The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-05-30

itScctf0n !. The right OF citizens OF l'e
Iaiied States toyote shall not be denied OF
abridged By the United States or by any
State on account OF race, color, OF previous
condition OF servitude.
"Section 2. The Congress shall nave
power to enforce this article bT approprl-
ate legislation"
| .titution (section 4, Article ~, Congress in
| 1868 PASSED d comprehensive law when
prescribed full! and detailed regulations Tor
| the election OF senators by the legislatures
| OF the several States. This law has been in
| force almost thirteen years. In pursuance
| of II all of the members OF the present SEN
ate of the United states hold their seats.
Its cons!itut.ona!lsy is not called in gues-
ton. It is confidently believed that no
sound argument can be made in support OF
| the constitutionality of
| NATIONAL REGULATION OF SENATORIAL ELEC-
TONS
| which will not show that'the elections OF
members OF the House OF Representatives
NAV also be constilutionally regulated by
the national authority. 1888.
| The bill before me itself recognizes the
principle that the congressional elections
are not State elections, but national ecc-
| tions. 1t leaves in full force the existing
statute under which supervisors are Stiil 20
be appointed By national authority 10 "oD-
serve and witness" the congressional eicc-
tons whenever due application IS maze ny
citizens who desire said elections TO De
"guarded and scrutinlzed." ii NE power
to supervise, in any respect Whatever tue
| congressional elections. exist under section
4. Article T., OF the Constitution, it is a
power which, like every other power De-
longing to the Government OF the United
states, is paramount and supreme, and IN
cIudes the right to employ the necessary
means 10 carry it into effect.
The statutes OF the United States which
regulate the election OF members OF Tue
House OF Representatives, all essential pa!I
of which it is proposed to repeai oy tlils
Hill. have been in force about eight years.
Four congressional elections have been held
nnder tEem-two OF which were at me
presidential elections OF 1872 and 1876.
Numerous prosecutions, trials, ana conf,c-
lions have been had in the courts OF ,he
United States in all parts OF the Union ioI
violations OF these laws. In no repoiteu
case has their constitutlonallty been caiiet!
in question by any Judge OF the courts cl
the Unified States. The validity OF theSc
laws is sustained by the uniform course OF
judicial action and opinion.
Ii it is urged that
| T1It rSlTED STATES ELECTION LAWS
ORC not necessary, an ample reply is fur
nisbad by the history OF their origin and OF
tbc,r results. They were especially prompt
nd hr the investigation and exposure OF The
frauds committed in the city and State nI
New York at the elections OF 1868. Com
mjttces representing both OF the lcadln"
political parties OF the country have sub
mittcd reports to the House OF Representa-
tiycs on the extent OF those frauds. y
committee Of the Forticth Congress, alter Il
full Investigation. reached the conclusion
that The number Of fraudulent votes CAST III
the city OF New York alone in 1858
yuu not lc>s than $4,000. \ com
mittec OF the Forly-fourh Congress. in
their report submitted in 1877, adopted the
oniniou that for every one hundred actual
voters of the city Of New York in 1868, los
votes were cast; when, in fact, the num-
her OF lawful votes cast could not have cX-
cccjcd IS per cent. OF the actnal voters OF
the CITY. By this statement the number
Of fraudulent votes at that election, III the
city OF New York alone, was between
thirty and forty thousand. These frauds
complCtcly reversed the result OF the cleo
ton in the State OF New York, both as to
the choice OF Governor and State officers,
and as TO the chocc Of electors OF Pre-
sidcpt and Eice-PrcSident OF the United
States. They attracted the attention OF the
whole country. II was plain that il they
could be continued and repcatcd with I'M
punity free government was Impossible. n
distinguished senator, IN opposing the pas
sage oil the election laws, declared that he
had "for long time believed that our
form of government was comparative
failure in the larger cities" TO meet these
evils and to prevent these crimes the United
States laws regulating congressional etec-
tons were enacted.
The trainers OF these laws have not been
disappointcd in their results. In the large
cities, under their provisions,
THE ELECTIONS HAVE BEEN COMPARATIVELY
| PEACEABLE,
orderly, and honest. Even the opponents
OF these laws have borne testimony to their
value and efficiency, ana to the necessity
for their enactment. The committee OF the
Forty-fourth Congress, composed OF men,
bers a majority OF whom were opposed to
these laws, in their report on the New York
election OF 1876, said
"The committee would commend to other
portions OF the country and TO other cities
| this remarkable system, developed through
| the agency OF both local and Federal autho-
rites acting in harmony for an honest pur-
pose. In no portion Of the world, and in
no era OF time, where there has been an
expression OF The popular will through The
forms of law, has there been more COM
Dlcte and thorough illustration in rcpubil-
can institutions. Whatever may have been
| the previous habit or conduct OF elections
of those cities, or howsoever they MAY con-
duct themselves in the future, this election
OF 1876 will stand As monument OF what
good faith. honest erdeavnr, lr@a! forms,
and Just authority may do for the protection
Of the electoral franchise"
This bill recognizes the authority and
DUTY OF THE UNITED STATES TO APPOINT
SUPERVISORS
to guard and scrutiniZe the congressional
| elections, but it denies to the Government
OF the United States all power to make its
supervision eilectuaI. The great body o!
the people OF all parties want free and fair
elections. They do not think that free
election means freedom from the whole
some restraints OF law, or that the place OF
| an election should be a sanctuary Tor law
| lessness and crime. On the day OF IN cleo
ton peace and good order are more ncceS-
sarv than on any other day OF The year.
| On that day the humblest and fcebest
citizens. the aged and the infirm. should
| he, and should have reason to feel
that they are, safe i'll the exercise
OF their most responsible duty, and
their most sacred right rs members
| ~ coo;rtv. tho;r drtv and their rirIt 70