Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-12-09
FREE AND HONEST ELECTIONS.
No Uncertain Tone Regarding the Need
of an Effective Federal Law.

n
No Uncertain Tone Regarding the Need
of an Effective Federal Law.
If anv intelligent and loyal company
of American citizens were required 10
catalogue the essential human con-
ditions OF natural life, | do not doubt
that with absolute unanimity they
would begin with Gree and honest
elections" and it is gratifying to know
ina. generally there is growing and
ron-partisan demand for better election
laws, but against this sign of hope and
progress must be set the depressing and
undeniable fact that election laws and
methods are sometimes cunningly con-
trived to insure minority control, while
violence completes the shortcoming
of fraud. In my last annual
message | suggested that the adapt
ment of the existing law providing
federal supervision of congressional
elections offered an effective method Of
reforming these abuses. The need Of
such law has manifested itself in many
parts of the country, and its whole
some restraints and penalties will be use
full in all. The constitutionality OF such
legislation has been affirmed by the SUI
preme court. Its probable effectiveness
is evidenced by the character of the OPP
position that is made to it. 1t has been
denounced as if it were new exercise
OF federal power and an invasion of the
rights of the states. Nothing could be
further from the truth. Congress has
already fixed the time for the election CT
members of congress. 1t has been de-
clared that the vote for members of con-
gress must be by written or
printed ballots. 1t has provided
for appointment by the circuit
courts in certain cases and upon
the petition of certain number of citiz-
ems OF election supervisors, and made it
their duty to supervise the registration
OF voters conducted by the state officers !;
to challenge persons offering to register /;
to personally inspect and scrutinize the
registry lists and affix their names to the
lists for the purpose of identification and
the prevention OF frauds; to attend at
elections and remain with the boxes
until the votes are all cast and counted !;
to attach to the registry lists and cleo
ton returns any statement touching the
accuracy and fairness of the registry and
elections; to take and transmit to the
clerk of the house OF representatives any
evidence of fraudulent practices which
may be presented to them.
The same law provides for the an
pointment OF deputy United States mar
shals to attend at the polls, support the
supervisors in the discharge OF their
duties, and to arrest persons violating
the election laws. The provisions of
this familiar title of the revised statutes
hapn Mt h,,
great political parties, in the North as
well as in the South, by the filing with
the court of the petitions required by
the law. 1t is not, therefore, question
whether we shall have a federal election
law, for we now have one, and have had
for nearly twenty years, but whether
we shall have an effective law.
The present law stops just short OF
for it surrenders to the
local authorities all control over the
certification, which establishes the
prima facie right to a seat in the house
OF representatives. This defect should
be cured. Equality of representation
and the purity of the electors must be
maintained or everything that is valu-
able to your system of government is
lost. The qualifications of an elector
must be sought in the law, not in
opinions, prejudices 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 entice
ments OF fraud, the count so true and
open that none shall gainsay it. Such a
law should be absolutely non. partisan
and impartial. 1t should give the
advantage to honesty and the control to
majorities. ''- W
Surely there is nothing sectional about
thls creed, and if it shall happen that
the penalties OF laws intended to enforce
these rights fall here and not there. it
IS not because the law is sectional. but
because, happily, crime is local and not
universal. Nor should it be forgotten
mat every law, whether relating to cleo
uons or to any other subject, whether
enacted by the state or by the nation.
mas force behind it. The courts. the
marshal or constable, the posse conf.
IaIus, the prison, are all and ALWAYS
behind the law.
one cannot be Justly charged with
unirlendliness to any section or class
VINO seeks only to restrain violations OF
law and of personal right. No commn-
nlty Will find lawlessness profitable NJ
community can afford to have IL known
that the officers who are charged with
me perseverance of the pubic peace and
the restraint of the criminal classes are
themselves the product of fraud or vio.
renee The magistrate is then without
~! lrg3sPtci ana lie law without sanction
me Hoods OF lawlessness can be ipveIcd
a ,nn. made to run in one channel The
ku!Ilhg OF a United States marshal err
lynn; ayG writ OF arrest for an election Of.
lens, tense Is full OF prompting, and offense 70
sh5, men who are pursued by a CITY mar.
S, IN. Tor crime against life or pron.
roi nut 1t Is said that this legislation will
s suone anlmoslties and some have even
oJss E 80 Ecu that when the peaceful meth
ms VI fraud are made impossible thev
may be supplanted by intimidation mo- or
violence, III the nronosod - : tioi vi