The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-09-11

were TO appoint the men who should
take the registrations of voters. They
were to control the proceeding Of max
ing constitution in each State so far
as all necessary orders and appoint
inents were concerned, and after the
Constitution was formed they were to
transmit 1t to Congress. In short, the
acts of the "a and 23d of March, 1867,
consisted OF two principles, military
government in the South, and recon-
structed civil government under the
dictatiOn OF military power.
On the 18th of July following-Con-
gress having convened la extraordinary
session on the Sd of that month"; sec
ond supplementary act was passed that
was to give more thorough control to
the military commanders over the pro-
ceeding Of reconstruction. II was to
meet certain difficulties which in the
administration of the law embarrassed
the political agents of the Congression-
al majority in the South.
Again, on the tn of March, of the
present year, another law was passed.
That provided that majority of all
the voters in the State should not be
required to vote upon the question
of adopting or rejecting any of the new
constitutions. Italso provided that an
elector registered anywhere in a state
might vote at any other place in the
State beside the one where he was reg
istered. When the bill in that form
was pending in the Senate, | offered to
incorporate in it a provision of the con-
stitution of Pennsylvania, which is
familiar to you all, that the elector
should reside in the election district
where he offers to vote at least ten days
before the election. After debate that
amendment was adopted. l will ex-
plain to you presently how it was OBJ
served in one of the States to which it
was applied. For the present ] am re-
citing i'm succession the several recon-
struction laws.
THE ARKANSAS CASE.
The next in the series was the act of
June %, of the present year, by which
Arkansas was admitted to renewed rep
resentation in Congress. That act pro-
ceeded to recite that the State had adopt
ed new constitution in pursuance of
the reconstruction laws, and that hence
forth she should he entitled to represen-
tation in the two Houses. Now, gentle
men, let me call yourattention fora short
time to the election in that State by
which it was alleged the new Constitu
ton for Arkansas had been adopted.
The supplementary act authorizing
persons registered anywhere in State
to vote in any part of the State, with
the amendment to which have refer
red requiring ten days residence in the
election district, was passed only two
days before the election In Arkansas
upon the question of the adoption or re-
lection Of the new Constitution. That
election was ordered for, and held on
the 18th of March. 1t was held through
out the State on that day the votes
were taken, and the Constitution was
rejected by considerable majority. l
need not go over all the details of the
election. | will confine myself to sim
gle point which is sufficient for my
present purpose to show how the recon-
structed States are counted in by those
who make them. In the counties of
puiaei>i and Jefferson the election Of
ficers not only held an election upon
adopting the Constitution on the 18th
of March, but they went on holding
elections from one precinct to another
In those counties until the 31st of March
That is, they held an election ior seven
teen or eighteen successive days.
| .
Why, in those counties they took about
two thousand more votes than the total
number of registered voters-between
800 and 1000. In the other counties
of the State where the election was held
on the 18th, only about tive-sevenths OF
the registered voters voted. Naturally y
enough, some men did not go to the
polls, and only five out of seven entitled
to vote did vote; but in these counties
with eighteen days of continuous elec-
tions, they not only polled tive-sevenths
of the vote, but the whole seven-sev-
enths and 1000 besides \ military
officer who investigated the case and
reported to General Gillem, informs us
| that the election officers kept no lists of
| the names of the persons who voted
they required no proof from any person
who offered to vote, except simply the
production of certificate of registra
! ton and they attempted to Justify theil
proceedings under the supplementary
law which l have mentioned, the act o
llth of March, because they ALLEGED
that they heard of it, not on the 18th
when the election was held general.
throughout the State, but a few day
afterwards. But they took the votes q
persons registered anywhere in tn.
i
disregarding, altogether, the ten da
residence provision, so that nobody wa
required to prove or even assert tina
he had lived in the election district
that he had not voted before in anothe
precinct, or that he was in any rcspec
qualified under the law. In short, ger
tleman, to sum up the case in Il wore
the election officers going from one pr'
cinct to another and taking votes sin
ply upon the exhibition of certificate
! of registry, without anything more
Just heaped up as many votes rs wei
necessary in their judgment to carr
, the Constitutions and so this mass {
/ fraudulent votes, not taken even
conformity to the law which they pr
l tended to follow but in utter cOuteml
e of lis provisions was reported, and Il
returns including it were sent on /
: the commanding general of the distri
5 to Congress. There was no dispu
, about the facts | have stated, becau
= they were set forth in the Generals !
:. port and upon that showing the p
G iitical majority in Congress voted tn
Q Constitution into existence, ,disregarde
n the contempt of their own law rcgula
n ing the election, and knowing perfect
i well that the Constitution had bee
VI NOltNi tiON anu NbttN h'"ii
d they passed the act OF the End, OF JuI
d which is as follows
= ".An act to admit the State of Arka
:, sas to representation in Congress.
Whereas, The people OF Arkans
in pursuance of the provisions OF ana
entitled IAN act for the more ehicie
l. government Of the rebel States, passt
|. March >, 1867, and the acts supplemci
10 tary thereto, have framed and adopt'
l. Constitution of state governme
II which Is republican,
l. | shall have word to say about IN
e presently.
l. -''and the Legislature of said Sta
Of has daily ratified the amendment tn &
W Constitution of the United States, pi
X posed by the Thirty-ninth Congress- n
ne known AS article fourteen: therefore
s. "Be il enacted &C., That the State
ut Arkansas is entitled and admitted
lis representation in Congress rs one of
40 States of the Union, upOn the follow