The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-17

GERS into the execution Of the State laws,
upon the pretenoe that tho State laws are
not honestly OF efficiently administered,
and that IL lie necessary for the Federal
Government to step in and prevent the
fraudulent registration and fraudulent
voting which, 10 is said, the state authori-
ties do not prevent.
ANY one with half an eye and half an
ounce OF experience can see that with the
Federal Government In the hands OF po-
litical party determined TO control what
are called Federal elections In any partic-
ular state or number of States, the impo-
sition OF set of election officers Of Federal
appointment TO supervise the execution of
State statutes in respect TO registration and
voting, besides being useless waste Of
public money, Is the introduction OF dan
gerous and improper engine. II the States
cannot be trusted with the execution Of
their own suffrage laws In the choice OF
their Representatives In Congress, then let
Congress supersede the State regulations
and make regulations of its own.
The Republican Congress has never done
this; but, acting upon the false assump-
ton that the state laws are not honestly
executed, the Federal law undertakes to
supervise the execution Of the state laws,
and to punish by cumulative penalties
offences against the State laws, which the
state authorities are perfectly competent
to punish, and directly interested to pun
ish. This objection. that Congress has no
constitutional power thus to interfere
with the execution of State laws, is one
that we have never seen answered. When
we add to this Objectionable and unneces-
sary machinery in regard to the elections
OF Representatives in Congress, the facts
that electors of President are now to
be chosen on the same day with State
officers and at the same polls; that
member of the Federal Adminstra-
non, Cabinet officer, is now running
the party machinery for the election
of a certain candidate for President; aud
that the machinery of the Federal election
laws Is now avowedly to be applied to the
choice OF the Presidential electors, and
that, too, with the aid OF the army, we have
an abundant explanation of the mode and
purpose by and for which the Attorney
General Of the United States has been
made to instruct the Marshals that the
siton toward voters and voting when
Representatives in Congress and Presi-
dental electors are to be chosen.
Any one who turns TO the Constitution
OF the United States will find that the
States are TO appoint the Presidential
electors in such manner as their Legisla-
lures shall direct, ana that the United
States Government has nothing TO do with
the matter, excepting that Congress may
provide that the electors IN all OF the
States shall be chosen on the same day.
But now we have an Attorney-G General
who has been persuaded by his colleague,
ZACH CHANDLER, Chairman of the Repub-
lican National Campaign Committee. that
the United States Government has n great
deal to do with the voting for Pr sidentia
electors; and we have Secretary Of War
who has been persuaded to give the Hon.
ZACH CHANDLER the army TO execute this
which the United States have to do; and
we have n President who issues the neces-
sary orders. Moreover, we have in the
system of Federal laws which provide the
machinery for supervising and controlling
the elections OF members of Congress, n
convenient practical means for supery.lsUlg
tlal electors, although these laws in no way
relate TO the subject of choosing Presiden-
tial electors; and altogether, we have n
scheme that is very ingeniouslv devised
FOR carrying the Presidential election in
large number of the States in the interest
OF party, albeit there is neither constitu-
ton nor law for one iota Of it,.
How II will work, what will be its effect
on the liberties Of this country. what il
will lead to proxlmately or remotely, il
will be well for observing and thoughtful
people to note.