Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-06-05

ons exists uhdef Section 4, Article Of the
constitution, it ID a power which like every
Their power belonging to the government |
f the United States is paramount and !
upreme, and includes the right to employ |
he necessary means to carry it into effect.
he statutes of the United States which
egulate the election of members of
art of which it is proposed to repeal by !
his bill, have been in force about eight
ears. -Four congressional elections have
zen held under them, two of which were at
he presidential elections of 1872 and 1876.
numerous prosecutions, trials and
convictions have been held in the
ourts of the United States In all
,arts Of the Union for violation
# these laws. In no reported case has theft
onstitutionality been called into Question
" any Judge of the courts of United States.
The validity of these laws is sustained by
he the Uniform course of Judicial action
md opinion. =.
If it is urged that the United States cleo:
ion laws are not necessary, an ample reply
8 furnished by the history of their origin
md of their results. They were especially
by the Investigation and exposure
IF frauds committed in the city and
state of New York at the elections
IF 1868. Committees representing both of
The leading political parties of the country
have submitted reports to the house of rep
in extenso, of those frauds. A
committee of the fortieth congress, after q
full investigation, reached the conclusion
that the number of fraudulent votes
cast in the city of New York
in 1868 was not less than $4,000.
A committee of the forty.feurth congress
in their report submitted in 1877 adopted
fh0 nYIr nj hot fNN nm hnn M PaH
actual voters of the city of New York in
1853, 10S votes were cast, when in fact the
number of lawful votes cast could not have
exceeded 50 per cent. of the actual voters
ae the numb CITY, ra tn; 2cte
at that election in the city of New York
alone was between thirty thousand an d forty
These frauds completely re-
versed the result of the election in the
state of New York, both as to the
sheise ,n Of % 5e c 5nd state e e
tors of president and vice.president
of the United States. They attracted the
attention Of the whole country. It was
plain that if they could be continued and
with lmpunity, free government
was impossible. A distinguished senator
in opposing the passage of the election laws
declared that he had for long time
believed that our form of government was a
failure in the larger cities. To
meet these evils and to prevent these
crimes, the United States laws regulating
congressional elections were enacted.
The trainers of these laws have not been
disappointed 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, and to the necessity for
their enactment. A committee of the
44th congress, composed of members, ma
jority 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 devel-
ope d through the agency of both local and
Federal authorities, acting in harmony for
an honest purpose. In no portion
of the world, and in no era
of time, where there has been
the forms of law, has there been more
complete and thorough illustration of Re.
publican institutions. Whatever may have
been the previous habit or conduct of cleo
tons in those cities, or however they may
conduct themselves in the future, this cleo.
ton of 1876 will stand as a monument OF
what good faith, honest endeavor or legal
forms, aud just authority may do for the
protection of the electoral franchise"
This bill recognizes authority and duty OF
the United States to appoint supervisors to
guard and scrutinize congressional cleo
tons, but it denies to the government oil
the United States all power to make its
SUPERVISION ef1ectual. TIE great body OF
the people of all parties want free and fail
election. They do not think that a free cleo
ton means freedom from wholesome
restraints of law, or that the place of an
election should be sanctuary for lawless
ness and crime. On the day of an election
peace and good order are more necessary
than on any other day of the year. On thai
day the humblest and feeblest citizens, aged
and in1irm, should bc, anu should have rea
son to feel that they are, safe in the exercis,
of their most responsible duty and thei
most sacred right as members of society,"
their duty and their right to vote.
The constitutional authority to regulate
congressional elections which belongs t.
the government of the United States ant
which it is necessary to exert to secure thu
right to vote to every citizen possessing th'
forced by appropriate LEGISLATION. So fa
from public opinion in any part of tn,
country favoring any relaxation of til,
authority of the government in the protec
ton of election from violence and corrup
ton, believe it demands greater rigor boil
in the enactment and in the exaction of til,
laws framed for that purpose. Any oppres
sion, any partisan partially which expe
rience may have shown in the working o
existing laws may we'll engage tn
careful attention both of congress
and of the executive in thei
respective spheres of duty fer the cor
rection of these m 1schiefs. As No, congress
sional elections occur untila after the regula
there seems to be no public exigency tha
would preclude a seasonable consideration
ut that session of any administrative
details that might improve tn
present methods, designed for tn,
protection OF all citizens in the complet,
and equal exercise of the right and powe
of suffrage at such elections. But with M
views both of the constitutionality and tn
value of existing laws I cannot approve
any measure for their repeal ex
cept in connection with the en-
actment of other legislation which
may reasonably be expected to afford wise
and more efficient safeguards for free an.
honest congressional elections.
NolSneu) hUIdEhf OhO d. IA ESs
EXECUTIVE MANSION, May Goth, 1879.
The house refused to pass the legisla
tive appropriation bill over the presi
dents veto, yeas 1l3, nays 81, not tn
necessary two thirds in the affirmative
The message was referred to the judi
ciary committee.
TIE MARKETS.
Renorted hY CHANDLER, BROWN 4 Co.. Commission