Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-05

| The lists Of each days registration are q
once placed in your hands and you must havt
long SINCE completed your work of inspec tior
| Of such lists.
1t has frequently happened, however, tha
you have withheld making arrests for alleged
illegal registration until election day, and as
We are informed, have held the person &C
| arrested until the election was over thereby
causing the elector to lose his vote, even though
| entitled to cast it.
As you can just as well execute your warrants
| Tor illegal registration now as on election day
| we have to request that you will forthwith is-
| sue and execute any warrants you may intend
TO Issue Tor illegal registration in order that the
| elector. If entitled to his discharge, shall re-
| ceive the same In time to cast his vote.
Assuming that the intent Of the law under
which youact was not to interfere with the lawful
voters but to punish and restrain illegal voting,
! we take it for granted that you will cooperate
with us In determining all such questions in ad-
| vance Of the day Of election. and that you will
therefore comply with our request.
In this connection we call your attention to the
decision rendered by the United States circuit
court for the southern district Of New York in
the matter OF Spooner. reported in volume 9,
Abbot's New Gases, page 4S1, in which case it
! was held by Judges Blatchford and Choate that
it il an offense with the United States Revised
Statutes, section 5515, if election officer in
tentionally delays executing a warrant for the
arrest Of one charged with illegal registration
until election day in order to prevent his vot-
ing. and also that it is equally so to threaten
arrest for the purpose Of deterring from voting.
The opinion of Judge Choa.e in that case is
couched in the following language:
"Purposely emitting to serve warrants until
election day FOR the purpose of preventing peo-
pie from voting would be a breach Of duty on
the part of the chief supervisor or the deputy
marshal"
And we further quote from the opinion of
Rlatc fho %nl
1T makes no difference whether this marshal
had these warrants or not, it is just ms much an
offense for him to threaten to arrest people on
election day to prevent their voting as it would
be to keep back Il warrant and execute it on
that day for that object.
1--WE (referring to himself, Mr.. Justice
Blatchford and his associate. Judge Choate)
both agree that where man can be arrested
before election day as well as not he ought to
be so arrested. II there is any delay in ar
resting him, where he could have been arrested
before that day, it must be presumed to be for
the purpose of preventing him from voting and
consequently unlawful" Respectfully yours.
David Leventritt, Henry d. Hotchkiss, David
Mcclure, John NJ. Bowers. Charles H. Knox,
committee on behalf of the democratic party
for the city and county Of New York.
SWEARING IN DEPUTIES.
Sheriff John ]. German has begun the work
of swearing in corps of special deputies in the
case Of emergencies.
81 have received no official communications, ~
said Mr.. German, but from what have read
believe that the situation warrants me in
making preparations to maintain the public
peace. am responsible to the state for the
peace Of this county. and l will see to 1t that
the peace is preserved. The police will be on
special duty, and / therefore think that more
deputies are needed. will appoint every re-
spectacle person who applies to me who is
properly recommended. If u sufficient number
of persons do not apply and r think that
greater force is needed will exercise the power
the law gives me and order the assembling Of a
posse comitatus."
GOV. FLOWERS PROCLAMATION.
Gov Flower yesterday afternoon issued a
proclamation saying: 1 call upon the people
Of this state to see that the election in this
commonwealth shall be an honest one. Recent
enactments by the legislature have imposed
almost every possible safeguard around the
sanctity Of the ballot. The honor of our state
and our love for American institutions demand
that every citizen should obey these laws and
look to their enforcement.
The right of challenge. exercised intelli-
gently and fearlessly, supplies to every citizen
a weapon Of defense against corruption and
will greatly assist in frightening dishonest
voters from the polls.
call upon all election officers all district at
torneys, all sheriffs and peace officers to see
that the laws Of the state are rigidly enforced,
to the end that good order may prevail at the
polls and the right Of honest franchise be
sacredly guarded. and give warning that all
failures on the part Of such public officers to
discharge their duties in the complete enforce
ment Of the laws shall be considered sufficient
cause for their removal