Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-05-30

method of legislation have not seemed
to Congress OF sufficient weight TO dis
| suade it from the renewed incorpora
! ton OF general enactments in the ap-
propriatiOn bills, and that his cOnstitu-
| tiOnsl duty in respect of the general
| legislation thus placed before him eau
| not be discharged without seeming
| delay. however tritflr, necessary tie
| appropriations by Congress for the sup
port of the Government. Ee then
! quotes the clauses repeating the Sec
| tions of the Revised Statutes in rela-
ton to Supervisors of Elections and
| Deputy MaTshala, and states
that the bill, if approved. would
repeal or amend the sections
of the act approved May 30 b, 1870
and the amendtDenI of F. bruary 28,h,
1871, entitled an tact 10 euforce the
rights Of citizens in the United State
to vote in the several States of the
UuiOD, and for other purposes ;" and
says the true meaning AID effect of the
proposed legislation are plain. SIpeT-
vlsnTs, with authority to observe and
- tUness the proceedings al CODgTes
siODal elections viii be kept, but
there will be no pS vei tn pro ecG them,
or TO prevent interference with their
dutiea, or to punish any violation of
law from which their powers are de-
rived. If this hIil is approved, only II
shadow Of the authority of the United
States at the National elections will
remain The substance will be gone.
The supervision at elrc, ions will re-
duced TO a mere inspection, Thou:
authority on the part of the Super.
visois 10 do any aC! whatever 10 m = b e
the election fair one Ali that will
be left II Supervisors Is permission TO
have such oversight of elt ctions a.
political parties are in the habit Of tx
ercising without any authority of law,
in order to prevent their opponents
from OBJ aining unfair advantages.
The object of lie bill is TO destroy any
control whatever by tbe United States
over Congressional elections. The
passage OF this bill has been Grged up
on the ground that the election Of
members OF Congress is a matter
which concerns the > ates alone; hat
these elections should be controlled
exclusively by the States; that there
can be no such elections as national
elections, and that the existing law of
the United States, regarding Congress
iOnsl elections, is without warrant in
the Constitution. He then quote
the Constitution to show that
the trainers Of that document regarded
the election of Members OF Congress
in every State as justly matter of
political intert st and concern 70
whole country, and refers TO the law
passed in 1865. which pre cribed full
and detailed regulations for the elec.
ton of Senators by the Legislatures of
the several States, and says this
law has been in force almost thirteen
years. Ia pursuance t0 il all of the
members of the present Senate of the
United STATES hold their seats. It's
cOnstitutionality was not called into
question. II is confidently believed
that no sound argument caa be made
in support OF the cOnsiitutionality of
OF 'he National regulation of Sena-
torial elections, which will not show
that the election of members of the |
House of Representatives may also be |
constitutionally regulated by National
authority.
The bill before me itselfTecognize the
principle that ngressional elections
are not State elections, but National !
elections. IL leaves iE full force the |
existing statute under which Super |
yisors are still to be appointed by |
National authority, to "observe and |
witness" Congressional elections t
whenever due application is made by |
citizens who desire said elections to be |
guarded add scru,inized." If the |
power to supervise, in any respect |
whatever, Congressional elections ex-
lists, under Section 4, Article l, of the |
it is the power which,
like every other power belonging to
the Government of the United States,
is paramount and supreme, and in
cludes the right te employ the neces-
sary means to carry it into effect.
He concludes: "phis bill! recos niZes !
the authority and duty of the United |
States to appoint Supervisors to guard |
and scrutinize Congressional elections,
but denies the Government of the Uui-
ted States all power TO make its super
vision effectual. The great body of
people of all partie- want free and fair
elections. They do not think that
free elections meaI freedom from
the wholesome restraints of law, or
that the place of election should be
sactuary for lawlessness and crime.
On the day of election, peace and good
order is more necessary than any other
lay of the year. On that day the
lumblest aud feeblest citizens, aged
md infrm, should be, and should
lave reason to feel, that they are safe
n the exercise of their most RESPONSE
lie duty and their most
acred right as members of
ociety, their duty is their
light TO vote. The Constitutional
to regulate Congressional
elections which belongs to the Gov
of the United States, and
which necessary exert to secure the
light to vote to every citizen possess
ng requisite qualifications, ought to
10 enforced by appropriate legislation.
80 far from public opinion In any part
# the country favoring any relaxa-
ion of the authority of the Govern
nent in the protection of the laws
rom violence and corruption, I believe
t demands greater vigor, both in the
nactment and in the execution of the
avs framed for that purpose Any
oppression, any partisan partiality,
which experience may have shown in
the existing laws may well
ngage the careful attention of both !
congress and Of the Executive in ;
heir respective spheres of duty for
be correction of these mlschiefs.
IS no Congressional elections occurs
ntil after the regular session of Con- {
ress will have been held, there seems ,
o be no public exigency that would !
'reclude the reasonable consideration !
t that session OF any administrative
etalls that might improve the meth :
ds designed for the protection of all ,
ltlzens In the complete and equal ex- c
rclse OF thelr right and power of suf- I
rage atsuch elections. But with my
iews, both of the conslitutionality
nd OF the value of the existing laws,