The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-09-03

! Ger convicted OF the greatest oppression
HIM 70 empbssise his View Of vioIenos
at elections. Mullen arrested more than
| 100 colored men the night before the last Octo-
/ Street Prison until after o'clock on election
day. 30 that they could not vote. and without
an opportunity to appeal for the benefit OK
habeas corpus. and by gross wrong he deprived
them of their franchise. he was arreste :. In
dicted. tried, and pleaded guilty In the United
Baxter. OF the Circuit Court OF the United
States. In his sentence says
The testimony demonstrated that you know
some of them TO have been citizens OF Cincin-
natl for several years preceding their arrest;
and yet proceeded without inquiry, complaint,
or proof to arrest ana hold them In aa .
tense OF official duty, but In fact to prevent
them from exercising their constitutional right
1 10 vote for Representative In Congress The
\ evidence OF your guilt was SO convincing that
your jealous and able counsel voluntarily yield
ed TO its irresistible force. and with your ac-
| to the finding made by the jury. This finding
| thus obtained Is a virtual confession by you
that the arrest and imprisonment OF the per-
sons named were for the wrongful purpose
F, legged In the indictment
Here was the case of an offense so gross and
scandslous that no circumstance could be added
! to make IL more Grim nal Mullen was sem
fenced TO serve one year In the County jail, and
! yet. long before his term expired he was par
| doned by the President OF the United States.
1t does not help the matter to say that this
| pardon was based upon the petition OF Gov.
| Hoadly. OF Ohio, and Other Democratic parti-
Sans, for such petition, under the circum-
| ances. only condemns those who signed it.
| IL such an offense this can be condonod in
this way, there Is no protection against violence
| or fraud at an election, and the Mississippi
murders. the Danvile riots, and the manipu-
lating OF ballot boxes can hardly be classified
With @ Of 81 the
their rights, arresting by wholesale more than
one hundred citizens, confininR them where
| they could not be reached until after the cleo
| w discharQed wit
We may iairly regard a. evidence
dent Of the United States OF frauds against the
Q ectiye franchise IL such wrongs can be thus
condoned, and there is no protection to the citi-
zen against similar occurrences, tho time will
soon come when cleo ions will cease by the gen.
ment by elections has failed, and the IMAM on
horseback Will be called upon to repeat again
his role OF history. With my kindly feelings
| toward President Cleveland, / believe that IN
this act he has done more to lower his admins
tration in the opinion of conservative men than
| by any other or all the acts Of his life.
| Take another act OF this administr alton. Both
PARTIES are pledged TO adopt oil suitable meas
ures to restore OR foreign commerce, DESTROYED
| by the operation OF rebel cruisers during the
| war. Many efforts have been made by Congress
and by American ship builders to secure this
4 great national object. One of the most success
| ful of these was John Roach. an uneducated
Irishman, but whose native genius and energy
| enabled him to establish great ship-yards, where
| he built many ships for private parties and
some Tor the United states he had nearly COM
| pleted the Dolphin Government vessel. and
| was constructing, under contracts, other Gov
| eminent vessels Every part OF the work had
| been done and all the material turn shed under
the direct supervision of naval officers. accord
! ing to plans prescribed by them. The Dolphin,
nearly completed, went out on a trial trip to
| test her speed. 1t is alleged by Mr.. Roach that
! she fully met all the requirements of his con-
tract The Seer tary OF the Navy, however.
claimed that the vessel did not attain the speed
| fixed by the law The Attorney General de.
cided that although Roach had built the vessel
in precise conformity with the plans OF the
naval engineers. and OF materials approved by
them, yet, II their joint handiwork did not Sc
cure the speed required by the law the vessel
costing $5OO,OOO might be refused and thrown on
the hands OF Roach. The decision made Roach
| guarantor OF the intelligence and skill of the
Government officers, and yet required him with
| out question TO follow their plans and speci-
hcations as to model work, and material. 1t Is
sufficient to say that with such rule none but
| fool a mailman would take a contract of
the Government TO build ship or anything
else. The rate OF speed fixed by the law was
directory to the naval engineer II their plans
and models properly executed by the contract
| or did not secure vessel OF the proper speed,
IL the fault OF the Government and its
agents. and not of the contractor; and yet,
upon such decision, they forced Roach to stop
his works, 10 make an assignment, to throw out
of employment thousands of workmen, and ar
| rest for the time the construction not only of
| Government vessels, but of many commercial
vessels Tor private parties, and greatly add also
to the gener j depression of business.
ests by this administration was the practical
notification of the law OF the asst session of
Congress appropriating 100000 TO enable the
! Postmast ter General TO contract, after legal ad-
vertisement with the lowest bidder among
American steamship companies Tor the trans
yortation of foreign mails. This act of Con-
gress intended TO foster and build up American
commerce, was by the Postmaster General dis
| regarded, and contracts were let mainly to
a rule, supported any system of subsidies,
but this proposition did receive the support
OF members OF both political PARTIES and was
believed to be very important for American
interests in building up commerce, especially
with the South American States. The subject
had been fully and fairly debated In Congress.
The law was plain and directory. and should
have been executed by the Postmaster General,
with view TO carry out the will OF Congress-.
have carefully read the papers in respect TO
this matter, and IL does seem to me that by
refusing TO make arrangements for carrying the
foreign mail in American steamships, he has
violated the spirit, IL not the language, OF the
law, and shown an utter disregard of the intent
of {, ngress, as well as the rights and inter-
ests OF American ships, and acted solely In the
interests of foreign steamship companies
No act of the administration has tended in
the slightest degree TO revive the business of
the country. 1t was the hope that a change
would make times easier that led many persons
to vote the Democratic ticket. What has been
the RESULT What suggestion, even. has been
made by any member Of the administration
that will brighten in the least the industry OF
the country None whatever The Secretary
of the Treasury changed the form of the month
Nv debt statement, ana made obscure what was
formerly clear. He exc uded from the moneys
on hand the entire body OF the fractional sill
yer coin, thus tending to lessen the stated bal
ance in the Treasury below the real amount.
and at the same time tending to depreciate the
value OF this silver currency. One good effect
of this pretended reform Is to show how foolish
Mr.. Hendricks was in tho last campaign I'm stat
ing that there was 500, 600 belonging to
the United States lying tale In the Treasury,
kept there by the Republican party.
Where Is this surplus2 How many barrels OF
-four will 1t buy for each citizen OF the United
States? How shallow was the hypocrisy and
demagogism by which the parCy came into
powerY
The arrangement by the Secretary with the
national banks In New York to get, as a matter
OF favor, some la in exchange for silver coin
seems TO me violation of the sub-treas ury act
which clearly forbids all exchange OF money.
IL only tended TO emphasize the depreciation OF
silver and to lower IL more and in pubic cont-
dence The expedient OF his predecessors OF is
suing silver certificates in exchange for gold
coin was a much more effective way to strength
| en- the gold balances 1t Is sufficient
to say that act of the administra-
tion affecting the currency or finances
has tended to restore confidence, to
encourage industry. or to furnish employment.
The business of all the departments seems to be
! confined TO turning out experienced employees,
| against whom no fault IL found except their
fealty to the Republican party. and TO putting
in Democrats mainly of the rebel hue Even
the ordinary collection of the revenue Is OBJ
| structad by the demaQOQ TINT preceded the