The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1870-03-03
A BILL FOR THE sUBzUGATFON OF
THE PEOPLE.

ted bill of pains and penalties for
the enforcement of the Amendment,
which utterly ignores the right of the
people of the Several States, through
their legislatures, to adopt rules for
the regulations of elections, and as
sumes that Congress, in common with
the legislatures, possesses the power to
make such rules. Mr.. Bingham, in
the House of Representatives, has Of
fered a similar proposition. But the
Morton and Bingham bills, outrageous
though they be, are innocent i'll
comparison with the following which
is now under consideration in Con-
gress:
San Act to enforce the Fifteenth A
mendment to the Constitution.
Be il enacted 6Y the Senate and House
of ReDreSeatdtiUes of the United States
Of america, IN Congress assembled:
SECTION /. 1t shall be the duty of the
Secretary of the Interior to appoint, or
cause to be appointed, three Commits
sioners for each election district of the
several Congressional districts of the
United States, to enforce the provisions
of the Fifteenth Amendment to the
Constitution. The said Commission
ers for such purpose shall have the sole
right to decide on the qualifications of
II ,roto-c ~ bn Ghatl nt7ar Vnfn fpa.
members of Congress or Electors for
President and Vice President, and
the exclusive authority to receive
the ballots cast at any such election.
SEC. =. 1t shall be the duty of Com
missioners to certify the result of the
election in their districts respectively,
duly sealed, to the said Secretary of the
Interior.
SEC. 8. The Secretary of the Interi-
or shall certify under his hand and seal
the names Of the persons who appear
to him by the aforesaid returns to be E.
lected members of Congress or electors
for President and Vice Presidenl, and
the persons who shall receive such GER
tifcate of election shall hold the office
or exercise the authority therein desig
mated, subject To the sixth section of
this act.
SEC. 4. 1t shall he the duty Of the
United States Marshals in their respee-
tive districts to sustain the Commits
| siOners of Election herein provided for
in the performance of their duties, and
shall detail sufficient force of depu-
/ ties to secure order at the Elections
herein provided Tor; and in the event
of the force Of any such Marshal pro-
wing inadequate, the Marshal shall
1 have the right to call on the nearest
commanding officer of troops Of the T.
nited States to aid such Marshal to pre-
/ serve order.
! SEC. ). 1t shall be the duty Of the
/ Secretary of War to so station the
/ troops of the United States, immedi-
/ ately preceding any election herein
/ provided for, at convenient points ad-
! jacent to the principal polling places
/ of the several Congressional districts,
! and in the principal cities recommending
/ force of such troops shall be encamped
/ in the parks or other suitable places of
such cities, at and preceding any eloe-
ton as aforesaid.
SEC. 6. Al! questions in regard to the
/ regularity and fairness of the election
! of members of Congress shall be refer
| red by the Secretary of the Interior to
the House of Representatives who
shall have exclusive jurisdiction there
of; and 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 committee of not less than
three suitable persons to examine and
decide all such questions, and whose
decision shall be final and conclusive.
SEC. 7. This subject shall 90 into ef-
feet when Congress shall, by reoolu-
tion declare that three-fO lrths of the
States have ratified the proposed Fif,
teenth Amendment, and have decreed
that the Constitution is amended accor'
dinghy"
This is simply proposition to con-
stitute a member of the PresideIt'f
cabinet the Judge of elections for the
whole country. Ifit should be enact
ed into law, the Secretary Of the In
terror would appoint upwards of siA
thousand election officials for this
State, and moro than one hundred
thousand for the entire Union. Thii
army of Federal appointees would, o
course, be expected by their masters II
carry the elections for the party il
power. With the ballot-box unde
their own control, they would not b.
very likely to disappoint such expec
tations. But, if they should not sue
ceed, the Secretary of the Interio
will be able to redeem their failure
He is to certify to Congress the name
of the persons who appear to him b.
the returns to have been elected.
would, doubtless, appear to him, as j
often does to the Election Committe
IN Congress, that candidate to whom
he is opposed was not elected, though
he received several thousand NOR
votes than his opponent.
Bnt if one part of this bill is NOR
atrocious and infamous than another
1t is that which provides that the Sec
retaFy of War shall station Unite'
States troops at convenient places ad
jaeent 10 the principal polling places G
the several Congressional districts ant
in the parks of the principal cities
whilst elections are being held. Th
country is to be made vast militar,
: camp to be occupied by the Fedora
soldiery as a menace to freemen VIII
2 dare TO differ from the policy OF Con