Sharp County record., 1890-08-21
THE ELECTIONS BILL.
A Measure Obnoxious to Republican
Form of Government.

THE ELECTIONS BILL.
A Measure Obnoxious to Republican
Form of Governments.
The purpose of the Republican party
in the Federal elections bill is to place
the election of members of the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES under the control OF
Federal office-h holders, and its scope is
such that it will virtually control the
election of the various State officers,
abrogating State laws enacted to secure
fair elections.
The bill provides for the appointment
of chief supervisor in every judicial
district in the United States. There
are seventy of these districts.
The chief supervisors appoint three
supervisors for each voting precinct,
who are practically to conduct the elec-
ton. Two of these officers are to be
selected from one party and the third
from the opposite party, but the major
ity are to have the power to decide upon
ali matters that come before them. This
is very cunningly devised scheme for
partisan purposes
All of the election machinery is
placed in the hands of partisan boards,
and they can return as elected to Con-
gress whoever they may see fit, the
States having no power to control their
action in counting the votes or certify.
ing to the returns, nor can they pun
ish them for any crimes or frauds COM
mitted under this bill.
The promoters of this bill know in
advance that nine out of ten OF the
chic supervisors appointed will be Re-
publicans; they will appoint the super
visors at each voting precinct, and it
is absolutely certain that two of these
men will be Republicans, who will have
complete control of the board
Deputy marshals are to be appointed
without limit as to number, to attend
upon registration and voting. The
bill authorizes these Federal officers to
make a house-to-house canvass through
out each district The doors of every
dwelling must be flung open to these
partisan spies, many of whom will be
negroes, and all questions about the
family history which they may be dis
posed to ask must be answered, or arrest
and imprisonment will follow
No scheme could have been devised
by the worst enemies of the South
better calculated to renew sectional
hatred.
A bill more obnoxious to q Republi-
can form Of government was never pre-
sented to legislative body Its pur-
pose is wholly partisan, and emanated
from a few politicians whose desire. is
to perpetuate themselves in power,
though to do so 1T be necessary to revo.
lutionize the Government and take
from the people the last vestige of their
rights
1t is the first attempt in the history
Of our Government to wrest from the
people the election of their representa-
tives and place it in the hands of an i'm.
mense army of Federal officers.
This bill, in my Judgment, should II
become a law, will revive the old sec
tional feeling and bring about con-
fict between the white and colored
races 1t viii turn back the wheels OF
progress and derress the industries not
only in that section but throughout
the entire country. The business and
fair-minded men of the North, without
regard to party, should protest in the
most vigorous manner against the pass
age Of this bill, as their rights arc in
volved as we'll as those of the Southern
people. Hon. W. f. Wilcox, NJ c., in
N. Y. Morning journal.