Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-11-22
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA,

received:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA,
GOVERNORS OFFICE,
RICHMOND, November 81, 1854
To the Senate of Virginia:
[ respectfully return to your honorable
body, without my approval, Senate bill No.
lOs, entitled IAN act to provide for the man
ner of choosing registrars and judges and
clerks of election, &C." Ny regret is sin
cere in feeling again compelled to dissent
from policy which seems to express the
fixed views of majority of the General
Assembly.
The bill which / now return is Identical
in substance and effect with one which
declined to approve at the last session Of
the Legislature.
NY objections to this measure were eX
pressed in general but distinct terms in the
first message which I sent to your body
after my election as Governor. A majority
of both houses of the General Assembly was
then in sympathy with the party which had
elected me to the Executive chair and
under the law then existing the county and
corporation judges had control of the cleo
ton machinery Of the State.
Discarding then, as | do now, all partisan
considerations, at time when, If injustice
should be done, my political associates
should have the benefit, gave to the Leg
islature my earnest protest against any sys-
tenn which would be open TO suspicion. |
said then and repeat now the possibility "i
false return of the popular voice should
be stopped if statute law can be framed III
language sufficiently specific to accomplish
that purpose.
In my first annual message dated January
6, 1882, under the caption of suffrage,
asked surety for public confidence in an
honest ballot in this language: Gin the in,
terest of full and free expression of the
popular will recommend rigid scrutiny
and purging of the election laws, many Of
the provisions of which are subversive OF
the ends professedly sought. The basis of
all republican Government is popular con,
tent and confidence. Both are secured
when the people are satisfied that having
freely sought the balot-box, their votes
have been recorded and returned. according
to the truth. Any system which is SO
framed as to admit doubts upon these points
must, whether it he honestly OR iraIdulenlly
administered, breed popular discomfort
Elections should as far as possible take
place in sight of the people. would recon-
mend the passage Of mandatory provisions
for the appointment of judges of election
from opposing political parties, with penal.
ties attached for failure in the appointing
power to observe the requirements; aud
admitting the presence of Representatives Of
each political party interested in an cleo
lion while the vote is received canvassed
counted, and certified"
These words were written WHEN the
whole power of the State was practically in
| the hands ofthe party By whose votes had
! been elected. AS the law then stood the en-.
tire control of the election machinery was
in the hands Of that party. then insisted,
and do now, that such should not he the
case. care nothing as 10 what the ap
pointing power may be. care only that
the appointing power should he directed TO
make such appointments Of registrars and
! Judges as to preventany ohst rucIions or false
returns of the popular will. The words I'll
practicable" were included in the original
bill and are repeated in the proposed enact,
ment. Those words and the context bavc
been and can be so construed as to make
nugatory all attempts to have different po-
litiral parties represented in the appoint.
ment of registrars and Judges Of election.
Having no object to suhserve but that which
may be gathered by what is stated above,
ask of your body a review OF your juh9
ineut on this bill.
WILLIAM f. CAMERON.
The Senate passed the bill over The Gov.
errors veto by vote of 22 to g, Gen. Wick.
ham voting with the democrats.