Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-17
NATIONAL ELECTION BILL.


ID
Local SeiE-gOvsrnnient.
Harper's Weekly Editorial
Il is generally admitted, even by Re-
publicans, that the Presidents course has
not strengthened his party. But 1t Is
still more eyid INT to every In elligent
observer that the course of tina Repubh-
can Congress- has deeply injured the
party. The passage of the pension BILL
involves an outlay OF the public money
which is inoaloulsble. 1t is n surrender
to the fear OF losing a mercenary vote,
and is defended under transparently
hypocriticai pretences. The good SENSE
OF the country measures at their exact
value the protestations by d amegogues OF
their patriotic gratitude, while the true
! feeling OF the American volunteer Is ex-
pressed by brave veterans Ike senator
Hawley and President Andrews. Ihe
| passage by the Houss OF the mckinney
| bill, which, in the face OF surplus,
raises the average rate OF customs duties'
has produced what looks now like seri-
ems breach in the party. Mr.. Blaine'a
letter and the reports Of his frank COM
nepts upon the bill expresses not only
the views Of a great body Of Republicans,
but of the American intelligence whlch 10
not classified by party name.
But more disturbing to the pubic
mind than either the pension or the tRrin
policy of the dominant party is the ma
tionai election bill, which, both in itself
and in the extraordinary limitation OF
debate upon it, is q startling measure,
which, the more it ia understood, cannot
fail to arouse profound public amAzement
and distrust 10 secure result which
cannot be attained by the enforcement OF
auy law, the Republican party proposes
10 overthrow the most vital tradition of
,. the American system of government
, the local control OF elections. The de.
, struotion OF that cardinal condition OF
our government would be an evil much
!, more radical and alarming than Inc
suppression OF tine vote which the mea'
: snre PROCESSES TO aia to correct The
! bill commits the result OF Congress.
!. aionaI elections in any district VIII re
few persons reauest it to a body large
or small Of partisan agents, and e
a permanent returning board, appointed
by a central authority, in whose honesty
= and impaytiality the public confidence
!. will be necessarily much less than IN th'
present election agencies, while the locs
= contentment and acquiescehca IN the re
. sult. which are considerations OF vita
7 imuortance to the tranquil working o
> auy election system, will be wholly wan.
y inc. Opposition to this extraordinar,
y measure is not, as Republican speaker
o. :. and the Republican press allege, indioa
y y tive of disposition to tolerate suppress
= sion of the oolored vote, or the wholesai
- buying of wnite voters in blocks OF hVs
= Such opposition rests upon the GROUND
40 that whatever the extent OF the EVIL
!, the remedy proposed is a much create
n evil.
=. law providing for national supervisors Q
~ eIection. extending it to q pc mt whie
= superssdes altogether the state control Q
10 congressional elections. The state elei
~ ton officers, indeed are nominally recol
- - nizsd but they are subordinated entirel
he to the United States officers. The resu
an would be that the election OF members
No Congress in New York, for instano
y, uuon the request of few persons
every district would be controlled not
lce officers selected by the people but |
IRE eoeats appointed by national authorit
no The states under the circumstances mig
10 naturally decline to take any OF
sn- oial part in Bueh elections OIL
VI VI the blow OF the very root o. our system
~ local aelfgovern nent would be dlsa
ns trous. II 10 these acts OF the DONNA
acc marty be added the gross violstion of Q
| EDUtlYS DLeuEob VI AoAOAAA 80 sAsS SAF-~ -
nat vice and the party acquieseence In I
lne silence of Quay, the chairman or :
NJ national Republican COMMITTEES, und
ut. criminal charges very generally believe
~ which, if untrue, he couli disproye
as All once, amid general satisfaction a
-" 10 the immense benefit OF his par
\, with the ardent support of the II
~ atlyer bill by ths extreme we
,as. ern Republicans, party reoo
,v il offered to the country which has neot
,ro. sarily radically weakened it among thu
~ whose support is in itself the best r'
,;ea ance of a party, and leaves it in thu pc
In IN tion OF o party conscious of the loss
!. :. ia moral hold upon the country,
~, desperately resolved by audactous stra
H.. ING of the forms OF law to retain
~ = power which is psssing. away. IN
=. -, who recall the splendid days and De
WIZ of the youth and prime OF the Kepu
-, can party cannot see the spectacle @h
W. il now presents without remember
~ Ooutrs's powerful and psthetio pietur'
e's' "Ths Decadenos Of the Romans"