Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-13
The Republican Caucus.

/ House was held last night at which sixtv-
/ six were present The bill known As the
| force bill regulating elections i'm the
I states, which was reported to the clucuS
/ held Thursday night, was further discussed.
THE BILL.
! The following are the provisions of the bill
/ as presented. 1t iS entitled bill TO protect
! electors and TO prevent fraud at elections:
! Sec. l. That if two or more persons within
| the jurisdiction of the United States or Ofaly
| OF the states of the Union shall fOrcibiy over
| throw state government, or any Of the con
| StituteJ authorities of the same, or interfere
| IL any forcib or unlawful manner with the
| due execution of the laws of state, or OF the
! United States, or cOnSpiTe for such purposes
| WIN the intent 70 commit crime, the person
| 50 Oiiending shall be edeemed guilty of felony
! and punished with fine not exceeding ten
/ thousand dollars and Imprisonment At hard
| labor not exceeding ten years.
| sec. >. If two or more persons shall cOGSpire
| 10 usuTp by force any such government or
| any department thereof or shall attempt 10
| Subyert or uSuTp such state government. or
| shall actually overthrow the government Of
| any state, such person, upon conviction.
shall be deemed guilty OF crime and fined
/ not less than five thousand dollars and I'M
| priSOned not exceeding two years.
| Sec. ;. No citizen of the United States on
| titled to vote at an election for Representa-
| i've in Congress, under the constitution OF
| the United States. OF under the fundamental
| conditions prescribed in any OF the acts Of
| Congress admitting any of the states lately
| IN rebellion, shall be deprived Of such right
| 10 vote by any action OF such states. whether
| by act of the legislature OF amendments to
| the several state constitutions. Ii any officer
| charged with conducting such election shall
| refuse At any election for Congress to receive
| the vote Of any such citizen in consequence
| OF any such action, he shall be guilty Of a
| miSdcmeanOr, and upon conviction be fined
from five hundred 70 one thousand dollars,
| and Imprisonment not exceeding one year.
| See l. Any person using firearms or other
/ deadly weapons against any persons ri any
| place Oh the day of cgiStratiOuS for the Con
| gresSiOnal elections for the purpose OF in
| WIN
| Such election IS IN progress, and who shall
| 10 the same before any election. shall be
| guilty OF crime: penalty fiyc hundred to two
| thousand dollars; impriSonment not exceed
| ing three years {TOy|iad, That il any per
| sons shall carry concealed firearms or other
! deadly weapons ~ such elections or place OF
| registration, this shall be taken rs pre~unu-
| tive evidence of the intent to iutimiIuta
| under this act.
Sec. ;. ANY registration officer or s,rper-
| visor APPOINTED under the laws Of any state
| who shall refuse TO permit citizens 10 vote or
| to register, or to allow them sufficient Op-
| perfumes to register or to obtain proper in
| formation, shall also be deemed guilty of a
| crime penalty 500 10 ~ 900; imprisonment
| six months to two years.
| Section six relates to ballOt-boXeS, poll
! lists and other papers connected with cleo
/ tiOnS. 1t declares the abduction or mUtila-
| ton OF any OF Il ese papers a crime, punish
| ablc by nne of five hundred TO three thou
years.
| Sec. :. II any person shah be killed while
| acting under this law. such killing shall be
| murder punishable with the death penalty.
| Section eight cOnferS civil and criminal
| jurisdiction under this act Oh the United
States.
Section nine provides for the appointment
| OF general supervisors of elections I'm all Con
| greSsiOnal districts. i'll the same manner as is
| now provided, in any town from ten to
| twenty thousand inhabitants. The super
| VIsorS may be appointed from anypart of the
| judges of the United States circuit courts
| ihlTty days before registration. There is TO
| be chief supervisor in every district.
| Section tea provides for the extension OF
| the existing law as 10 deputy United States
| marShalS, so that marshais may be appDiatCi
| In every county and parish in every Congress
| SioEal district.
| Section eleven preScribes the duties Of the
officers III charge OI the boxes on the day Of
| election; makes il their duty to count the
| votes before leaving the ballot boxes. III the
| presence of the supervisors OF election or dep
! uty marshal, and to Immediately Seni
| certified copy OF the returns to the chief ,tl-
| PeTViSOr OF the district ami 10 the clerk OF
| the National House OF Representatives
| section Twelve provides that no ON II
| acting under thls act snail receive cOmDel-
| Sauon, and that the ballot boxes, papers. *,
! shall be retained by the custodian until the
| close Of the first session Of the COngI sSs u
| which they relate; also prpscribeS means
| whereby contestants in Congress may obtain
| certified copies Of the ballot.
| Section fourteen provides that whenever
| any such unlawful combinations, as defined
| Ih the revised statutes and under this act,
| shall be organized or attempted. and so
| numerous and powerful as 10 be able, by vio-
| lence, TO set at defiance and OVerturn any
| state authorities. in all such cases such com
| bIhatlOuS shall be dccmesta q rebel lion against
| the United States. and during the cOntinu-
| ance OF such rebellion within the limits
| which shall be prescribed by the prOclama-
| tIOn of the President Of the United States.
/ u may be lawful for the President Of the
| United States, in his discretion, to suspend
| the privileges of the writ OF habeaS corpus:
| and it is provided also that all the provi-
| siOnS OF The section OF the act of March g.
1 81 In rtsral
! revived in full powers.
| THE THIRD SECTION STRUCK OUT.
The first serious objection winch was inter
t posed by the moderate republicans was TO
| the third section. II was intended that the
| effect OF the section should be to prohibft the
| southern states from increasing the per cap
| ita poll tax to a sum greater than was eStab-
! nShed by the several legislatures al the time
! they were Severally admitted into the Union
| under The reconstruction acts. This was held
| TO be unconstitutional. and in conflict with
| section ?, article !, of the constitution, which
| preSc.1bCS that the electors in each state
| shall have the qualifications requisite for
| electors of the most numerous branch OF the
! state legislature. Those advocating the
! adoption OF the section were reminded also
! that many Of the New England states have
! variable poll tax. After extended discus
sion, although there was clearly majority
/ in its favor. this section was eliminated from
| the bill The remaining sections evoked no
| considerable debate, until the final one with
| reference TO the
CORPUS
| was reached. This gave rise 10 discussion.
| which was inauguTated by Gov. HaWley. oil
! Connecticut. He argued that the several
| governments of the southern states were i'm
| perfect, but that the best way 10 remedy that
| was 10 let them alone to fight among Them
! selves for few years and things wOuld right
themselves.
Mr.. Tremain made 4 few general remarks
| in favor OF the measure. He said that il was
not the republican party. but the Union
which was i'm danger, and that should be pro-
! tected at all hazards. He further said that
all the apprehension about adopting such
proper measures was in the hearts of timd
| congressman, but that the people of the cOun-
| try would sustain such measures as they had
the recent rule which the majority had found
necessary to pass TO protect themselves.
MR.. HALE, OF MAINE,
said that he believed all the reports about The
outrages which existed in the south. In fact,
III his opinion, not one-tenth OF them had
been told. In his opinion the proper remedy
10 oegln with was the resolution introduced
| by himself for new election in the state of
Louisiana, proposition which. If adopted
| he would have sustained If necessary bV the
entire lorce OF the United States army The
House had, however, allowed the golden on