, counting i'm
/ properly, recording the count The reverse
| of what it ought to be, improperly
| certifying, stutiing, changing ballots
| buyi votes, and last but most in
| famous of all, scratching with a chemical
| In place OF ink, which at first is not detected
| by the voter. The ticket Is placed in the
| hands of person desiring to vote a straight
ticket. He uses the ticket unsuspectingly,
and soon after ii is placed in the box the color
| is brought out and 1t is counted as a scratched
| ticket. The local authOriti's 5 here are all in
| the ranks of the Democrats. The police force
| is thus under their control and offer no pro-
| lection, but if not scrutinized closely encOur-
| age fraud. The Sheriff is a Democrat, and we
| have reason to believe that it is his purpose to
| QudlHN Il large DuWDbE OF ueDuLlCs on LldJ
day. They work in the dark and it is i'm
possible TO find out what their purpose is until
| the day comes.
RINGING IN A FEW FRIENDS.
SIN addition to employing the men stated
| in my requlstiOn, if authorized by law at
| all, | would like very much to employ a
| few, say thirty, from now till the day
| of election, to look after repeaters and voters
being colonized l have been unable to find
/ authority for such work on the part of a mar
| shal, but now apprehend that 1t might be en-
| braced somewhere, and. if so, that you would
| know of it. cannot express to you my anx-
| iety about this matter and hope that you will
| do the best for me you can, not only in the
way of finances, but also in instructions and
| suggestions. AN ounce of prevention is
worth ton OF cure and 1t is not improbable
| that timely care and provision in this matter
| may save us the horrors of a riot to which the
one we had here last spring is an
duty thus to write to you, but I
| think it is clearly a duty on my part,
| and l am sorry that l did not do so at an
earlier day. / have asked to be authorized to
| purchase 800 metallic badges. Heretofore rib
| bon has been used, but it does not have the
| desired effect, and it is the judgment of per-
| sons here who have considered the matter,
that It is vastly TO the interest of the cause,
| as well as a matter of economy, to purchase
metallic badges"
TIME AND PAY.
In another letter the Acting Attorney Cen
| eral says:
| the 25th ult., whether there is the authority
| of the law for employing special deputies
from now until the day of election, l have to
| say that there is no Limitation in the terms of
| time during which the appointment of such
| officers may be effective, but the compensation
| is limited by section 81 of the Revised Statutes
! TO s. a day, for not exceeding ten days sery-
| Ice, and no greater sum can be given"
| The next and last letter IS from Marsh9l
| Wright. 1t is dated Oct. %, and is as fol-
lows:
II forwarded to you this day a requisition
! for funds with which to pay deputy marshais,
| and for other expenses pertaining to the Con-
| gressiOnal election. As you will readily see
| demanding the expenditure. it was the very
| best / was able to do under the circumstances
| In addition to the above force, / had many
others. who did excellent service mot under
| pay, and yet was unable to get the force
| that was necessary to protect the vote
HELD WELL IN HAND.
"We held matters well in hand in about fifty
| five precincts, but in about six precincts the
| vote was not protected because was unable
| to do 1t. Our force suffered many outrages at
| the hands of the State and city authorities,
| which l apprehend Will be fully confirmed by
| what Is about TO take place In our courts. The
| situation in precincts not well handled is
| beyond the comprehension OF those who have
| not been an eyewitness thereto and do not
| think that any hundred deputies to a precinct
could protect the vote therein. In one of these
/ wards alone, during the night before, over a
| hundred peaceable but defenseless men, with
out a charge, were thrown into the cellar of
| the police station and kept there without bed,
| food or water till the polls closed. and
! then let out. During this time they were
/ certain ticket it would be all right and that
| they could 90 free. This is a sample of what
we have to contend with here. Had to 90
through with it again. | could do better work
Il N..rA -g.I