The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1871-04-01
The Baycuet Election Law.
GRANTS GAME FOX EE-E! tfTIoN.
Speech Of Mr.. EldrMye. IN The i!""se ~
Repre> >entutirts, February l5h, 1871.
[Cuntinucd from last week I

ICptcSeNuHFt", Itbfu0ty ioW, lC|i.
(Cuntinucd from last week.l
Let it be observed "rcquired to at
tend and to challenge any person Offer
ing to re gister'' How far this is calcu-
laied to enforce the right Of citizens of
the Uuited States to vote, how far it goes
to sustain the truthfulncss Of the title, |
leave for the present to the candid mind
to Judge. The bill further rcQui cs these
tools of party and of the Federal power
to attend at ull times and places where
the nam ia Of registered voters may be
marked for challenge, and 7, non any
occasion and at anytime when 50 in at
tendance to personally inspect and scru
liuize such registry; aud this, without
regard to and to the exclusion oi tie
officers Of the State in charge by the
fifth section of the bill these supervisors
are req quired" TO attend at all times
I'D p'ar rs for holding elections for re-
~rltatives in Congress, and for count
ing the votes cast, Ito challenge an!
vote offe ered,' to remain with tlie ballot
box till The last vote is counted, and to
themselves count and canvass each and
every ballot whatever may lie the en-
dorsemen ut on said ballot or in ''Wiatever
box it may be found" And these su
pervisnrs are authorized and required to
make and attach to the return any
statement touching the truth or accuracy
OF the re ,istry or the truth or ia tirncss OF
the election, any law Of any State not
wulstan disg. The sixth section pro
vides tha these supervisors shal on the
day or days Of registration, Oh the day
or days which registered voters may be
marked for challenge, and on lie day or
days of election, take, occupy, aud re-
main in such position or POSITIONS before
or behind the ballot boxes AS their judg-
ment MAY dictate. And when the polls
shaii 5e closed they are required to place
themselves in such position with refer
ence to the ballot-boxes as they may
choose for the purpose of canvassing the
votes. All these things may be done
without regard for and to the g xcluslon
of the State officers appointed to do the
work. MIR. Speaker, might stop here.
| have shown By the mere statelaen' OF
these PROVISIONS Of this bill that the title
is an untruth. In view OF these pr"Ils-
ions alone no sane man can believe this
is a bill ITO enforce the right of cltizrus
of the United States to vote.' 1t must
he seen that it is bill to prevent, hinder,
and della citizens i'll voting. 1t pro-
vides q system to drive citizens from the
polls, aud to disgust all honest men with
our elections. But the worst of it is yet
to be considered And first let me re-
mark that this new and cumbers ONE ma
cliuery is not confined, as. so me have
supposed, to cities having upward of
twenty thousand inhabitants. The bill
is drawn, apprehend. to suggest this
view, and divert to attention from Its
true inte Mt and meaning, The ,nsnage
of the bill is: "that whenever, III any
city or town having upward of twenty
thousand inhabitants,' sc. The word
"town" must be taken in it's popular
sense, and will he construed in this bill
as synonymous with township. 1t VIII
extend to any rural town or township,
and every town having . population OF
10000 will be copvered by this provision.
These officers then can be appointed in
the great majority of the clec ion pre-
cincts of the United States. They will
warm ov er and throughout the length
and breadth of the land, and the ir name
will be le egon. They will be !; cleo
tioneering force such as was nevd dr before
organized in any country on earth such
as no free country can or ever ought t"
tolerate. But two of these partisan
agents in each election district II cities
and towns having upwards OF twenty
thourand inhabitants are only small
number of these creatures OF the Fedtra!
power aut thorized 10y this bill, as we shall
see when we have locked it through
when we shall consider the other APP
pointments by the United States mar
ehals which will be made and to Which
there is 10 Limitation. / said the worst
is yet to come. By tine eight section
the marshal of the United States Is en-
powered, and it is made his DUTY on
application of two citizens OF amy suc''
city or to wn, to appoint Especial drpu-
ties" whose duty it shall be to attend
at all the times and places spec fled for
the attendance of the supervisors. 1tc
pretence of their appointments is to
preserve order, keep the peace, and sup
port and protect the supervisors in the
discharge of their duties. IheF are TO
prevent fraudulent registration and
fraudulent voting, or fraudulent conduct
on the par of any officer of electlnn'
and imm ediately, either at sail regis
tration or polling place or eisfw''tre'
and either befure or. after registering or
voting, to arrest and take into e ustody'
with or W itllout process, amy pcrs on VINO
shall coul init, or attempt, or offer t"
commit any of the acts prohibited oy