The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-17
Seeking Dem ocratic Victims.


We have been somewhat curious 70 see
whether the repibl can newspapers would
condemn the action of federal court oth,ials
in Florida who ss,ecssd the grand and pstit
Jurors in the ALLEGED fran iulel, election
cases almost wholly from republicans.
They have said nothing. They
have simply ignored the matter.
Applre tly, in tneir views. the letter Of
United States Marshal Mizall 10 his deputy
at DsLand. orisri g him to select oaly
republicans for jury duty, was right ana
proper, notwithsta ldilg the fact that the
la y requires that jurors shall be chosen
without regard to their politics.
The facts developed on the witness stand
in these fraudulent election eases n Florida
remind one strongly Of the condition OF
affairs that existed in that state when the
republicans weras in power there. Then
democrats were dragged from their homes
and carried long distances to be tried for
alleged offeuses before partisan tribunals.
Democrats throughout the state were in con-
slant fear of being made the victims of re-
publican hate. Bad feeling was created by
these political prosecutions, ami the pros
perity of the state was therefore checked.
When the democrats cana into power the
condition Of affairs changed for the better
at once. and Florida began to make marvel
GUS progress. The people were contented,
and devoted all their energies to the i'm
provement of their material condition.
Politics ceased to be the uppermost subject
in their minds, and democrats and repub-
licans found no occasion for regarding each
other as enemies.
Recent occurrences in Florida are direct
ing the minds of the people of that state to
the unhappy carpst-bag period. They see
partisan juries impaneled to try alleged
political often es. A grand jury, M de up
of republicans, finds indictments against
democrats for alleged fraudulent acts in
connection with the ballot box, q I'd rspub-
hcaus are summoned as jurors to sit in
judgment upon the accused parties. .Under
the circumstances il will not be strange if
men are convicted of offenses they never
committed, nor will it be strange if feel
ing of bitterness grows up between demo-
Gratis and republicans that will retard the
progress Of the state.
SOIic Oh Tue fIOTlua democrats naQ per-
haps bagun to think that there was not
much difference between the Democratic
and Republican parties. and that the condl-
lions would be as satisfactory under one
party as the other, but the partisan course
of the United States courts will open their
eyes to their mistake, if it has not already
done SO. the truth is, the Republican party
is the same partisan, unprincipled party
that it was in the days Of reconstruction.
Let it but have the opportunity and it will
show itself in the south in its true colors.
1t has respect for neither law nor justice.
1t respects only power. The packing of the
juries Of the federal courts in Jacksonville
shows this
We have already said that the democrats
in congress ought to move to investigate I'll
federal courts Of Florida, particularly the
packing Of the iuries to secure democratic
victims. The letter of Marshal Mizall is, of
itself, sufficient to justify an investigation.
If the marshal acted on instructions from
Washington the public ought no know it.