The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-23
CREAM Oe THE PRESS.
Current Topics clipped From the 'e""-
ing Papers of the C"""'sf'

ing Papers of the s"""''''
lrho Nation.
The main difference between the Federal
Election Law which the House has lus'
passed and that already on the etatnte-"ouN'
lies in the increased pcwer. the former gives
20 the supervisors Of election ne act ~
NAV. iSyc. empowered the Circuit court 20
Apnoint superNisors of election ON lhe V"N-
ION of two citizens in cities having over
% O0O inhabitants. az ga the petition Of Ten
in any county or parish IN toneicsslu.I,' ~
district, These supervisors were 10 "''','
the registration Of voters WbeIt'v, SUI,
registration existed; tomarA as chaHens,u
a m ,crsons whom they Thought improperly
- torod and 80 af;f their signatures 90
the list 7heV were also directed 70 attend
AZ AN elections Of all Representatives IN
Congress and watch the voting ana conh,
mo and "scrutiniZc" the ma"rei III Whlch
Tho poll-bOOks and 'Nillcs on chcck-poohN
werp kent, ami they were further to " per
so,allv scrutinize" each ballot cast. IL
will bo seen from this that the duties ol TIE
superyisor were simply those OF Inspection
ar notification. lie was 90 examine the re-
ulster and verify 10 by house to-ho'se
visitation il necessary. He vas 10 marx
the names OF those whom ne thought I'M
nroperlv registered. he WAS 20 watch tn"
polls on election day and chal'erg. Mnen me-
thought i. ncccssar'-, aad ne was Ia be pre-
cut at art Participate IN me hnai count
Tba lodge bill provides that this super
vieion shan take place in any city on ihe he
tition of 100 voters. and la any lon-resslon-
al district on the petition of 30. But the SUI
pervisoi's powers 20 much beyond those as
sicned him by the Act of 1870, for he, may
mass ON the qualifications OF CHALLENGED VOL
ers. and. not ONLY this. he may take any
ballot which the state officers refuse 10 re-
coiyo. and uut IL in the baliOt-hOS himself.
MAILING a record of Tie case. and also may
show voters in what boxes 90 deposit their
ballots. in case the voter. through nnamliil
10 read. should be unable 10 discover lhe
proper boxes. Moreover when the persons
declared 10 be elected by the Federal can,
vassers are not the same a. those uec laitu
elected by the state canNa-sefs, the clefN Oh
the House Is required, on pain OF me and
imprisonmcnt. 10 place on the rolls "i the
Uouse the name OF the person declared
elected bv The Federal officials In short.
the biz. 10 all inteuts and purposes, taxes
the election Of members of The House Out oil
the hands Of the ~.ate officials. u Is
whether called tor or not. a tremendous step
towards Capitalization.
The strongest speech made ae3irs' TN tnc
House came from Mr. TUCKER. OF \lr2ihia'
lie maintained with great force that the
mower given 90 the supervisor 90 pass upon
fbo qualification of voters was direct Nio-
lation OF the second section of the FIRST ar
tcle OF the Constitution, which says,
The House of Representatives sAab Ne
composed OK members chosen every sec9hn
wear hy the people Of the several states,
and the electors in each state shdH nave
the qualifications requisite ioi electors OBJ
the most numerous branch oil ihe >ia'e
Legislature. 90,
Under this bill. clearly. the supervisor will
pass on the qualifications of state a. well
AS of Federal electors. for they are one and
the same. lie pointed out also. iH1i
whether Congress has the constitutional
right to interfere with elections i'm this man
ner or not. il was the belief of tire trainers
and their contemporaries that such powers
would never Doe exercised. He showed mat
the construction put, at the time OBJ lhe
adoption 81 the constitution. 10y Na-~a"NN-
sets, south and North Caroline. New llWmp-
shire. New orh. Rhudc Island and Ieun-
syNauia. either by protest or declaration.
on ,hc provision that Congress might "b'
law mt any time make or alter the state
regulations as % "thc time. places ana
manner of holding elections, was That Do
would take effect 0uit When. 10 Use
the language Of the Massachusetts couNeh-
ton. presided over by Hancock. "a state
shall neglect or refuse 10 make the rceula-
tons therein mentioned, or MAKE le-uid-
tons subyersiyc of thc rights Of the people
TO a free and equal representation M ton-
gress." 10 was. in short. they thought,
power only tobe used In ease the state gov
eminent refused 90 hold Federal elections
OF converted them into a farce. IL was
never supposed that the Federal authority
would undertake the police power Of seeing
that the elections were fairly conducted, by
actual inspection. and even by the creation
of a sort of drUm-hcad tribunal for trying
the qualifications of voters.
OF the impolicy of the bill, for any other
purpose than creating sufficient disturb
ance and disorder at the South 10 revive The
question i'm Northern politics. ana
divert attention from questions of admins
tratiOn and taxation. there can Doe little
doubt. by far the smallest part of the sup
preston Of the negro vote occurs at the
polls. The bulk of il. in so far az it exist,
al all. takes place long before the election
through the influence of the rich on the
poor. of the creditor on the debtor Of the
employer on the labOrer. OF the landlord ON
The tenant. No power the Jaw can create
IAN interfere with the operation of these in-
luences. The Federal supervisor VIII DE 800
more able 10 check or cOuntcraCi them than
10 stop the tides. What ms presence at tine
polls will do will De 10 produce continual
evaporation and irritation and disorders.
and probably 90 strengthen such arts Of co..
arciOn as the whites now use i'm preparation
for the election.