Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-04

necessary, could not help rejecting that per-
haps there was something else which il they
thought ii was accessible they would like little
better than that
THE UNITED STATES MARSHAL THE NAN.
Mr.. Voorhees, do not desire to interrupt
| the Senator from Alabama in the course of his
remarks except to say that have practiced law q
good many years off and on in this District. and
| have always found an officer-they call him
sheriff in other places l have never perceived
any difference. any want of authority or any
excess Of authority over the sherifalties else
| where.
III there il any distinction should be very
glad to know it. not out of any particular inter-
est other than curiosity in the legal literature
OF this District. There are some legal curios-
tiles in this District which il obtains by inher-
1tance from the old laws of Maryland. but do
not think 1t will be found that the marshal's
office is substantially different from that Of the
sheriff office. There are in the District COM
uniting magistrates. Of course, as there are in
the counties Of the states. l do not know
whether this assists or embarrasses the argu-
ment the Senator from Alabama has been maxi
ing: have not had the pleasure of being able
to listen to him.
POSSE NEVER SUMMONED HERE.
Mr.. Morgan-I think the posse comi.atus has
never been summoned in Washington. 80 that
there is no object lesson by which we can prove
or disprove anything in CDR history on that
SUBJECT: have raid that it may be possible
there Is some old shred of common law left
here under which the marshal of the District
might call out the posse comitatrfs in support
OF the execution of process of law but my
argument is that that is inc omplete and INSULT
Gent; ana while this committee are at work
finding ont whether the law has been broken and
violated by the Pinkertons, being assembled
under the pretext at least of sustaining it is it not
very well for them to make the further inquiry
whether In the District of Columbia and in the
territories laws are needed to be enacted which
snail organize the posse comitatus and put it
upon an efficient footing. so that there shall be
no doubt at all abont the men who are COM
missioned and charged bv the law of the coun-
try to take the responsibilities and duties OF
serving In the posse comitatus?
maintain. Mr.. President. that in my own
state and in every state of the Union the law
would be more efficiently complied with if the
legislatures would take up this subject and or
ganize the posse comitatus and from year to
year preserve the organization. / believe that
thereby we would devolve upon the individual
citizen the duty and responsibility of maintain
ing the law. After man had served one year
on the posse and his neIghbor had taken it for
the next year and another the next, such a
man would never forget that he had at ore
time been portion of the civil power of his
own government, relied upon individually and
seiected for the purpose of maintaining the
majesty and supremacy OF the law.
RELY UPON THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
III we Will throw ourselves upon the hearts of
the people for the maintenance of the laws we
are not going to be mistaken. Here we are in
the District of Columbia RELYING upon the hon
esty and integrity of this community and of the
thousands and hundreds of Thousands and even
millions o. men who come here in the course of
few years-we are relying upon their integ-
rlty, upon their love of honest government,
upon their devotion to their institutions for the
maintenance and preservation of those things
which are OF incalculable value to the people of
the United States. We rely upon that and
nothing else. When outbreakers come around.
when men may assemble here for the purpose of
LOOMING the treasury or anything like that your
public institutions of any kind. if you have that
same reliance organized under law into an
effective posse comitatus. then You have some-
thing that is very much better than police Sc
lected by municipal government; better than
the militia organization called out by the mill
tary authority; better than the army of the
United States, because it operates not merely as
force to preserve and maintain the law, but it
operates as civil organization for the purpose
OF REFRESHING wrong before it has started.
L desired merely TO call the attention of the
committee to this subject. and also to ask the
Senate to put on the amendment in order that
they might direct their inquiry into this very
interesting and very important subject. Of
course l have not tried to elaborate it this
morning. for have not had time to do it, and
do not want to trespass upon the patience of
the Senate in trying to do it. l have given
mere outline of the views which have impressed
me and which for years have borne upon nv
mind as being important, for the purpose of
getting force in the United States which will
operate to prevent these criminal organizations
or illegal organizations. and also operate to re-
press any outbreak against the government
The amendment offered by Senator Morgan
was agreed to and the committee, announced in
yesterdays STAR, was appointed.