The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-08-08
NO TROOPS AT POLLS.
THE REVISED FORCE BILL A MUCH
MIlOER MEASURE.

lt"ar Says tho Provision for Troops Has
bccn Stricken Out-Edmunds Still Holds
Out Against aChango sf tho Rules.
The Washington correspondent of
the Macon Telegraph writes as fol-
lows:
The Republican Senators were not
numerous at church today. They
were at home, reading the sixty-page
substitute for the scvcnty-tive page
DavenportLo force bill, which
Mcssrs. Hoar and Spooner have pre-
pared. The change were made by
these two Senate without much
consultation with cir Republican
colleagues on the election committee,
Mcssrs. Frye, Eyarts and Teller, but
III Difference to thr; we'll known de-
sncs for mildcr ~ asurc The cs-
pccial desire of Mes IS. Frye, Evarts
and Teller was for IN elimination of
the provision for tro ,ps Mt the polls.
This, Mcssrs. Hoar aud Sherman say,
they have stricken out, but it does not
SO appear from the copies of the reso-
| luton they hrve furnished their Re
publican colleagues The section re-
tcrrcd to. which rc -CnactS tho civil
rights law. remains uuultcrcd
| AMrCu MiLDEK BILL.
| The other important changes have
been stated us the work was being
done. The hill is SO much mildcr
that it will receive all but II few votes
at the caucus tomorrow night, provi-
dcd Hoar and SpoonCr demonstrate
| that the provision for troops Mt the
pools is really out. But it's passage
Is still most predetermined, for it can
not be passed without changing the
rulcS.and Etlmunds still leads heroic
little band of opponents to any such
action. SO long ut he stands firm it
will not be done.
| ONE OF rrs WORST FEATURES
"Onc of the most dangerous pro.
visions of the Federal election bill il
the possibility of the appearance once
more of United State troops ut the
polls, which may be put under the
marching order of any United States
marshal on officer, said Representa-
| tive Mutchlcr of PENNSYLVANIA to the
| DunuaN Gazette.
ut is Il curious thing that tho worry
view Which was enacted by the Re
publican Congress i'll the heat of war
times TO put stop to the outrngcs
against the elective franchise com
mitted by United States troops on
the border states should furnish the
first prctCN for the exercise of that
power, but so it is The act in ques-
ton was designed to restrict the use
of troops. Ii has, however, been pros
htutcd to partisan purposes, so rs to
destroy the very object for which it
was enacted, and the little clause to
keep the peace ut the polls has served
Us Il prctcXt for the numerous influ-
enCcs with state and federal elections
Which were so numerous until the
change of policy inaugurated by the
Hayes administration.
| NOT CONFINED no TIE SOUTH.
The use of United States troops
at the polls on election days has not
been confined to the South, as some
people suppose to be the case. They
were used in Pennsylvania at state
election in 1870. Without the request
of the State or municipal authorities,
an armed body of United States ma
rincs were brought to the polls in the
fifth ward of Philadelphia, took pos
session of them, kept them closed for
an hour, and exercised the right of
challenging voters Gen John w.
Gcary, distinguished Republican,
who was governor ut the time, pro-
tested against this high handed out
rage, and i'll il message to the State
Legislature denounced it III vigorous
language. The occurrence cited in
Pennsylvania was at IN election for
State officials.
| TROOPS AT NEW YORK POOLS.
"A moro dangerous attempt was
nude in November, 1870, in New
York, under the provisions of an act
which it is now proposed to revive,
only in a more dangerous form, to
ovcrawe voters and State officials, and
but for the tirmncss Of ofGovernor Hoff-
man and the yielding of the President
to milder counScls on the evening be.
fore the election, scenes of riot and
Of bloodshcd and conflict between
State and Federal troops might have
occurred that would have startled
the country
| Too Great RISK.