Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-05-05

elections is necessary, as experience has
shown not only to secure the right to
vote to the enfranchised race at the
South, but also to prevent fraudulent
voting in the large cities of the North.
Congress has, therefore, exercised the
power conferred by the Constitution and
has enacted certain laws to prevent dis
on account Of race or color
or previous condition of servitude, and
to punish fraud, violence and intimida-
ton at Federal elections. Attention is
called to the following sections of the
revised statutes of the United States:
Section 2004, which guarantees to all |
citizens the right to vote without dis
tinction on account of race, color or
previous condition of servltude.
Sections zoos and 2OO6, which guar
antee to all citizens equal opportunity,
without discrimination, to perform all
the acts required by law as prerequi-
site or qualification for voting.
Section 2O22-Which authorizes the
United States Marshal and his deputies
to keep the peace and preserve order at
the Federal elections.
Section 2O24-Which expressly au-
thorizes the United States Marshal and
his deputies to summon posse consta-
tuS whenever they or any of them are
forcibly resisted in the execution of
their duties under the law, or are pre-
vented from executing such duties by
violence.
Section 1922, which provides for the
r~niohment of the crime of interfering
with the Supervisors of Elections and
Deputy Marshals in the discharge of
their duties at the elections of Repre-
sentatives in Congress.
These are some of the laws on this
subject which it is the duty of the Ex-
ecutive Department of the Government
to enforce. The intent and effect of the
sixth section of this bill is to prohibit
all the civil officers of the United States,
under penalty of fine and Imprisonment.
from employing any adequate civil force
for this purpose at the place where their
enforcement is most necessary, namely,
at the places where the Congressional
elections are held. Among the most
valuable enactments to which l have
referred are those which protect the Su-
peryisors of Federal elections in the
discharge of their duties at the polls.
If the proposed legislation should
become the law there will be no power
vested in any officer of the Government
to protect from violence the officers of
the United States engaged in the dis
charge OF their duties. Their rights
and duties under the law will remain,
but the National Government will be
powerless to enforce its own statutes.
The States may employ both military
and civil power to keep the peace and to
enforce the laws at State elections. 1t
is now proposed to deny to the United
States even the necessary civil authority
to protect the National elections. No
sufficient reason has been given for this
discrimination in favor of the State and
against the national authority. If we'll
founded objections exist against the
present national election laws all good
citizens should unite in their amend
ment. The laws providing the safe
guards for the elections should be i'm
partial, just and efficient They should
if possible, be so non-partisan and fair
in their operation that the minority of
the party out of power will have no just
grounds to SS@plaabpq Th R5eseGtt nnEs
ed to the prevention of fraud and vic.
lence at the elections in several of the
States. Members of different political
parties have applied for the safeguards
which they furnish. 1t is the right and
duty of the National Government to en-
act and enforce laws which will secure
free and fair Congressional elections.
The laws now in force should not be
repealed except in connection with the
enactment of measures which will better
accomplish that important end.
Believing that Section 6 of the bill
before me will weaken, if it does not al
together take away the power of the Ma
tional Government to protect the Federal
elections by the civil authorities, l am
forced to the conclusion that it ought not
to receive my approval. This section is,
however, not presented to me as sepa-
rate and independent measure, but is, as
has been stated, attached to the bill
making the usual annual appropriations
for the support of the army. 1t makes
vital change in the election laws of the
country, which is in no way connected
with the use of the army. 1t prohibits
under heavy penalties any person engag.
ed in the civil service of the United
States from having any force at the place
of any election prepared to preserve or.
der, to make arrests to keep the peace
or in any manner to enforce the laws
This is altogether foreign to the purpose
of any appropriation bill.
The practice of lacking to appropria.
ton bills measures not pertinent to such
bills did not prevail until more thar
forty years after the adoption of the
Constitution. 1t has become common
practice. All parties when in power
have adopted it. Many abuses and great
waste of public money have in this way
crept into appropriation bills. The pub
lie opinion of the country is against it
The States which have recently adopted
Constitutions have generally provided 6
remedy for the evil by enacting that nj
law shall contain more than one subject
which shall be plainly expressed in it,
title. The Constitutions of more thar
half of the States contain substantially
this provision. The public welfare will
be promoted in many ways by return
to the early practice of the Government
and to the true principle of Legislation
which requires that every measure shall
stand or fall, according to its own merits
If it were understood that to attach t,
an appropriation measure irrelevant t.