Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-08-15
The Senate Election Bill


Tho Election bill which has been
agreed upon by the Senate Commit
tee on Elections differs in some re-
spects from the Lodge bill passed
by the House, and meets some of
the objections raised to that meA-
sure on the Republican side of the
Senate chamber, thus making its
passage by the Senate morally
certain. The bill is shorter and
simpler than the Lodge bill, and,
taken as a whole, is no less efficient
than that measure. The section
which it was claimed provided for
the presence of United States troops
at the polls is stricken out, so that
in this respect the bill makes no
change in the present law. The
house.to house canvass, and the
provision for drawing jurics by the
commissioners of the House bill,
are also omitted, and the penal
offences are simplified, being made
misdemeanors, with less severe pen.
alties, instead of felonies. The
Judge Of the Circuit Court before
whom application is made for the
appointment of supervisors is att
thorized to appoint as supervisors
any persons he may see fit, not
being confined in his selection to
the list published by the chief SUI
pervisor. Provision is made for a
careful control and specification of
fees that may be charged by the
supervisors, which are less in the
substitute than those named in the
House bill. In cases where ballots
are cast in the wrong box, they are
not to be counted unless the tally
sheet shows that the votes for con-
gressmen do not equal the number
of names on the poll list, then enough
of the votes so wrongly cast shall
be added to the tally sheet TO make
the total equal to the whole number
of votes shown TO be cast. Super.
visors may administer oaths to
voters applying therefor in case of
the refusal of the election officers
to administer them. In fact it will
take a great deal of ingenuity to
discover in this bill anything which
fairly entities it to be called force
bill. 1t simply extends the pro-
visions already on the statute book,
applying to cities having a certain
population, to the whole county,
when such extension is asked for
by certain number of legal voters.
1t is to have 10 more effect on
Mississippi than on Vermont, but
applies equally everywhere that its
application is properly asked for.
Senator Hoar of Massachusetts, thus
sums up the provisions of the bill:
10
of the Circuit Court for the inspection OF the
election IN any town or city of 20 900 nhlbI.
tants or upward, or Of any county, township,
parish or precinct, officers may be appointed
for that purpose, three in each precinct OF
whom not more than two shall be OF one DO.
lltlcal party. Ii is made their duty to super.
wise inspect and witness the election, but
the registration and the election and tho
ccrtiticatlon of the result thereof. are left In
the hands of the local authorities When
inspection is prov idcd form " hole congress
ional district, however, there shall be three
State Commissioners appointed by the court
not more than two of whom shall be OF one
political party, who shall issue n certificate
OF the election in that district. The certificate
thus made shall be used by ths clerk OF tho
House in making up his roll OF members
Any person who shall make under oath a
statement that he believes he Is entitled "a
election may have the case examined by tho
Judge OF Il circuit court. II that Judge finds
that the certificate OF the commissioners is
not correct he shall Issue n certificate, and
that certificate shall be Anal until the case is
acted on by the House OF Representatives.
1t shall be prims face evidence of the right
OF the person named therein to a seat in the
House. The rest OF tho provisions arc
merely an extension OF the law which has
been enforced III New York State for IL NUN.
Der of years.
The bill will doubtless be de.
nouncod by the Democratic party.
The country however, demands
honest elections. The Republican
party is pledged to secure them,
and there should be no delay in re,
deeming this pledge.
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