, 1879-03-12
NATIONAL ELECTION LAWS.

LGttgF from John i. IthFGnnnrt-A EtCtt
Itpfutatton or 'Itecont ClnnrEes that thu
t.aw for I:!octlon suporvlkors WIS Not
MI Intiupnntlpnt atatutc--ProofA from, tito
Cangrcaslnnn1 Record.
~ !as Editor af Ms New 3"rk Tribune.
NEW YonK. March OIL nottea that lit tho re-
ceiit .sebatcs In Congress upon the proposition
to repeal thu National Election laws some Of
lhc Democratic; members Claimed that those
laws wcrc enacted as rulers to au Appropriation
btlj, wherefore it waa argued that thu
minority In ,lhc House wcro justified
III their attempt to strike them
fron the statutc.book BY like adtlcndum to
similar bttl. Since tho Adjournment of Con-
gscss, this cIam,llas been reiterated BY prott'-
inent public mc,i'and influential Journals, With
u,,1, 81 lar as iMy observation has extended
being denied. During llle past week the Nuw
York Sun has twleu repeated the charge with
greut oxpeitnuss. On March It said: "Thfs
ssatcm tof Federal Election Supervisory waa
no. crcatcl through tho enactment Of au inile-
pendent statutc."tIlIc 1ucation of its cstabli4h-
rit wus t,eyrr tEoadiy llscusscti md fairly de-
,tcrnncd by Cungress." Un March It oh
served; "lhc syatcm Of Federal Supervisors
was i.nposct! upnsl tho country 81 r!ler to All
Appropriation llll IN 1s7s; It Is Hitting ttsut 1t
siu,h te abolished by a rider to M Approprla~
AQU DHl III
''Wllcrc Ignorance ts tlss,n II Is aal1 to ho
"folEy tu be wiac," hut respectfully submit
tint, In y1cw Ut the faets, pucli statements arc
neither tair nor hunost; a,Ml such tgnorance Is
90 clparly wlthouE oxcusc as TO render tho leg
tsIatoss a,d Journals who n,ako the charge open
to tie Suspicion ot c1ldcayorlng to mIs1cad that
pubtv whom they represent or for WHOM they
Claim to ''slllnc,'r
ll3c first National Election law was bill ot
twentv.tlirce spet!uns, entitled "An ACT to Gil
toreu the rights 0t ci1KrnB Of tue United Satcs
tu yotu III tAe suVcral States Of the Unlou, alitl
for othcr purposes" II was approved May 81,
Laws at tue bccoII Session Vt tle Forty.fr+t
Congress. tseo pago 1io, Vol. III, United statss
Statutes at l.arEr.}
rgaALTtEs ron lLLEaAb yor,sa.
This net nude Illegal registration Or voting at
ctecti0.ls at which numbers VI Congress were
ct!o5ch nntiunal piIcnsg, AiiA was III thu Man
pcnal statuto. II was followed, dix weeks
| later, by IN act !of seyan scGt!uns, entitled
IAN act tu lnlcnd thu Naturalization lpws uni
TO puusll e1llncs agu!nst the sumo, n!lA for
knonn Us Chap. I'll d tHe l.aS. oi S' tiiS san'o @
session. (see Vagc :.5l, Vol. III, United Htntes
Ssatutrs u Large.) Sees. au.l Of lh!e ait
oskas 1Y; Tbs eotnm,sn,t +, Of sans5ysHrs
over auoN !nhabltsuts; anl at Tho election ii
| 1877 such officers Wcre appointed anI scrycd,
aul tbs two statutes I have referred to
,lat sec.. 3 "of the later act, which
rsuyLdrd for thd appointment Of Supcr.
ysors, aild which, With Sec, q, had becn Adtel
TO tho bill willis uuon its passage tn tip 6uuatr.
was cruds, !nronKruols, aud tlefact1Ye IN Its pro-
yis!oas, IN t!at Il oily conferred upon the supu''
vlsors use right so bo present AZ thu POLLS aa
wttucssea or .wattters,," Grave doubts Of IT.
ronst!tutloHality also Rrase, ~ under it, Provis
!oua thu 6uncrvtsQrs weru to bs appointed b,
the United Statea Circuit Judge In each Circuit
Sec. J, Art. 2, u tho National Constitution lc
elares that all officers whusa appointments ars
shall b. Malle by ti,a President, by mud with til.
auyjvp nuu cunsent Ut thu 6rnulr; "lut thi