Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-03-01


attend and to challenge any .pcrsol
offering 10 register" How far this |
calculated TO enforce the right of citi
zcns Of the United States 10 vote, hov
far il goes TO sustain the truthfulnes
OF the titlc, ] leave for the presen. I,
tho candid mind to Judge The bill
further require these tools Of part,
and of the federal powcrt TO attond a
all times and places whore the name
Of re 6tered voters may be market
for -. -lenge, and upon any occasion
ann bay time when so in attendanc,
To- onalIy inspect and scrutiniz,
srhARicgistry and this without re
| cd and TO tho exclusion of th,
of nv Of the State in charge. BY
| tlsif ssSa Doction of the bill these super
VI dicaarc "required" TO attend at al
tisd, places for holding election,
lof Representatives, in Congress, and
for counting the votes cast, "to chal
lenge any vote offered" TO remain
with the ballot-box till the last vote is
counted, and to themselves count and
canvass each and every ballot what.
ever may be tho Endorsement on said
ballot or in Hwhatever box it may be
found" And these supervisors arc
authorized and required to mako and
attach to the returns any statement
touching the truth or accuracy of the
registry or the truth or fairness of the
election, any law of any State not.
withstanding. The sixth section pro.
vides that these supervisors shall, on
the day or days when registered voters
may &c marked for challenge, and on
the day or days Of election, take, oc-
cupy, and remain in such position or
positions before or behind the ballot
boxes as their Judgement may dictate
And when the polls shall be closed
they are required TO place themselves
in such position with reference 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 exclusion of the
Slate officers appointed to do the
work. Mr.. Speaker, / might stop
here. ] have shown by the mere
statement Of these provisions of this
bill that the title ia an untruth. In
view Of these provisions alone no sane
man can believe this is bill "to en-
force the right ofcitizens Of theU nited
States TO vote" IL must be seen that
il is a bill 10 prevent, hinder and de-
lay citizens 10 voting. Ii provides a
system TO drive citizens from the polls,
and to disgust all honest men with
our elections. But the worst of II is
yet to be considered. And first let
me remark that this new and cum
bersome machinery is not confined, as
some have supposed, TO cities having
upward of twenty thousand inhab-
ilants. Tho bill is drawn, | appre-
hcnd, 10 suggest this view, and to d.
vert attention from its true intent and
meaning. The language of the bill is:
"tnat whenever, in any city or town
having upward Of twenty thousand
inhabitants" etc. The word 'rown"
must be taken in its popular sense,
and will be construed in this bill as
synonymous with townships. II will
extend TO any rural town or township,
and every town having a population
Of 10000 will be covered by this pro-
vision. These officers then can be APP
pointed in the great majority of the
election precincts ofthe United States.
They will swarm over and throughout
the length and breadth of the land,
ard their name will be legion. They
will be an electioneering force such as
was never before organized in any
country on earth such as no free
country can or ever ought 10 tolerate.
But two of these partisan agents in
each election district in cities and
towns having upwards of twenty
thousand Inhabitants are only a small
number of these creatures of the fed.
eral power authorized by this bill, as
we shall see when we have looked il
through, when we shall consider the
other appointments by the United
States marshals which will he made
and 10 which there is no limitation.
! said the worst is vet TO come. By
the eighth section the marshal of the.
United States is empowered, and it is
made his duty, on application of two
citizens of any such city or town, to
appoint especial deputies . whose duty
il shall be to attend at all times aud
places specified for the attendance Of
their duties. They are TO prevent
fraudulent registration and fraudulent
voting, or fraudulent conduct on the
part Of any officer of election, and i'm
mediately, either at said registration
or polling place or elsewhere, and
either before or after registration or
voting, TO arrest and take into custo-
dy, with or without process, any per
son who shall commit, or attempt, or
offer to commit any of the acts pro
hibited by this act or the act hereby
amended, or who shall commit any Of.
fence against the laws Of the United
States. The power TO arrest is also
cOnlcTTcu aupoila Nne tupcfN'ooiS' . Ah
addition to all this the tenth section
provides "that whoever, with OF with
out any authority, power, or process
of any State, territorial or municipal
authority" shall in any wise "inier
fcre with or prevent the supervisors
of elections, or either of them, or the
marshal or bis general or special depu.
tics, or either Of them," 10 any way
required of them, nor shall molest, in
tericre with, remove or eject from any
such place Of registration or poll Of
election" "any supervisor of election,
the marshal, or his general or special
deputies" or attempt 10 offer so to do,
or shall refuse or neglect 10 aid and
assist, any supervisor Of elections or
the marshal or any Of his deputies
when required, shall be guilty Of a
misdemcanor and liable TO instant ar
rest. with or without process, and on
conviction thereof shall be punished
by Imprisonment not less than one
year nor moro than two years, or 10y
iine not less lhnn 81 900 or more than