The New York herald., 1870-06-01
Tho Vow Election Law or Couarcss--sanirn-
ing and DodsinY OF tho Repenters.

ing and Dedssns OF tho Repentcrs.
The President yesterdi ~ approved the bdl
recently passed by Congress entitled San act
10 enforce the right of citizens Of the United
States to vote in the several States of this
Union, and tor other purposes. II Eliminates
the fifteenth amendment in some of its sections,
and In others 1t lays down certain rules, the
general aim of which is to secure the purity of
the ballot box in elections Of representatives,
to provide that the fabric of national govern
ment shall not be undermined by fraudulent
practices at the polls. Certainly this is good
and honest aim. Laws to prevent dishonesty
or to punish 1t are harmless and Ineffective
pieces OF paper II the dishonesty described in
them has no existence; but if that dishonesty
Is found to be serious and growing evil such
laws must be satisfactory to all lovers of fair
play, to the millions who are honest, and can
be oppressive only to the rogues.
But it is argued against the present law that
1t is an encroachment upon the rights of the
people, because to legisate TO this effect
transcends the power of Congress- This say
ing that Congress is constantly exercising
doubtful power is the poll parrot
utterance Of sore-headed opposition
that wastes itself in drivel One of the con-
stitution doctors Of that opposition prates thus
of the law:-'sThe bill which has passed both
houses Of Congress by strictly party
vote purports to have been passed under the
fifteenth amendment Of the constitution
There is, of course, no other authority that
ho 1od g. - -
in its original purity, and down to the time of
the alleged adoption of the fifteenth amend
ment, took no notice of the qualifications of
electors even for any federal office, excepting
to provide that in choosing Representatives in
Congress the same persons should have the
right to vote who have it under the laws of
the respective States in choosing the members
OF the most numerous branch of the State
Legislature. Now this is the ignorance of a
man who expounds constitution he never
read. There is no point clearer, and there
are few points SO clear in our constitutional
law, as that Congress has supreme and un-
qualified power, whenever it may choose to
assert it, over the whole subject Of the cleo
ton Of Representatives in Congress. That
power 1t asserts in this bill, and it distinctly,
specifically and expressly declares that it
asserts no more. II is even gratutous
assumption to treat this bill as ''purport-
ing to have been passed under the if
teenth amendment" since it does not
necessarily rest upon that part of the |
constitution. In the first article of the consti-
tuition, section four, are the following words -
'The times, places and manner of holding |
elections for Senators and Representatives shall !
be prescribed in each State by the Legislature |
thereof but the Congress may at any time by |
law make or alter such regulations, except as |
to the place of choosing Senator's" If this is |
not an authority how can authority be given? |
Here is only one limitation upon the power of /
Congress to sweep away every liue of State
law on the subject of the election of members
and to put in place of that law the will OF the |
nation as expressed through Congress. Any |
arrangements as to the election Of Congress-
men hitherto made in the States Congress may
modify, or it may completely substitute others
only it shall not legislate as to the place Of
choosing Senator'S. All, therefore, that is in |
this so-called fifteenth amendment bill is as !!
clearly within the authority of the national
under the constitution as it was"
as is the power to pass a naturalization law.
Not only, therefore, are the objectors to
the bill-the rogues who feel the halter
wrong in their constitu-
tional point, but they are pitfully maladroit
in the squirm they make to the effect that
if Congress thus asserts power over the elec- !
tion Of members the State may put all other !
elections on some other day. This poor dodge
might avail if Congress did not see ct there
upon to declare that members should be
chosen upon the day of the general State elec-
tion but it is clear acknowledgment of what
the repeaters fear. Congress puts the election
in the hands of United States marshals, and
empowers these officers to call upon the mass
of the people, or the militia, or the land and
naval forces Of the United States, to guarantee
a fair vote. If the election is overlooked by
soldiers, oficered by resolute men, who have
and can have no stake in the civil contest,
gang Of repeaters will not walk up to a poll
in this city and deposit votes by the handful in
defiance of the authorities, or with the assent
of the authorities. We will fairly get at the
real political complexion Of places like this
city-and upon the election of Congressman
we shall at least have point of comparison
to judge of other elections--even if enforced
honesty on one ticket shall not secure like
benefit on all the rest
ANOTHER FooLHARDY ADVENTURE. "A little
steamer, twenty-one feet long, called the City
of Ragusa, we are informed, was advertised to