, 1890-12-04

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federal supervision OF congressiona al
elections offered an effective method OF
reform of these abuses.
The need Of such law has mani
tested itselfin many parts OF the country
and its wholesome restraints and penal
ties will be useful. The onstitutionality
Of such legislation has been affirmed by
the supreme court, and Its probable
effectiveness is evidenced BY the charac-
tor OF the opposition that Is made to 1t.
IL has been denounced as IL II were o
new exercise of federal powers and
INVASION of the rights OF the states.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Congress has already fixed tho time for
the election OF members Of congress. II
has declared that the vote for members
OF congress must DO by written or printed
balloti 1t Is provided for appoint
ment by circuit courts in certain
cases, and upon the petition of q certain
number of citizens, of election super
visors, and Is made their duty to super
wise the registration of voters conducted
by the state officers, to challenge persons
Offering to register, to personally inspect
and scrutinize the registry lists. and to
aiiix their names TO the lists for the pur.
pose of itication and the prevention
oil frauds, to attend elections and re-
main with the boxes until the votes are
all cast and counted, to attach to the
registry lists and election returns any
statement touching the accuracy and
fairness OF the registry of elections to
take and transmit to the clerk of the
house of representatives any evidence of
fraudulent practice which may be pre-
sented to them. The same law provides
for the appointment of deputy United
States marshals to attend at tho polls,
support the supervisors In the discharge
OF their duties. and to arrest persons
violating the election laws The pro.
visions of this familiar title OF the re-
vised statutes have been put into exer-
else by both of the great politica parties
and in tho North as well as In the
South, by the filing with the courts of
the petitions required by law. Ii
Is not therefore, question whether
we shall have federal election
law, for We now have one and have had
Tor nearly twenty years but whether we
shall have an effective law. The present
law stops just short of effectiveness, for
1t surrendsrs to the local authorities all
control over the certitication which es-
tablishes the prima tacie right to q seat
In the house Of represen tatives. The de-
fectshould be cured. Equality of repre-
sentation and the purity Of the electors
must be maintained or everything that
Is valuable to our system of government
is lost. The qualifications of an elector
must he sought in the law, not in the
opinions, preiudices or fears of any class.
however powerful. The path OF
the elector to the ballot box must be
free from the ambush of fear and the en-
ticemeuts of fraud, the count so true and
open that none shall gainsay it, Such u
Inv should be absolutely non-partisan
and impartial. II should give the ad-
vantage to honesty and the control to
majorities.
surely there Is nothing sectional
about this creed, and II II shall happen
that the penalties OF laws intended to
enforce these rights fall here and not
there, IT is not because the law is sec
tional but because happily crime is local
and not universal; nor should 1t be for
gotten that every law, whether relating
to elections or any other su bject, whether
enacted by the state or the nation, has
force behind it. The courts, the mar
shal or constable, the posse comitntus,
the prison, are always behind the law.
One can not be charged with unfriendli-
ness to any section or class who seeks
only to restrain violation of law and of
personal right. No community will find
luwlessness profitable. No community
can afford to have 1t known that the
officers who are charged with the preser-
vation OF the public peace and the re-
straint OF criminal classes are them
selves tho product of fraud or violence.
The magistrate is then without respect
and the law without sanction. The
Hoods of lawlessness can not be leveed
and made to run In one channel. The
killing of q United States marshal car
rying writ of arrest for an election
oifense is full of prompting and sugges-
tion to men who are pursued by city
marshal tor crime against life or prop
erty.
But it is said that this legislation will
revive race animosties, and some have
even suggested that wnen the peaceful
methods of fraud are made impossible
they may be supplanted by intimidation
and violence. If the proposed law gives
to any qualified elector by a hairs width
more than his equal influence or de-
tracts by SO much from any other quail
lied elector, it is fatally impeached; but
II the law is equal, and the animosities
II is to evoke grow out of the tuct that
some electors have been accustomed to
exercise the franchise for others as well
as themselves, and these animosiies
ought not be conferred without shame,
and can not be given any weight in the
discussion without dishouor, no choice
is left to me but to enforce
with vigor all laws intended to secure
| to the citizen his constitutional rights,
and to recommend that the inadequa-
Ilcs VI us
IT 10 promote with zeal and ready inter-
est every precinct for the development
of its material interests, its rivers, har-
bors, mines and factories, and the intel
ligence, peace and security undcr the
law of the communities and its homes,
is not accepted as sufficient evidence of
friend.iness to any state or section l can
not add connivance at election practices
that not only disturb local results but
rob the electors of other states and sec
tions of their most priceless political
rights.
The preparation of the general appro-
priation bill should be conducted with
the greatest care and the closest scru-
tiny OF expenditures. Appropriations
should be adequate TO the needs of the
public service, but they should be abso-
iutely free from prodigality.
i venture again to remind you that
the brief time remaining for the consid-
GRAFTON of the important legislation now
awaiting your attention offers no margin
Tor waste. ffthc present duty is dis
charged with diligence, fidelity and
courage. the work OF the Fiity-firs con.
gress may be confidently submitted TO
the heconsiderate Judgment OF the people.
BENJAMIN HARRISON,
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Decem Der /, 1890.
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