Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-07-19
DEMOCRATIC eRsA 1kLoT-sox

We have before referred to the fact
that the Democracy of the House
We're proceeding in revolutionary
manner to repeal certain laws which
Congress had enacted for the purity
of elections. The Democracy OF the
House knowing that the Republican
Senate would not repeal these laws,
if, as was only proper, the repeating
act stood alone, they tackled it on to
the miscellaneous appropriation bill,
thus saying to the Senate, we will
force you to come to our terms OF
block the wheels of government fol
want of funds. The Hon. George w.
McCrary, of Iowa, made a speech in
the House, showing the infamous
character of such legislation. We
quote from his speech as follows:
at is easy to see that legislation
may be destructive of the interests OF
the people and in the interest of in
justice and wrong, and may still
retrench expenses. Since good gov
eminent costs money, it is evident
that by sacrificing good government
in any given direction you may keep
money in the treasury which would
otherwise go out. And the operation
of this new rule has been such as tc
clearly prove that it is capable Of
great mischief, entirely aside from
the salary question. Some or The mat.
ters now in dispute between the two
houses will illustrate this. For ex-
ample, the House has, against the
united protest of. this side, engrafted
upon the sundry civil appropriation
bill the following proviso:
"ProDided, That all of the proyis-
ions of title 26 of the revised statutes
of the United States in relation to the
registration of all voters and the APP
pointment OF supervisors of elections.
and deputy and special deputy mar
shals. and touching the supervision
of elections, are hereby repealed"
Sir, what is this statute which this
House would repeal on the eve of a
presidential election? 1t is no more
nor less than simple, fair, and just
provision for the appointment upon
the petition of citizens in any city of
over 10000 inhabitants, of two super
visors, ''who shall be of different po-
litical parties" and residents and
voters of the precinct where they
serve These supervisors are author
lied to be present and scrutinize the
nrnnnnHl.tnc al nlnntsar,
tration, and to make a record thereof.
They are simply witnesses who have
right to see what is going on, and
who will be likely to know of the
preparation of any frauds. The law
is framed upon the theory that crimes
are not so apt to perpetrated in the
presence of witnesses. These SUPER
visors have no power to interfere
with the elections or to order or d.
rect anything. To prevent partially
they are taken from both parties, and
to secure perfect fairness in their Sc
lection, their appointment is given to
the United States Circuit Court. If
impartiality can be found anywhere
it will be found in the federal Judi
ciary. The law also provides for the
in such cities of deputy
to aid and assist the super
visors and to keep the peace and
preserve order. All these provisions
apply solely to elections at which
members of Congress or presidential
electors are to be chosen. Why should
this law be repealed? Why should
a provision for its repeal be thrust
into an appropriation bill and threat
held out that unless the Senate and
the President will consent to the
repeal, the wheels Of government
will be stopped? Is there any city
in the Union containing over 10000
in which the majority of
this House object to having the cleo
ton scrutinized by one Republican
and one Democratic supervisor of
elections, TO be appointed by circuit
Judge! Is the repeal intended to
make fraudulent voting and ballot
box stuffing easy and safe in any
great city, and thereby to make DEM
ocratic success more probable And
will the House ask Republican Sem
ate to consent to this as the only terms
upon which the House will pass the
appropriation bill at all?