The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-28
TROOPS AT THE POLLS.
av,rN1sCENCEs CALLED UP BY
THE FORCE BILL.

r,a, +o Surround the Ballot Boxes
- New York in 1870 with Federal
pavcnets Abandoned by the Cover =
,or,s Threat to call Out the state
Nilitia-An Incident in Pennsylvania
WASHINGTON, July 2L-"One OF the
most dangerous provisions of the federal
olection law is the possibility OF the appear
ance once more of United States troops at
the polls, who may be put under tne mar icn-
;r, orders of any United States marshal OF
oa3cialp said Representative Mutcnler OF
Pennsylvania TO the Sunday Gazette. III
is a curious thing that the very law wnich
was enacted by republican congress In
the heat of war times, to put stop TO tne
outrsoes AGAINST the elective franchise COM
mitted by United States troops on the
border states, should furnish the first pre-
text for the exercise Of that power, Dut SO
it is. The act in question was designed 70
restrict the use of troops.
PRosTITUTED TO PARTISAN PURPOSES.
eft has. however, been prostituted to
partisan purposes so as to destroy the very
object for which it was enacted and tne
little clause to keep the peace at the polls,
has served as q pretext for numerous In
terferences with state and federal elections,
which were so frequent until the changes OF
policy inaugurated by the Hayes admins
tration, The use of United States troops
at the polls on election days has not been
confined to the south, as some people sup
pose to be the case.
AN OUTRAGE ON PENNSYLVANIA.
"They were used in Pennsylvania at a
state election in 1870 without the request OF
the state or municipal authorities. An
armed body of United States marines were
brought to the polls in the Fifth ward OF
Philadelphia, took possession of them, Kept
them closed for an hour, and exerclsed the
right of challenging voters. Gen. Jonn w.
Geary, a distinguished republican, who was
governor at the time, protested against this
high-handed outrage, and in message to
the state legislature denounced 1t In vlgor-
Gus language. The occurrence cited In
Pennsylvania was at an election for state
officials.
NEARLY A RIOT IN NEW YORK.
"a more dangerous attempt was made in
November, 1870, in New York under the
provisions of an act which it is now pro-
posed to revive, only in more dangerous
form, to overawe the voters and state Off
cials, and but for the firmness of Gov. HoR-
man and the yielding Of the President TO
milder counsels on the evening before the
election, scenes of riot and of bloodshed,
and conflict between state and federal
troops might have occurred that would
have started the country"
THE SUBSTITUTE FORCE BILL
The republican senators were not numer-
GUS at church to-day. They were at home
reading the sixty-page substitute for the
seyelty-fve-page Davenport-Lodge force
bill which Senators Hoar and Spooner have
prepared. The changes were made by these
two senators without much consultation
with their republican colleagues on the cleo
tion committee-Senators Frye, Evarts and
Teller-but in Difference to their we'll
known desires for a milder measure. The
especial desire Of Senators Frye, Evarts and
Teller was for an elimination of the pro-
vision for troops at the polls
DON'T LOOK THAT WAY.
This, Sena ors Hoar and Sherman say,
they have stricken out, but it does not SO
appear from the copies Of the resolution
they have furnished their republican col
leagues. The section referred to, which re-
enacts the civil rights law, remains
unaltered. The other important changes
have been stated as the work
was being done. The bill is so
much milder that it will receive all but a
few votes at the caucus tomorrow night,
provided Senators Hoar and Spooner demon
strate that the provision for troops at the
polls is really out, but it's passage is still
most probematical, for it cannot be passed
without changing the rules and Senator
Edmunds still leads a heroic little band of
opponents to any such action. So long as
he stands firm it will not be done,