The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-30


State on account Of race, color or preyi
4 Gus condition Of servitude. Section I'd;
the Congress shall have the, power 10 en-.
force this article by appropriate legislation
under the several provisions OF the Con.
, shtitution, Section 4th, Article 1st.
, TllEdooD TIE ELRcTtoN LAWS ACCOMPLISHED
Congress In 1866 passed Comprehen.
siye law which prescribed full and de.
tailed regulation for the election OF Sena.
tors by the Legislatures OF the several
States. This law has been in force almost
thirteen years. In pursuance OF 1t all Of
!. the members OF the present Senate OF the
United States. hold their seats. Its consti.
tutioonality is not called in question. 1t Is
confidently believed that no sound argu.
inent can be made In support Of tho con.
sutnuonaltty OF the national regulation
Of Senatorial elections which will not
show that the election Of members Of the
House Of Representatives may also be
constttutionally regulated by national au.
thority. The bill before me OF itself re-
cognizes the principle that the Congres.
sional elections are not State elections but
national elections. 1t leaves in full force
the existing statute under which the ex-
isting Supervisors arc still to be appointed
by national authority. Observe and wit
ness the congressional elections when
ever due application Is made by citizens
who desire said elections to be guarded
and scrutinlzed. II the power to super
wise In any respect whatever Congressional
elections exists under section 4 OF article
OF the Constitution It is power which,
Ike every other power belonging 10 the
Government OF the United States, is para.
mount and supreme and includes the
right TO employ the necessary means to
carry It into effect. The statutes Of the
United States which regulate the election
Of members OF the House OF Representa-.
tives, the essential part OF which It Ia pro.
posed to repeal by this bill, have been in
force about eight years, -Four Congress.
sional elections have been held under
them, two OF which were at the presiden.
tlal elections Of 1872 and 1876. Numerous
prosecutions, trials and convictions have
been held in the courts OF the United
States In all parts Of the Union for viola
tions OF these laws. In no reported case
has their Constitutonality been called in
question by any Judge OF the Courts of
the United States. The validity Of these
laws Is sustained by uniform course Of
judicial action and opinion.
II 1t is argued that the United States
election laws are not necessary an
ample reply is furnished by the history of
their origin and of their results They
were especially prompted by the investi-
CATION and exposure OF the frauds com.
mltted in the city and State Of New York
at the elections Of 1878.
The committee representing both of the
political parties Of the country have sub
mltted reports TO the House OF Represen-
tatives lin extent OF those frauds.
A Committee Of the Fortieth Congress,
alter full investigation, reached the con-
clusion that the number OF fraudulent
votes cast in the city Of New York alone in
1888 was not less than 5000.
A committee Of the Fourty.fourth Con-
gress, in their report submitted in 1877,
adopted the opinion that for every one
hundred actual voters OF the city of
New York in 1868 one hundred and eight
votes were cast, when in fact, the number
oil lawful votes cast could not have ex-
ceeded IS per cent OF the actual voters OF
the city. By this statement the number
OF fraudulent votes cast at that election
in New York alone was between thirty
and forty thousand. These frauds COM
pletely reversed the result OF the election
in the State of New York both as to tho
choice OF Governor and State officers, and
as to the choice Of electors for President
and Vice President OF the United States.
They attracted the attention OF the whole
country. 1t was plain that if they could
be continued and repeated with impunity
Tree government was impossible, and a
distinguished Senator, in opposing the pas
sage OF the election laws, declared that he
had for long time believed our form OF
government was comparatively failure
in the larger cities.
To meet these evils and prevent these
crimes the United States laws regulating
the Congressional elections were enacted,
The trainers OF these laws have not been
disappointed in the results. In large cities
under their provisions the elections
have been comparatively peaceable. or.
derby and honest. Even the. opponents
of these laws have borne testimony to
their value and efficiency, and to the ne
cessity for their enactment.
The committee OF the Forty.iourth
Congress, composed ofmembers, majori-
ty OF whom were opposed to these laws,
in their report on the New York election
OF 1875, said the committee would COM
mend to other portions OF the couatry,
and to other cities this remarkable system,
developed through the agency OF both To-
cal and federal authorities acting in har-
monY for an honest purpose. In no por-
tion Of the world, and in no era Of the
time where there has been an expression
OF the popular will through the forms OF
laws, has there been more complete or
thorough illustration Of Republican in.
stitutions. Whatever may have been the
previous habit or conduct OF elections in
these cities, or however they may conduct
them in the future, this election OF
1915 will stand as a monument OF what
good faith, honest endeavor, legal forms
and Just authority may do for the protec.
ton OF the electoral franchise.
WHAT WE ALI. WANT.
This bill recognizes the authority and
duty Of the Congress Of the United States
to appoint supervisors to guard and scru.
tinize Congressional elections, but 1t leaves
to the Government OF the United States
all power 70 m Ike its supervision elIeCtual.
The great body Of the people OF the par.
ties want free and fair elections. They
don't think that free election means
freedom from wholesome restraints OF
law, or that the place OF an election should
be sanctuary for lawlessness and crime.
On the day Of an election peace and good
order are more necessary than on any
other day Of the year. On that day the
humblest and feeblest citizens, the aged
and infrm, should be and should have
reason to feel that they are safe in the ex-
erCise OF their most responsible duty and
their most sacred right as members Of So
Ciety. Their right to vote and the consti.
tutional authority to regulate Congress.
sional elections, which belongs TO the
Government Of the United States, and
| which Il L. necessary To nXart 70 unn,,.o