Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-19
Federal Deputy Marshals.

The developments in the case OF Marsha'
wRoHr, Of Ohio. who at the last October
elections filed the city Of Cincinnati with
Federal deputy marshals, show clearly that
the law ought 10 be repealed ut once. The
bowers which be exercised ought to be en-
trusted to no officer, no man. Republican
or Democrat.
Marshal wmoBr first drew out OF the
United states Treasury eighteen thousand
dollars wbercwith to psy his supervisors
and deputy marshals. but when the
sprlxexn committee began to track him
nm. he reduced bis bill by some four thou
sand dollars, requesting the proper audit
ing officer to charge him with this
sum. OF course Mr.. WRIGHT could have
pocketed this amount oil money,
anu II might not be unjust to
him to say that but for Mr.. FoLLErr's re'c-
luton he would have pocketed 1t. How
ever, as to this we know nothing. But we
do know that II Is o dangerous experiment
longe: 10 allow law TO remain upon the
statute-book under which Fifty thousand
deputy marshals may be appointed In New
York city, and q million OF dollars drawn
from the Federal Treasury 10 pay them
with.
"Nothing else IL so lurid as money" Is
nm old saving. Nothing else Il so demoral.
izipg rs money. 1t will never do to open
The Treasury Of the United States, with its
hundreds OF millions OF dollars, to officials
whose tenure OF Office depends upon
whether their own or the opposite party
can command the largest amount oil
money for electioneering purposes. No
State Is rich enough to indulge In
such extravaganza. No State can al.
ford to allow its revenue to be
wasted upon State officers answering
to these Federal deputy maishals. And OF
the thirty.eight States there are only few
which have large revenues. But even II
all the States were rich, and all were to go
into the business Of providing for such
election officers as these Federal deputy
marshais, the danger TO result therefrom to
our free institutions would be small when
cortrssted with the peril OF entrustlng such
elections to Federal officials paid out OF the
Federal Treasury. II the States were all
10 provide for such election officers,
these officers would belong to one
party In one State, and to the other
party In another State. The result
would be bad enough, no doubt; but not
hall so bsd as the WRIGHT plan Of having
thousands Of Republican deputy marshals
md not one Democratic deputy marshal.
The wrongs perpetrated in the interest OF
the Republican party In one state would. or
Mt any rate might be cancelled by
the wrongs perpetrated in the in
terest OF the Democratic party in an
other State. Besides, these State officials
would be held TO account at home. They
would not baye to wait for congressional
committee TO overhaul their accounts and
inquire into their unlawful acts. They
would be influenced, too, by local public
opinion. The voters, IN turn, knowing
that they would have TO foot the bill, would
look into these matters for themselves.
But II IL not merely because he spent
money extravsgantly that Marshal WRIGHT
has merited universal condemnation. not to
say cxecration. II Is an undisputed fact
that he appointed negroes to perform the
functions Of deputy marshals oyerawine
white voters. But even this was not the
wort, for he selected loathsomc criminals
and the lowest class Of ward strikers. A
Washington letter says:
"Thc evidence before the sub-commit
tee was TO the effect that over twenty-four
hundred deputy marshals had been ap
pointed in Cincinnati; that they were com
posed Of men Of the worst possible eharar
ter: that large numbers Of them were ne
groes; that many were non-residents o.
Ohio; that some were from this city; and
that so far from preserving the peace and
securing fair election there the course Of
the deputy marshsls was calculated to pro
duce the contrary effect
What ought TO be done with a party thai
can sanction such crimes against the cleo
tive franchise s-that allows its sectiona
and partisan and war preiudices so to bin,
its eyes as that II Is unable to see that thes'
are wrongs which ought to be redressed
and the law one which ought TO be repealed
out OF hands