American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-05-10

dated ballot and to have his ballot justly
| counted. SO long as the exercise of this pow
submission to sSHrase VIM be sssorded 10y:
:as Wi r1e me sas sss
SS By fof
Of Congressional elections. Section 4 Of Hgff-
Gle .a of the constitution DECLARES n no,GIS s
eIectioHs for Senators and Representa-,
tives shall be prescribea IN each State BY
at any time. by law. make or alter such fe -
ss e the of 20
o9rstitutien is as follows:
sS4ssss sy tie Ss:ss p dsGss
State on account of race, color or prest6u
condition Of servitude.
to enforc e this article by appropriate legtsla-
The Supreme Court has held that this
stt,sndinig a3. invests citizens of the United
Witch Is Within tiis prosessae t5dyst Of Con,
he sssTsss 81 If fen ssc. ssS9oa Il
Of OF
pressls atHrmed Dy The Court
National legislation to provide safeguards
for free and honest elections fs f,ees-sary, as
the right to vote to the enfrsnchfsed race at
Sons m to
gress has. therefore exercised Tie tovetSoP:
ferred by the Constitution, and has enaetsd
account of race. color, or previous condition
OF servitude, and to punish fraud. violence
of the revised ssasugs Is sRs rssd ssases
sisSs witch 81 M
account OF race, color or previous condition
guarantee to all citizens equal opportunity
regarded BY, law as prerequisite or quaiiica-
90iiea nnd hs depu
ties e keet the teacs sila Ptss s order at
shall and his deputies. TO summon
or ,bs@ aarc,hIy they
execution of their duties under the law
and are prevented from executing their du-
for the punishment Of the ' crime Of fnserfei-
ing with the Supervisors of Election and the
duties at the elections of Representatives, in
Congress. These are some of the laws on
this subject which e is the duty Of the Execu-
THE INTENT ASf5 kffEGf
civil officers of the United States, under the
penalty of 1ine and Imprisonment, from en-
pose, az a place where their enforcement is
most necessary, namely. at the polls where
es are held =.
which have referred are those whifh PRO-:
tect the supervisors of Federal Elections I'll
the pending Legislation should become law
there Is no power vested in any of1icer of the
Of the Hnsd % tbe s
charge of theft duties, Their rights and du
ties under the law Will remaiii. But the Ma
force its Own statutes. The States may EN-.
ploy both the military and civl power to
State elections. Il is now proposed to deny
to the United States the necessary civil au-
has
ana ssa,1ss National \. authority; # xsIi
would unite in their amendment. Laws pro
mpafai ;ass sna s 81 shsy sSond
possible. be SO non partisan and fair in their
sh lust Sgs of
ably conduced to tie prevention OF fraud and
states, members OF di}ferei1t political parties
have applied for the safeguards which they
furnish. 1t is the right and duty of
THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
to enact and enforce laws which viii secure
laws nov in force should not be repealed ex-
cepr in connection with the enactment of q
measure which will better accomplish that
Believing that Section of the bill before
me will weaken, ii not altogether take away.
the power of the National Government to
protect Federal elections by civil authorities.
am forced to the conclusion It ought not to
That section is, however. not presented to
me as separate and independent measure.
but is. as has been stated. attached 70 the
bill making the usual annual appropriations.
son engaged in the civil service Of the Unit
Of any election prepared TO preserve order.
to make arrests, to keep the peace, or in any
foreign to the purpose Of any Army xppro-
The practice of lacking to the Army Appro-
MEASURES NOT PERTINENT
to such bills did not prevail until more than
tuition. It has become a common practice.
All parties when In power have adopted It,
ey have in this way crept into the sppropri-
ton bills. The public opinion of the country
adopted Constitutions have generally pro-
vided remedy for the evil by enacting that
no law shall contain more than one subject,
The Conscientious Of more than half of the
States contain substantially this provision
ways by a return to the early practice Of
Government and the true principle of legtsla.
ton, which requires that every measure shall
stand or fall according to its own merits
II 1t were understood that to attach TO an ap-
preparation measure irrelevant TO the gem
probably prevent its final passage and ap-
prevail, q valuable reform in the parliament
airy practice OF Congress would he accom-
The best justification that has been offered
for attaching irrelevant riders TO the appro-
priation bills is that it is done for convenience
sake, to facilitate the passage OF measures
v hich are deemed expedient ~ all branches
of the Government which participate in leg
IT CAN NOT BE CLAIMED
there is any such reason for attaching this
Rman6mank n Election ATmv
Appropriation bill; The history of the meas
ure contradicts this assumption. A ma
the last Congress was in favor Of attaching
such q. section to this BILL was
known that majority OF the senate was OPP
the Army Appropriation bill to compel the
nounced to the Senate that the Army Appro-
prtation bill would not be allowed to pass un-
less the proposed amendments OF the Election
fused to assent to the bill on account of this
Irrelevant section. Congress thereupon ad-
bin for the Army. and the present extra SEES
sion of the Forty sixth Congress became
necessary TO furnish means to carry on the
Government.
THE POSITION TAKEN BY THE HOUSE.
The ground upon which the action of the
been Distinctly stated by many of its advo-
Gates. A week before the close of the last
was stated by one Of its abiest defenders as
follows:
except upon an appropriation bill. The Re-
publican Senate would not agree to it. No
such repeal Whatever objection to legisla-
ton upon appropriation bills may be made
free elections and the liberty of the citizen
are concerned. We have power to vote mon.
ey. Let us annex conditions to it and insist
By another distinguished member of the