The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-06-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsnrxaroN. D. q. May .

AHO A1W JOAhS AuA0 AeButAbAub thS
Electoral Count, which passed the SEN
ate and Is likely to pass the House, has
been violently attacked by the radical
press and politicians as scheme to Sc
cure the presidency. Yet every one Of
these shriekers knows that he lies, and
that the rule is as fair as IL can be
made. The old 22nd joint rule used
by the Republicans put it in the power
Of either house to reject the entire vote
Of State. This new rule, while in
other respects substantially the same as
the old one, requires tho concurrence
Of both houses to reject any vote,
which is certainly change IN favor Of
safety and fairness. So these Radicals
occupy the very consistent and honest
attitude of denouncing their own rule
carefully improved. What they wanted,
now that tho other side controls Con-
greas, is some bill or scheme like that
of the willy Edmunds, by which they
could trick the majority through the
presiding officer Of the Senate, and it
is not certain that, even how, some.
thing Of that sort will not be attempted
by the advocates Of "strong govern
ment."
Bayard's bill legislating present E!ec-
tiOn Supervisors out Of Office after July
lst, and making future appointees sub
ject to confirmation by the Senate, was
the occasion Of pretty lively debate in
the Senate this week, but the bill, as
slightly amended by Senator Thurman
was passed. Mr.. ConkIing made par
ticularly bitter speech against it, chang
ing that IL was aimed at Supervisor
Davenport Of New York City more
than any one else. This Of course il
not true, though If its only effect was
TO depose such a thorough rascal al
little Johnny Davenport" tho bill
would be wise and proper. The Repnb
licans were very bitter against the
measure and accused tho Democrats oI
nearly everything including the use o.
tissue ballots in South Carolina. il
did not occur to any Democrat to re
mind them Of the fact that, the noto
rious tissue ballots are a Republican
invention. They were first used il
1876 in Florida by the Republicans al
was proved before Congressional com
mittee and not denied by the Repnbli
cans ut the time. The Southern carpet
baggers were ingenious fellows in thii
kind Of political fraud, and the tissue
ballot was by no means the only sam
pie Of their genius. In Mobile they
establighed a regular school of repeater
where gangs OF men trained FOR week.
before election in voting, returning e
the room, exchanging hats and coat
with others and going ont to vote again
and it was shown berore a CongrePsiona
committee that these trained repeater
: voted as many as twenty Eve times in 1
day. 1t is amusing TO hear Republican
Senators boldly and grayely accusing
the Democrats Of election frauds wheI
they. know that there is no kind o
J election fraud and violence which wa
not systematically practiced by theii
own party for years, not in ono South
ern gtate, but in almost all Of them
and when they haye resisted every
effort Of men like Mr.. Bayard at THU
session to improve the federal electior
laws which are acknowledged by Re
publicans TO need amendment in order
to prevent the groasest abuses.
The last Of the three proposed amend
ments TO the election laws will b,
brought forward at once. It is to pro
hibit the arrest Of State election ofIicerl
by federal election officers on election
day. They may be arrested after the
close of the election, and are liable, O
coursc, for misconduct The object il
to prevent State officers from being
dragged from the polls during the prog
ress of the election, as has been done
in several instances, thus leaving tht
federal officers, who are notoriously
strong partisans, in absolute and unre
strict0d control Of the polls and the
ballot boxes. Il will be remembered
that the State authorities have no power
to arrest federal election officers. It il
astonishing that the Republicans oppos,
all these changes, which are, as every
body sees, required in the interests of {
fair election. The explanation current
here Is that they are determined, i
possible, to make the President veto al
the bill so as to keep the laws as they
are, with all their vicious and proved
liable-to-partisan-abuse character intact
until after the November election, SO al
to have the full advantage of their us'
and operation for theirpartisan purposes
PHoNo.
ANOTHER aURDER NEAR wALLA wALLA
4
George n. maser. Fsrmerly Of Portland