The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-05-09

fact, occurred since the passage OF the ACT Iast
referred to. No officer of the United States has
appeared under orders at any place Of election
| In any State No complaint even OF the pres
| ence of United States troops has been made In
| any quarter. 1t may, therefore, be confidently
stated that there Is no necessity for the enact
| ment of section Of the bill before me to pre-
vent military interference ut elections.
| The laws already In force are all that Is re-
auired for that end But that part Of section
OF this bill which Is significant and vitality inn
portant is the clause which, II adopted, will de-
prive the civil authorities Of the United States
Of all power to keep peace at Congressional
elections. Congressional elections, in every
| district in q very important sense, are justly
matter of political interest and concern
throughout the whole country. Each State
| every political party-is entitled to u share OF
| the power which is conferred by legal and con-
stitutional suffrage. 1t Is the right OF every
citizen possessing the necessary qualifications
prescribed by law to cast one unintimidated bal
lot, and to have his ballot honestly counted. SO
| long as the exercise Of this power and the en-
joyment of this right are common and equal,
| practically as well Is formally, submission 70
suffrage will be accorded Loyalty and checrfully,
and the departments Of the Government Will
| feel the true vgor Of the popular will thus ex-
pressed. Two provisions Of the constitution
| authorize legislation by Congress for the regu-
lation Of Congressional elections
| Section 4 Of Article of tho constitution de-
| clares
The times places and manner of holding
elections for Senator's and Representatives shall be
prescribed each State, by the Legislature thereof
| but Congress may, at any time, by law, make or
alter such regulations, except as to the places OF
choosing Senator's.
The Fifteenth amendment to the constitution
| is as follows:
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United
States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by
the United States. or by any State. on account OF
| race color or previous condition OF servitude.
Sec. z. The Congress shall have power TO enforce
| this article by appropriate legislation.
The Supreme Court has held that this amend
ment invests citizons of the United States with
| q new constitutional right, which is within the
| protecting power Of Congress- That right the
court declares to be the exemption from dis
elimination in the exercise of the elective fran
condition of servitude. The power of Congress
to protect this right by appropriate legislationis
| expressly affirmed by tho court Of national leg
islation; TO provide safeguards for free and
honest elections, Is necessary, as experience
| has shown, not only to secure the right to vote
| to the enfranchised race ct the South, but also
to prevent fraudulent voting in the large cities
| of the North. Congress has, therefore, exer-
| ci sed the power conferred by the constitution,
| and has enacted certain laws TO prevent dis
elimination on account OF race, color or previ-
| GUS condition Of eervitude, and to punish
| fraud, violence and intimidation Of Federal
| elections
Attention is called to the following section Of
the Revised Statutes Of the United States viz
| Section 2.004, which guarantees all citizens the
| right to vote without distinction on account OF
race color or previous condition Of servitude.
Sections COS and 2,006, which guarantee TO all
citizens an equal opportunity, without dis
| elimination, to perform all the acts required
| by law as O prerequisite or qualification for
voting Section 2,022. which authorizes
the United States Marshal and his deputies
to keep peace and preserve order at Federal
elections, Section 2,U24, which authorizes
the United States Marshal and his deputies to
summon q posse comitatus whenever they, or
any of Them are forcibly resisted in the execu-
ton of their duties under the law and are pre-
vented from executing their duties by violence
Section 5,522, which provides for the punish
ment of the crime of interfering with Super
visors Of Election and Deputy Marshals in the
discharge of their duties ut elections Of Repre-
sentatives in Congress-
There are come of the laws on this subject
which it is the duty Of the Executive Depart
ment OF the Government to enforce.
The intent and effect of the sixth section Of
this bill is to prohibit all civil officers Of the
United States, under penalty of fine and i'm
prisonment from employing any adequate
civil force for this purpose at the place where
their enforcement is most necessary, namely:
At places where Congressional elections are
held. Among the most valuable enactments to
which have referred are those which protect
the Supervisors of Federal elections in the dis
charge of their duties at the polls II the pending
legislation should become alaw, there il no power
vested in any officer Of the Government TO pro-
tect from violence the officers Of the United
States engaged in the discharge 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 civilpower
to keep the peace and enforce the laws at State
elections 1t is now proposed to deny to the
United States even the necessary civil authority
TO protect national elections No sufficient
reason has been given for this discrimination in
favor Of State and against national authority.
II we'll founded objections exist against the
present national Election laws, all good citizens
should unite in their amendment Laws pro-
viding safeguards of elections should be i'm
partial, just and efficient They should, If pos
sible, be 30 non-partisan and fair in their oper
alton that the minority party out of power will
have no just grounds to complain. The pres
ent laws have in practice unquestionably
conduced to the prevention of fraud and vo-
lence at elections. In several Of the States
members Of different political parties have APP
piled for the safeguards which they furnish.
1t is the right and duty Of the National Gov
eminent to enact and enforce the laws which
will secure free and fir Congressional cleo
tlons. The laws now in force should not DO
repealed except in connection with the enact
ment Of the measures which will better accom-
plsh that important end Believing that sec
tion Of the bill before me will weaken, il it
does not altogether take away, the power of
the National Government to protect Federal
elections by the civil authorities, l am forced
to the conclusion that II ought not to re-
ceivc my approval That section is, how
ever, not presented to me as q separate
and independent measure, but il, as has
been stated, attached to the bin making the
usual annual appropriations for the support of
the army. II makes vital change in the
Election law Of the country, which is in no
way connected with the use Of the army. 1t |
prohibits, under heavy penalties, any person
engaged in the civil service of the United StsteS
from having any force at the place of any cleo
tion prepared to preserve order, to make ar
rests, to keep the peace, or In any manner to |
enforce the laws This is altogether foreign |
to the purpose of an army appropriation bill
The practice OF lacking to the Army Appro-
priatinn bills measures not pertinent to such |
bills did not prevail until more than forty years
after the adoption of the constitution. 1t has
become the common practice. All parties, when |
in power, have adopted il. Many abuses aud a |
great waste Of public money have in this way |
crept into appropriation bills. The public |
opinion of the country is against it The States !
which have recently adopted constitutions have |
generally provided remedy for the evil by en-
acting that no laws shall contain more than one |
subject, which shall be plainly expressed in it's |
title. The constitutions of more than bali OF |
the States contain substantially this provision
The public welfare will be promoted in many
ways by return to the early practice of the |