Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1879-01-28

TUESDAY. JANUARY ~. lo.s
rue ACTION OF THE ALABAMA
LEGIsLATURE.
The recent action Of the Alabama Legis-
Iature will have . tendency to revive the
old system formerly in vogue in several
States Of eIecting Presidential electors by
Legislatures.
while the bill to regulate the manner Of
counting In the President is pending 1t is
not 10 be ignored that the difficulties do
not all take place at Washington. The
most shameful parts Of the counting in OF
Hayes took place in the far South. These
II repeated. the Edmunds bill could not
cure. Congress would under the BILL IL
passed, still be unable to go ''behind the
face Of the returns" II, therefore, by
Federal interference, whether by the I'M
authorized use Of tho army or by a host OF
United States special Deputy Msrshals and
Federal Supervisors Of Election, the crimes
OF 1876 should be repeated, the counting
in infamy would be contaminated again.
The power which the United States Gov
eminent now claims Of supervising" the
elections held in the States is capable Of
rreat abuse, and in the bands Of bold,
INSCRIPTIONS men might be fraught with
danger to the Republic. 1t is therefore
not strange that . proposition has been en-
tertained in the Legislature Of Alabama
which aims to guard against this danger in
. strictly constitutional way. The resolu-
ton recites that Federal interference in
elections in that State is an evil of great
magnitude, and that it is the manifest pnr-
nose OF such interference to influence n
control the action Of the State in selecting
electors for the President, and 1t cails
upon a committee to inquire into the ex-
pediency Of providing by law for the cleo
ton Of electors by the General Assembly,
until the Acts authorizing interference by
the Federal authorities are repealed. AS
to the right Of the State to pass such a law,
the Constitution Of the United States is
clear. The Constition, in the second Sec
ton Of Article 2, says Each State shall
appoint, in such manner as the Legislature
thereof may direct, a number Of electors,
equal to the whole number Of Senators and
Representatives to which the State may be
entitled" etc. The right Of the State to
pass the proposed law will hardly be dis
puted whether it would be expedis Mt or
is another question. 1t may be true
that the immediate choice Of the electors
being in the Legislature would be removed
from the interference of the Federal Su-
pervisors, but would it not open the cleo
lion of the members Of the Assembly to
that same interference? If the election OF
The General Assembly involves the choice
II the Presidential electors, the Federal
may take his position at the
polls lust as before. The committee to
which the proposed bill is referred, will
doubtless consider carefully every objec-
tion to it but it is al important and sig
fact that the attention Of the States
Is now directed to the true seat Of the dis
ease, and there is more hope of an effica-
cious remedy than is furnished by the Ed
bill. That concerns itself chiefly
how the returns shall DO counted.
This provides for having the returns sent
In right.
rME WAR AGAINST POLYGAMY.
The recent opinion of the United States
Court against the constitutional
Ity Of polygamy, is likely to prove the
gun in the campaign against the
bigamists and polygamists Of Utah. Con-
gross. it is thought, will back up the
,ourts, and the Judiciary Committee Of
he Senate, after giving the subject much
lime and attention, have agreed upon a
bill that will debar all polygamists from
on Federal juries. the purpose Of
Il being to curtail the power Of ~polygamy
in the Territory, and eventually to SO Grip
pie the concern that it's political control
will be gone. While Congress cannot in
any way under the Constitution interfere
with the operation Of State or Territorial
courts, it has absolute control over Feder-
al courts and the practical effect of such
> bill can hardly be estimated. During re-
cent years, especially, the Gentiles of Utah
have charged that through female suffrage
in the Territory and entire control of the
whole election machinery, the Mormons
have been able to carry their own way in
terests have been sacrificed to their greed.
Under present laws, no prosecution can be
successfully carried on against them, for
the juries selected are invariably of the
Mormon faith and sworn to defend their
rights. The passage Of such a bill IS
above indicated would practically destroy
oil this monopoly and place the political,
and to . large extent the judicial control
OF Utah in Gentle hands.
ABOUT 10000 citizens Of Rhode Island
are debarred from exercising the right Of
suffrage ON account Of . property qualif-
cation. They have twice petitioned Con-
gress to give them equal rights with their
fellow-citizens, but the Republicans inva-
riably turned o deaf ear to them.
The Chinese Government has taken q
wise step in the right direction, and has
instructed its Minister at Washington to
make q careful investigation of the means
adopted 1t various institutions in the
United States for the IRE OF opium
smoking.
Mn. SHARON has taken . manly and de-
cided stand ON the railroad question. Mr..
Jones Is now in order.