Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-02
ELECTION SUPERVISORS.
Passage of a Bill I'm the Senate Limiting
Their Office Tenure and Changing
the Manner of Appointment.
Strong Speeches by ConkIing and Edmunds--
Some Sharp Verbal Sparring.

The supervisor bill came up in the
senate on Tuesday, and gave rise to q
long and animated debate, portions of
which were very amusing, Conkling,
Hoar and Edmunds sustaining the brunt
of it on the Republican side, and Voor-
hees, Thurman and Mcdonald on the
Democratic. Conkling and Edmunds
were at their best, and displayed more of
wit and humor than is their wont, The
bill is as follows:
Be 1t enacted, ETC., That the term of Office of
chief supervisors of election provided for in
section 2025, revised statutes shall be two
years. Such term shall begin the first day of
May of each even numbered year. The terms
OF those in offic shall expire the first day of
May, 1880, and their successors shall be ap--
pointed from among the qualified electors of
the proper judicial district by the president of
the United States, by and with the advice and
consent Of the senate.
The debate began by Conkling's re-
marking that he supposed the bill would
be amended rs regards the time at
which the terms of the present supervis-
or's would expire, as the time named in
the bill is already passed, but that it
would still be such as to get them out of
the way before election. Bayard pro-
posed to make it the first of July. Hoar
asked how the supervisors could be ap-
pointed when the senate is not in session.
pointed under the tenure of Office act,
and their names be sent to the senate
when it should meet. Hoar embodied
this in an amendment which he offered
as an additional section of the bill.
Bayard explained the object of the bill to be
not to affect the powers of these officers in any
way, but provide for regulation of the tenure
of their Office. Under the constitution none but
judicial officers hold life tenures. These Off
GERS were appointed in 1871. Many of them
were still in Office, and there was no provision
for their removal for cause. Their Office could
be vacated only by death or resignation.
Hoar asked Bayard on what theory the ap-
pointment of supervisors was to be placed in
the hands of the executive instead OF the courts,
while deputy marshals were appointed by the
courts.
Bayard said there was wide difference be-
tween temporary quasi police officers and officers
having long tenure and the great powers and
functions possessed by supervisors.
Hoar said that the senator from Delaware the
other day had insisted upon the desirability of
having deputies appointed by the courts in order
to secure non-partlsan appointments. Now
comes the supervisor, judicial officer of court,
and the senator from Delaware turns around
and transfers judicial function to the political
power of the government. The inconsistency
was not evaded by the senator's explanation.
Conkling said on February last this bin was
ushered into the senate by the chairman of the
Democratic caucus (Wallace.) Notice was thus
given, at least to him (Conkling), that any OPP
position to it would be futile, Therefore, the
few words he should say against it were more
formal than hopeful. He wished he could ad-
dress himself to two au,litories outside the
senate-the president, who could smite this bill
with his veto, and those people throughout the
country who might infer from the quietness of
the majority during this session that the domi-
nant party had undergone change of heart.
He wished he could point out the link this bill
constituted in the chain of legislation intended
to nullify the laws guaranteeing free elections
and place them at the unbrldled behest of polit-
ical majority. The old supervisors were to be
removed and new ones appointed only by the
consent of the Democratic majority of the SEN
ate. Democratic chief supervisors would
recommend Democratic supervisors to the court,
whose function in this respect was simply con-
frmatory. The result would be the whole super
vision in the hands of one party. These meas
ures mean business. One is a bill depriving
marshals and general deputies of all police
power touching election and registration; another
enthrOnes the election of officers, no matter
what they may do, beyond the power of the
courts and police to interfere. One is bill uu-
der which q 1uOS6 OF oleCUlOn allowed one man
in one of the southern states to deposit 744 It's
sue ballots, and although seen by the public, no
power could lay its hands upon the board of
officers or the individual officer guilty of
such offense; another is bill under which all
spectators, rioters invaders and ruffians having
nothing official to do with the election may do
as they please and stalk with impunity at any
election, all peace officers being absolutely for
hidden to lay finger upon them, unless they
have time to visit some court or some magistrate
to make the requisite affidavit comply with the
necessary forms and obtain judicial warrant.
They NAV lock up the door but not until the
horse is stolen.
And as if all that were not enough, now comes
provision sweeping out those officers appoint
ed by judicial courts and putting into the hands
of a majority of the senate the selection
of their successors And then some
excellent man and keen student of events who
knows all about it, because he reads the public
Journals, goes out among his neighbors and
says i Let us all congratulate ourselves; every
thing is SO pacific" If the Democrats felt now
as they did at the extra session how alarmed we
should be: Low necessary to be on the alert; how
differently we all should act. But now since
they have all sunk to rest since every Demo-
cratic representative and senator "wants to be
an angel and with the angels stand" what a
perfect and unexpected millennium it is. How
secure, how full of repose. With what perfect
impunlJy every man may now buy farm OF
yoke Of cattle, or pursue the vocations of peace,
knowing that neither the Democratic nor the
Independent party will do anything to make him
afraid. Laughter, in which Davis In.) joined.
IF the majority of the two houses can quietly,
without din or alarming the country, without
notoriety, put on the statute books the three
bills to which refer, and also that curious con-
ception which appeared in one form generally
as a rider to the deficiency bill-if they can dc
all that, and, in the language of the race course,
'sget away with it" without being reviewed on
chastised by popular sentiment, and with all its
language and intents being known in all hooks
and corners of the land, it viii indeed be feat
of partisan dexterity entirely unparalleled in the
history of parties. When this bill and its like
measures come to be understood, their influence
will be irresistible, which will tend to neutralize
delusions in respect to party purposes under
which many men are laboring.
Mcdonald said tnat he did not believe
federal interference with elections in this
country was within the constitution OF
beneficial III its results, and he then went
on to say that as they could not repeal
the election law, they intended to take
out its teeth. He then denied that the