The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-06-28
NATIONAL ELECTIONS.
How They Would be Regulated
i'm Future
Should the Bill Adopted by the Repub-
lican Caucus Become Law.

Heavy Penalties Prescribed for Bribery.
Fraud and Intimidat ation--Australian Sys-
tenn of Balioting Not Interfered with.
WASHINGTON, June 17.-The National
Elections bill which was adopted by q
Republican caucus and which Mr. Lodge,
of Massachusetts,, has introduced in the
House, is entitled "a bill to amend and
to supplement the election laws of the
United States and to provide for the
more efficient enforcement of such laws,
and for other purposes" The bill in all
probability will he taken up for consid-
Grafton this week and will pass the
House by a party vote. The first section
of the bill provides that tho chief super
visors of elections now in Office their
successors and the chief supervisors to
be appointed under the provisions of the
bill, shall bo charged "both in person
and by and through tho supervisors of
elections who may from time to time be
appointed with the supervision of cleo
tions at which Representatives or dele
gates in Congress are voted for, with tho
enforcement of tho national election
laws and with the prevention of frauds
and Irregularities in naturalization.
BY the provisions of tho bill not only
elections, but regis trations are to be SUI
pervised by the Federal supervisors.
Supervision is to be had in Congress
sional district when 100 qualified voters
in a city of 10000 or more inhabitants,
whether wholly within single district
or not, and in any entire district no part
&c f,,.l; ,l 10 ,,i hi in, ai af tho ,onnn la
tion named, or when fifty voters in one
or moro counties or parishes forming
only a part of a Congressional district
make application to the chief supervis-
or of elections fer tho judicial district
in which these elections are situated.
The circuit judges are to appoint tho
supervisors of election on the recon-
mendation of chief supervisors, and
three supervisors are to be assigned to
each voting precinct or district. In each
assignment only two of the supervisors
are to be of the same political party.
Elections are to be conducted according
to the laws of the several States and
Territories. Ballots are to be counted
at each voting precinct by tens, first by
an Inspector then by another inspector
Estate our locallo tICer), thann3y a Fed
eral supervisor, then lY another inspso'
tor. then by second supervisor r!ds SO
on. When the count has been LSm-
pleted, the inspectors are to send certiti-
Gates to the clerk of the District Court,
and tho supervisors to tho chief super
visor for the district The supervisors
are also to send the actual ballots cast
to the chief supervisor. Safeguards to
ensure the correct certificates getting
to the chief supervisor are provided for.
On application to the chief supervis-
ors, the circuit courts are to be opened
on or before the first day of October
preceding an election. Each Judge is to
appoint three persons to serve as a
board of canvassers for each State with
in his judicial district Not more than
two of these are to be of the same po.
litical party. These boards are to de-
clare and certify the result of the cleo
tion in each Congressional district.
They are given power to examine all re-
turns, summon supervisors to tostify
before them, etc. Their determinations
are to be made in triplicate and one sent
to each chief supervisor of the districts
IN which the respective boards have au.
thority to act; another to the person
elected and the third to the clerk of
the House of Representatives at Wash
ington.
If no person is found duly elected, cer-
tificates in triplicate are to be sent to
the Governor of tho State, to the clerk
of the House and to the proper chief SUI
pervisor. Where there are two differ
ent persons certified as elected from any
one district, one by the State officers
and the other by tho board of canvass
ers, the clerk of the House is required
under heavy penalty for neglect, to
place the name of the person certified
by the board of canvassers on the roll
of the House.
A large part of the bill is devoted to
prescribing heavy penalties for the pun
ishment of bribery, fraud, intimidation,
failures of supervisors and inspectors to
prevent frauds. The laws of the several
States concerning voting arc not changed
and States are permitted to adopt the
Australian system or any other method
of voting at any time. The appointment
of special United States Marshals to pre-
serve order, and the payment of all
United States officers and employees con-
i.ad under the law are also provided
for,