Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-03
DEMOCRATIC POLICY.

Riders to Appropriation Bus.
Washington Special, Nov. 30.l
From all that can be gathered it is pretty
clear that the old question of repeating the
election laws will come up during the COM
ing session, but not in an obnoxious way.
None of the Bourbons now dream of attach
ing the provision to appropriation bills.
Among the interviews had by a Times
representative with Democratic Con-
gressmen on this subject, is one
with Mr.. William M. Springer, of
Illinois. While he talks the same as many
of his Democratic brethren, he is taken as
authority and made responsible because he
was member of the high joint starring
committee who prepared the legislation
which was adopted from time to time by
the Joint Democratic caucus. He but reflects
the views of others. He says:
cat the beginning of the extra session I
advocated in the first caucus that was held
the passage of political legislation in refer
ence to the election laws and the use of the
army at the polls, separate from appropria-
ton bills. was then of the opinion that
the lacking of such measures on the appro-
priation bills would unnecessarily alarm the
country and give the Republicans an oppor-
tunity which they sought to stir up sectional
animosity. At that time was in a minori-
ty."
And yet Mr.. Springer voted for the ap-
preparation bills with this extraneous politi-
cal legislation on them. He continued:
II am still of the opinion that whatever
legislation ia effected at this session should
be passed apart from appropriation bills. I
believe that this will be the policy adopted.
We do not hope to secure repeal of the
election laws, or even q modification of
the obnoxious features of them.
The Presidents position is we'll known.
It is needless to resist the inevitable.
The part of wisdom would seem to be to so
modify the election laws as to provide that
the deputy marshals of elections to be ap-
pointed hereafter should be appointed one
half from each of the two leading political
parties, in the same manner al supervisors
of elections are appointed. Two at each
polling-place must belong to different politi-
cal parties. Let the same provision be applied
to deputy marshals, and repeal, if possible,
the law authorizing arrests without warrant,
which is violative Of the spirit of our insti-
tutions, and then let the
matter rest. I believe the President
will approve bill virtually securing these
amendments to the election laws. With
such modification of the law have no fears
of the influence Of the marshals and super
visors in the future elections. Though their
appointment be wrong in principle, yet in
practice they will be equally divided between
the two political parties, and no serious in
jury will result from these appointments.
I advocated these propositions at the last
special session, but at that time our friends
demanded more, and would not be satisfied
with such mild notifications of the law.
AS to the use of troops at the POLLS should
favor the enactment of the amendment to
section 6 of the present law, passed at the
extra session, which provided that no part of
the money appropriated in the act should be
paid for the equipment or compensation of
any part of the army to be used as police
force to keep peace at the polls at any election
had within any State. This section having
been passed by the House by nearly unani-
nous vote, and the bill containing it having
been approved by the President at the extra
session, there can be no objection to its in
corporation in subsequent appropriation
bills"
He added that he thought this ought to
embrace all political legislation of the ses-
sion /; that appropriation bills should be
pressed to an early passage, and that the
session should be made as short as possible.