The Shasta courier., 1870-10-29
The United states election Law.

There will be considerable howling, very
shortly, on the part of the Democratic
newspapers, at the prospect of fair elec-
tion being held in New York, under the
new law of the United States regulating
and protecting elections for Representative
and Delegates to Congress. The most
corrupt and unscrupulous local Government
in the world has long had its own way in
the matter of conducting the elections in
New York and the nation has been dis
graced By system of robbery, plumber
and fraud which the notorious Rings" of
that city have organized and sustained.
A gang Of poth use politicians has gotten
control of the political government of New
York City, and. under the Tammany
management, the people of that muuicipa-
lily have not only been Heeced for the
enrichment Of band of plundel ers, but
no fair election was poss Bile, no honest
expression of the will of the people could
ever be heard; and, by the grossest frauds
at every step of an election. the returns
were made to be just what The masters of
the political situation desired. Majorities
have been manufactured to order; voters
have been spoken into existence by brig
ades; election returns have been falsifed,
and citizens have been as summarily
deprived OF their rights at the polls a.
ever we're the subjects of an imperial des-
potlsm. This horrible state of affairs is q
disgrace to the country, and its notorious
continuance has brought discredit upon
the name of Republcanism throughout
the world.
We may hope for some partial remedy
Of this evil in the application Of the law
which was enacted at the last session of
Congress, protecting the rights of citizens
in the elective franchise, and providing
tor an enforcement Of the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States Among other things, the
law provides it shall be misdemeanor for
any person at any election for Representa-.
tives or Delegate in the Congress Of the
United States, to personate or attempt to
vote in the name of any person, living or
dead or to vote more than once at any
such election, or to vote or to attempt to
vote at any place where he is not entitled
to vote, or when he is not legally entitled,
at all. This misdemeaDor is punishable
with fine of $500, or by Imprisonment
for three years, or both, at the discretion
of the Court. There are several other
provisions, needless to recapitulate. all Of
which stringently guard the purity of the
ot-box, 'nd protect the citizen in his
undisturbed legal right at the polls, free
from threats or intimidation.
Heretofore. such has been the partisan
character of many of the local courts, it has
been impossible to convict of their crimes,
even the most notorious of the ballot bog
suffers, "repeaters," and other bad men
who have made crime against the purity Of
the ballot their trade. Judges who were
kept in power by the votes and influence
of corrupt politicians, have been corrupt
and prejudiced themselves Under this
law, however, all offences against the
statute are to be tried in United States
Courts, and United States District Attor.
neys and Marshals are charged with the
enforcement of the law Alta California.