Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-05-29

ed thst 90 sound srsunent Can be % Adc 10
| support of til. copS.itu ior silly # Narlnnsl
regulation of Senatorial eiecIioos which vii!
not show That the elections OF members OF the
House Of Representatives may also he corsti
lu,iolslly reel!a' ed by the National autaorl;y
| The till before r,e itself recJgtiz1s the prln'
| cipal that the Confessional elections are uct
State elections but Nsliooal elections. 1t leaves
| iu full f. rec the existing statute u der WINCH
Supervisors are still to be appointed b. NationEl
authority to observe aud witness the Con
or, ssiooa! elections whenever due application Is
made By ctiz,us sho desire said elections to
be "ruarded and scrutinized" If the power
| to supervise. 10 any respec: whatever, the Con
gres>loual elections exists, under sec ion +.
article |, OF the Constitution, it Is power
| which, like every Other power beonelDg 10 the
! Government Cf the UGited S'atos, Is para
mount and supreme, aud ipc!ud.s the right 10
| employ the necessary mhgns TO Garry 1t INTO
| effect.
| The statutes Of the Uai!rd States which
regulate The election of nrlnberI VI the House
| OF Representatives. an essep!iI part Of which
| il il proposed TO repeal by this bill, have been
in force about eight years -Four Congressional
el, ctiups have bucn held under them. :wo ct
which rcrc at the Presidential til ctinDs 81 1872
ADD 1916 Numerous prosecutions. trials, and
cnnvlctons have been had 10 be Courts OF the
Uuitcd States in all paris of the Union for VIC
lulious of these laws. 10 20 reported case has
their coEsi!utiuns!ity bacn called In qn' stIoo
by any JUDI It the courts OF the United States.
The validity of these laws is sustained by the
uniform cuursn OF judicial action aud opinion.
II il is urged that the Uuled States election
laws are not necessary. an amply replied IS iurn
ished by the history Of their origin and OF their
roouIts Thnu nara eeprpiaIlv DrnmntP0 hV the
Investigation and exposure of the frauds commit.
tee 10 The city and State Of New York at the
elections Of 1865 Committees representing
both IF the I,adlpg political parties cf the
country have submitted reports to the House
Of Representatives, on tie & cDt or these
frauds. A committee of the Fnulelh Congress
after full iuvcsig. tiou, rescued the cor usiou
tha, the numbcr Of frauiucnt votes cast 10 the
city OF Now York aoDc il 1865 Was not less
than twenty five thousand a Committee of
tho Forty fourth Congress. 10 their report sui
mitred in 1871 adopted the opfrion that ter
every one buudred actual Voters Ct the city Of
New York in 1868 one hundred and eight
votes were cast; wnrp, in facG, the number It
lswlu votes could not have tXce eGed eighty
ght per ceot Of the &c usl voters of the city.
By this statement the iunber OF fraudulent
votes at the election. 10 the city Of New ok
alone, was between thirty aod fourth thousand
These frauds completely reversed the result ct
the election in the State of New York. both
as to the choice cf Governor aud State officers,
and as to the choice of electors OF President and
VIC. President Of the United States. They
attracted the attention OF The whole country. Il.
was plain that if they could be coulloued aud
repeated with impuDlty tree 2ovnrDmCot Was
Impossible. A distinguished Senator, in op.-
posing the passage ct the election laws, declar-
ed that he had 'f0r long time believed that
our form OF Government was comparative
failure in the larger cities. 10 meet these
evils and 10 prevent thcs" crimes tho Uotcd
T States laws regulating Congressional elections
were enacted.
The trainers OF these laws have not been dis.
appointed 10 their results. 10 tho large cities,
under their provisions, the cleo ions have been
comparatively peacesble, orderly and honest
Even the opponents OF thes laws have borne
testimony to their value and efficiency, and to
the pt cessity for their enactment. The COM
mittee of the Forty fourth Congress, composed
of mem bers, majority Of when were opposed
to these laws. 10 their report % the New ork
election oflS76 said:
The committee would commend to other por-
tions Of the country and 10 other cities this re-
msrEablo sy stem, developed through the agen.
cy of both local and Federal authorities acting
in harmony for an honest purpose In no por-
ton of the world, and in no era of time, where
thare has been an expression Of the popular will
through the forms Of law, has there been more
complete and thorough illustration Of repub Ican
institutions. Whatever may have been the pre-
vious habit conduct Of elections in those cities,
or he wsoev er they may conduct themselves in the
future this election OF 1876 will stand a mon
ument of what good faith, homes. endeavor. legal
forms, and just authority may do Tor the pro!ec-
ton Of the electoral franchise "
This bill recognizes the authority and duty
of the United States to appoint supervisors 10
| guard and scrutiniZ' the Congressional elections,
| but it denies 10 tn. Government Of the United
States ali power to make its supervision effect
usl Tho great body the people Of all parties
want free and fair elections. They do not think
that 9 free election means freedom from the
wholesome restraints of law, or that the place OF
| An election should be sanctuary for lAWlessness
and crime. Or the day OF An election peace and
| good order are more necessary than on any other
day of the year. On that day the hunblest aod
! tcebest citizens, the aged and the infrm, should
be- and should have reasor to feel that they are.
safe in the exercise of their r1ost responsible du
| ty, and their mott sacred right rs members of
society their duty and their right to vote. The
| constitutional authority TO regulate The Congress
| sional election which belongs tothe Government
Of the United States, aud which It's necessary TO
e1 ert to the right to vote to every citizen
possessing the requisite qualifications, ought to
| be enforced by appropriate legislation. SO far
|
| favoring any relaxation Of the authority Of tho
| Govern ment in the proLe ction OF elections from
| violence and corruption, believe it demands
greater vigor, both in the enactment and in the
execution of laws framed for that purpose. Any
oppression, any partisan Partially, which ex
| perience may have shown in the working OF ex-
sting laws. msy we'll engage the csrafu stten-
ton both of Congress and Of tho Executive, in
their respective spheres of duty. for the correc
| Lion Of these mischieis. AS no Congressional
elections occur until after the regular Session of
Congress will have been held. there feen's to b.
! no public exieency that would preclude II sea-
sunablc consideration at that session Of any ad
| miLstrstye details that mi2 ht improve the pre-
! sent methods designed for the protection Of all
| citizens il, the complete and equsl exercise of
the right and power of the suffrage st such cleo
tons But with my views til Of the constitu
tonslity aud OF tbs value of the existing laws,
cannot approve any measure for their repeal ex-
cepl in connection with the enactment of other
legislation viii, h may reasonably be expected to
afford wiatr and more ,tfoient safeguards Tor
free and honest Congressional eiections.
RUTHERFORD X. HAYES
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