The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1870-03-05
Capitalization a Fixed Fact.

The Radical party is placing its own inter
probation on the Fifteenth Amendment, as
we feared it would do from the first. We
are to have Radicalism in all its disgusting
forms whether the people desire it or not
Congress is determined to absorb all the
powers once exercised by the States, and
place these sovereignties on the same level
with county and city corporations. In
late act passed by the House, it has been
decreed that the people Of the States are not
competent to hold elections for members Of
Congress and for President and Vice
President The Fifteenth Amendment it
is said, empowers Congress 10 take charge
of these elections and conduct them ac-
cording to rules and regulations laid down
by that body. The bill introduced and
passed the House reads as follows:
An Act to enfoHce the Fifteenth Amend
ment to the Constitution -.a
Section l. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives Of the United
States of America, in Congress assembled ::
1t shall be the duty of the Secretary of the
Interior to appoint, or cause to be appointed
three commissioners for each election dis
| trict of the several Congressional districts
of the United States to enforce the provis-
| ions of the Fifteenth Amendment to the
| Constitution. The said commissioners for
such purpose shall have the sole right to de-
eide on the qualification Of all voters who
shall offer to vote for members of Congress
or electors for President and Vice-President,
and the exclusive authority to receive the
| ballots cast at any such election
Il L IL Z L
missioners to certify the result of the elect
ion in their districts respectively, duly
sealed, to the said Secretary of the Interior
Sec. g. The Secretary of the Interior
shall certify under his hand and seal the
names of the persons who appear to him by
the aforesaid returns to be elected members
of Congress or electors for President or
| Vice-Presdent, and the persons who shall
receive such certificates of election shall
hold the Office or exercise the authority
therein designated, subject to the sixth
| section of this act
| 4. 1t shall be the duty of the United
States Marshals in their respective districts
| to sustain the Commissioners of Election
/ herein provided for in the performance of
| their duties, and shall detail a sufficient
! force of deputies to secure order at the
! elections herein provided for; and in the
event of the force of any such Marshal
/ proving inadequate, the Marshal shall have
/ the right to call on the nearest commanding
/ officer of troops of the United States to aid
such Marshal to preserve order.
! Sec 5. 1t shall be the duty of the Secre-
! tary of War to So station the troops of the
United States, Immediately preceding any
election herein provided for, at convenient
points adjacent to the principal polling
/ places Of the several Congressional districts;
and in the principal cities a commanding
! force of such troops shall be encamped in
the parks or other suitable places of such
cities at and preceding any election as
aforesaid,
Sec 6. All questions in regard to the
regularity and fairness Of the election OF
members of Congress shall be referred by
the Secretary of the Interior to the House
of Representatives who shall have exclusive
! jurisdiction thereof; ana in like manner all
questions relating to the election of electors
! for President and Vice President, shall be
referred to the President, who shall appoint
4 committee of not less than three suitable
persons TO examine and decide all such
! questions whose decision shall be final and
conclusive.
Sec. T. This act shall 90 into effect when
Congress shall, by resolution, duly declare
that three fourths of the States have ratified
The proposed Fifteenth Amendment and
have decreed that the Constitution is
amended accordingly.
To make this the law ofthe land requires
that it now pass the Senate, and afterward
to receive the signature of the President
1t has already been put through the House,
and in such a quiet way that the public was
not aware that such bill had been so much
as reported Under the law Congress viii