The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-03-03

recover from the surprise and Indignation
excited by one outrage before they are star
tied by another still more fragrant. The
proposed law, jivesting the State Courts of
all jurisdiction over the naturalization of
foreigners and comforting it exclusively on
the Federal tribunals, is odious enough. but
it is only the beginning of the end. On the
false and fraudulent assumption of the radi-
cal leaders. that the fifteenth amendment
has been formally and legally incorporated
into the Constitution bill is now pending
in Congress to enforce the provisions of that
most villainous of all legislative swindles,
which reads as follows:
IAN Act TO ENFORCE THE FIFrEENrH AMrxD
MINT TO THE CONSTITUTION.
Be it enacte by the Senate and House of Re-
presentatives of the United States Of Amer
ca, in Congress assembled:
Section ]. 1t shall be the duty of the Secre-
tary of the Interior to appoint or cause to be
appointed, three Commissioners for each elec
ton district of the several Congressional dis
tricts of the United States, to enforce the pro.
visions of the Fifteenth Amendment to the
| Constitution. The said Commissioners for
such purpose shall have the sole right to decide
on the qualifications OF all voters who shall
| offer TO vote for members of Congress or eiec-
| tors for President and Vice President. and ex-
elusive authority to receive the ballots cast at
anv such election.
Sec. q 1t shall be the duty of the Commits
sioners to certify the result of the election in
their districts respectively, duly sealed, to the
/ said Secretary of the Interior
Sec. 3. The Secretary of the Interior shall
! certify under his hand and seal the names of
the persons who appear to him bv the aforesaid
returns to be elected member of Congress OF
electors for President and Vice President. and
the persons tho shall receive such certificate
| of election shall hold the Office or exercise the
authority therein designated, subject 10 the
sixth section of this act.
Sec 4. IL 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 dI.ties.
and shall detail sufficient force of deputies to
! secure order at the elections herein provided
for; and in the event of the force of anv such
Marshal proving inadequate, the Marshal shall
have the right to call on the nearest command
ing officer of troops of the United States to
aid such Marshal to preserve order.
Sec. 5. 1t shall be the duty of the Secretary
of War to so station the troops of the United
States, Immediately preceding any election
herein provided for. at convenient points ada
cent to the principal polling places of the sew
cral Congressional districts. and in the prin-
ciDal cities q commanding force of such troOps
sHdil pe III IHe par.S OF OlneT SUIT
allie places of such cities, at and preceding any
election as af.n esaid.
Sec. d. a II questions in regard to the regu
larity and fairness of the election of members
Of Congress shall be referred nv the Secretary
of The Interior to the House of Representa-
tiyes. who shall have exclusive jurisdiction
thereof; and in ike manner all questions
lating to the election for President and Vice
President shall lie referred to the President,
who shall appoint committee of not less than
three suitable persons to examine and decide
all such questions, and those decision shall be
final ard conclusive.
Sec 7. This subject shall go into effect when
Congress shall, by resolution, declare that
three fourths of the Stltes have ratified the
proposed Fifteenth Amendment, and have de-
creed that the Constitution is amended accord
ingly."
Atrocious as have been all the acts of
Congress on the subject of the reconstruction
of the Southern States. they pale their inef-
fectual fires when compared with this on
ward stride towards imperial power. We
submit to any honest Republican whether.
iE the event of the passage of this bill. the
very nature and essence of our much boast
ed form Of government will not have been
completely undermined and destroyed 1t
sounds more like the edict OF an imperial and
absolute despot than the calm and deliber-
ate action of an American Congress. 1t is
the last and fatal stop towards govern
ment of the bdyonet, inste ad of government
Simply to enable the negroes Of the North to
deposit their votes. The power proposed to
be conferred on the Secretary of the Interior
is fearful to contemplate, ard sounds the
death knel of all free elections It wipes
out our own election laws from the statute
book AID substitutes in their stead the abso-
lutte and uncontrolled power of member of
the Cabinet. 1t would be the brcadest kind
of farce for our election officers to meet at
all, since the Commissioners who are to lie
appointed for each election district "shall
have the sole right to decide on the quali6-
cation of all voters who shall offer to vote
for members or electors for President and
Vice President. and the ercluSire authority to
receive the ballot cast at any such election. !"
Here would result direct conflict between
these tools of the Secretary Of the Interior
and our own election officers in every cleo
ton district in the State. Three United
States Commissioners at each election board,
experimenting and controlling it. with the
troops of the United Statss' stationed at
convenient points adjacent to the principal
polling places of the several Congressional
Districts" and in the principal cities "a
CT mmsnding force of such troops. encamped
in the parks" would be pleasant sight to
| afa .
der this law. it would require about sir
thousand Commissioners to run this Radical
machine in Pennsylvania. and twice tfat
plumber Of troops. Will the people never
awaken to q realizing sense of the Infamous
character of these wild and reckless schemes
OF the party in power. or are they prepared
tainely and cuwardly ts submit to such gross