The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-28
THURSDAY, AUGUST IS. 1890.
FORCE In MAINE.

uhas NOT been necessary topass the Force
Hill in order TO show its practical Workings
The First district in Maine, from whicn
Thomas Il. Reed hopes TO return 10 'on-
cross has furnished the first example
This district is by no means safe ior Inc
car. In fact. it is doubtful whether NJ
would have been sent from there III ioo0
without the aid of the kittery na'y-!"u'
Tho indications are that this year the navy
ward will not be able TO be manipulated IN
aid Of Mr.. Reed. According to uispa'cn
90 tho New York Times from Biddeiord'
Maine. n means OF assistance has been
found Nv a recent decision of the supreme
Court of that State five hundred voters nave
been DISTINGUISHED in that city.
The story is as follows: since lNs' 'he
Depublican schemers have been trying 10
mako effective movement which failed IN
Lewiston by having the supreme Court de-
eide that a man who did all the duties OF
c,ork of a court Of record was not clerk
because his title was not clerk but ere
corier." Such is the title of the clerk OF the
municipal court Of Biddeford, which has as
n regular court of record, issued natural
izaiion papers since 1872.
In 1889 by means of a stOol-pigeon, the
Radicals of Biddeford secured from the
Radical Judge Webb, of the United states
District Court. decision that the Blddeiord
Court did not have such clerk as was
proyided for in the United States naturaliza-
iion law. With this decision as their
weapon, the conspirators attempted to carry
out by intimidation at the polls the plan OF
disfranchsement which had been defeated
by the Biddeford Board of Aldermen. They
were partially frustrated by some of their
manipulators being lodged in jail.
Again this spring in response to Reed :
desperation the schemers found another
stool-pigeon who appeared before Judge
Whltehouse, who did as he was expected
70 do and refused the pigeon his applica-
ton. The case was then, according TO
programme, carried 90 the supreme Court
of the state. and that body rendered de-
cision that the municipal court of Bidde-
ford was not competent authority to grant
naturalization papers, and gave the follow
ing as reason:
ain section 2lGj of the Revised statutes
of the United States the courts authorized
Il naturalize aliens are specified and de-
scribed as follows: a Circuit or District
Court Of the United States or a District or
Supreme Court Of the Territories, or court
of record OF any Of the states having CON-
mon law Jurisdiction and seal and a
clerk After a careful examination of the
several acts Of the Legislature establishing
the Municipal Court of Biddeford, and Ge-
timing its Jurisdiction and powers. it is the
opinion Of this court that on the 2ith day OF
January, 1855, the Municipal Court of the
City of Bddeford did not have a clerk with
in the meaning and intent of this Federal
statute. and therefore had no authority 10
receive and record the declaration of in
tention made by William Dean, the appli-
cant in this case. The petition was right
fully dismissed"
This decision, of course, makes void all
naturalization papers Issued by the Bidde-
ford court. Hence several hundred men
will he debarred from the right of suf-
frage which some of them have been eX-
ercising for twenty years. 1t is hardly
necessary TO add that in Mr.. Reeds dis
trict the great majority of the men so dis
franchised are Democrats. They are
devising plans to counteract the nefarious
scheme before the elections, and public
sentiment may be so aroused that Reed
will fail of yindicatiOn even after his friends
most active and hand-handed methods.
The moral remains to be drawn. In the
Force bill were two most obnoxious fea-
lures. One was the possibility of the pros
itution Of the judiciary and the other the
Use of the bayonet at the polls. The for
mer seems 10 have been the result OF Radical
methods in Maine without Its legalization
by Congress. In some sections of the coun'
try such arbitrary craftsmanship would have
resulted in the absolute necessity for the
presence of bayOnets TO make its sequel ef.
fectiye al the polls. Reed and his bench
men knew this full well, and so they sought
% reinstate the bayonet clause. which had
been repealed some years ago.
The moral OF the story Of Biddeford's dir
reimbursement, though lost upon that pur,
patriot Lodge, who is stumping Reeds dis
trict as proxy, will not be lost upon The
country. 1t furnishes in Il small degree
what the Force bill contemplated in d
larger degree, and its effect can only be
greater opposition to that measure which
has been but temporarily shelyed TO enable
quay 10 pay the monopolists tie interest on
their investment in the election of Harrison
10 the presidency.