Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-18
wEDNESDAY....JANUARY Is, 1885


Mr.. ChdnQler Blll.
The bill introduced into the United
States Senate on Monday last by
WILLIAM L. CHANDLER might well be
pronounced monstrous-a monster. We
could not but have doubts as TO whether
or not Mr.. CHANDLER ever pretended TO
be a lawyer. We turned to the short
biography of him given in the Congress
sional Directory, and there learned that
though he was IA lawyer by profession
the Senate refused in 1881 to confirm his
nomination as Solicitor-General. This
fact afforded us some satisfaction. Ii
was testimony that the New York Times
was not mistaken when it styled him "a
small, persistent, and tricky politician. "
Mr. CHANDLER is insolent-that is TO
say his bill claims for Congress the power
not only TO "change" the State regula-
tons for holding the elections for mem
bsrs of the national House of Repre-
sentatives, and 10 make new regulations
for holding such elections, but actually
undertakes to compel the Governor Of
South Carolina to become an officer or
agent of the United States in this
matter. First the Governor is re-
quired TO appoint, thirty days be-
fore each congressional election,
four commissioners Of election, and then
it is made misdcmeanOr for an officer
10 refuse to serve. Other State officers
are to be pressed into the service Of the
United States. The county supervisors
of elections are required to make in each
July or August next before congress
sional election, new, full, and complete
registration of all the voters Nor is that
all. These same supervisors are required
10 reduce the territorial area of the large
votingsprecincts. Even this is not all for
after providing for this unnecessary eX-
penditure of the States money, the
bill further provides that the names of
all the voters shall be published IN one
OF the county newspapers at the expense
ofthe county Think Of that A United
States law commanding the county su-
pergisors of a county in the State Of
South Carolina to perform the duties Of
Il United States officer, and ordering
these State officers to pay the costs of the
same ont OF the county treasury What
next?
The bill further proposes to destroy
utterly the secrecy of the ballot What
the object Of this provision of the bill is
we are left to conjecture. 1t may be
that Mr.. CHANDLER desires to bring
public opinion among the negroes to
bear upon all the negro voters, and
thus compel them to vote the Repubh-
can ticket The provision We refer to
does not purport to touch the secrecy of
the ballot but if it should become a
law it would necessarily make
il impossible for voter to cast Sc
cret ballot. The law might as well pro-
vide for Uioa-voce voting. The provi-
sion under consideration is the one that
REQUIRES the voters Of the two parties to
vote alternately. Five Democrats having
voted, five Republicans are required to
be allowed chance TO vote next I; and
vice rersa. 1t is certain that under such
a law the secrecy and sanctity of the
ballot-box would be entirely done away
with.
Why should Mr. CHANDLER propose to
con6ne the operation Of his new law to
South Carolina Why not take the
congressional elections in all the States
under the control of Congress? Why
not provide that New Hampshire. shall
nave fair elections, and that IN order to
secure a man of creditable attainments
and good reputation and above chicane-
~, to represent that State in the United
States Senate, the State shall be so dis
tricted for the election of members of
the Legislature as to guarantee fair cleo
tions and insure legislatures that would
scorn to do the dirty work of such men
Us WILLIAM +. CHANDLER
If Congress were unwise enough to
pass Mr.. CHANDELIERS bill, and Mr..
CLEVELAND foolish enough to approve it
and make it law, the new law would
soon be 50 extended in its operation us to
include all the southern States, at least.
But Mr.. CHANDLER knows that Con-
eress is not going TO pass his bill. He
is acting an unpatriotic, not to say
knavish part, when he proposes or advo-
Gates it. His sole object is to make
capital for the Republican party.
MIR. CHANDLEB's bill tells the South
that she must continue solid. The worst
party that ever disgraced the country or
blurred its history still threatens her
civilization with destruction, and the
country with ruin.