The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-11-12
SHERMAN'S ELECTION BILL.


time mentioned the scheme of Sem
ator Sherman to effect Federal con.
troll and supervision over congress
ional elections, separating them en-
tirely from State elections and Civ
ing the President more than monar
chial powers. 1t is now announced
by the Chicago Tribune, in an au-
thoritatlve manner, that Senator
Sherman will surely introduce his
bill early in the next session, and, as
a sort OF companion piece, Congress-
man Thomas B. Reed, of Maine, who
wants to be Speaker, comes out in the
North American Review and urges
change of the rules of the House,
whereby the minority would have no
voice, and the majority would be
possessed of entire and despotic con-
troll of all legislation. These two
schemes work the one for the other
and both against the best interests
of the people.
The political machinery which the
Sherman bill proposes to create is as
follows:
/. \ board of five State Canvassers in
each State, to be appointed by the Presi-
denr, by and with the approval OF the
Senate"
3 An Electoral Board of three members
in each Congressional District. also TO be
appointed by the President, with the ap-
prevail Of the Senate
3. registrar Tor each precinct or cleo
ton district, to be appointed by the Elec-
loral Board OF each Congressional District
4. Three judges of election for each pre-
cinct or electoral district, TO be appointed
by the Electoral Board Of each Congies-
sional District
.. Two clerks of election for each pre-
cinct or election district, TO be appointed
by The judges Of election therein.
&. y board OF canvassers in each county,
city or corresponding political division to
be designated by the Electoral Board of
each Congressional District from among
the judges of elections
Think Of it, ye people; the crea-
ton of over 100000 new Federal
officials at one swoop, and they APP
pointed either directly or indirectly
by the President and under his con-
troll and management.
Eight hundred thousand offices in
the hands of Republican President
with which to reward those who vote
and work with his party. Think OF
this, Democrats, and if you don't
want to see the Republicans in power
for all time, put forth your every
effort to defeat the Sherman bill.
Such measure as the proposed
Sherman bill is dangerous and me-
nacing, not alone to the South, but
to the entire Union.
In 1876 three returning boards
changed the Presidential election,
robbing the people of their choice
and seating the defeated candidate
then, We gods, what would be the
power of one hundred thousand such
boards, as the Sherman bill provides
for-one in each election precinct in
the Union?
The people demand popular gov
eminent, and that is just what the
Sherman bill proposes to avoid. The
Republicans fear the voice Of the peo-
ple-they have stuffed ballot boxes
they have packed jury boxes, all to
prevent popular government-and
now they would stuff the election
machinery of the entire country,
creating a dictatorship and giving
the President unheard of power over
Congress and the naming Of his own
successor.
The people cannot afford to allow
such a state of affairs-which would
u the end mean the entire SCATTERING
of the Union and the giving Of still
greater power to the monopolistic
millionaire manhood-crushers, who
now hold the Republican party by
the seat of its trousers and shake
and bend it to suit their own will
and pleasure.
The Democratic minority, sup
ported by honest Republicans in Con-
gress, must fight every move made
to change the rules of the House.
They must defeat the Sherman bill.
The welfare of the whole country
demands it.