Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-09
SATURDAY. AUGUST 8. 1890.
Mr.. Hoar's Substitute.

Mr.. Hoar's Substitute.
Tho substitute for the House force bill
reported TO the Senate by the Committee
on Privileges and Elections OF that body
Is an improvement on the original.
There is no question about this. and yet
Il retains enough of the DAVENPORT Lopez
proposition to damn il in the eyes Of all
Americans who believe that the preserva-
tion of the rights Of the States is essential
% the maintenance of q republican form
Of government.
IL the notifications recommended by
Mr.. HoAR had been made in Difference TO
public sentiment we should not withhold
praise from these gentlemen. but that was
not the motive. They were forced TO sug-
Rest the amendments because some of their
own senators refused to vote for the bill
otherwise.
We owe good deal to Mr.. TELLER and
Che few who like him have insisted
npon changes. but we are not in
tlebted to those of the majority who
yielded when they found the pressure ire
sistible.
Two important features abandoned by
the Senate committee are the use OF mill
tary at the polls in manner not authorized
by any present law. and the abolition OF
The non partisan jury commissioners.
The Dispatch was one OF the first papers
In the country to point out the atrocious
character of the jury amendment. Under
the present law. which exists as the CROWN
inc work Of Mr.. Humans senatorial SER
vice, the jury-lst Is made up by the clerk
of the court and another commissioner,
whose politics are the opposite Of the clerks.
For this circuit these two gentlemen are
Mr.. PLEAsANTs and Mr.. OVERLY. When
they frame list, first one and then the
other puts name into the box. The DA-
vESpoRT-LoDGE bill proposed to abolish
this arrangement, and to require Judge
BOND to appoint the jury commissioners,
the design Of which was to have Republic
can instead of non bipartisan juries drawn
for the trial of election cases. In other
words. Judge BOND was to preside over the
court, and the jurors were to be men Sc
lected by his appointees.
The Senate committee report against
this provision. Well they may! II would
have turned courts Of justice into instru-
ments of political revenge and made
Americans ashamed of their government.
The committeeman also recommend
that the section authorizing domiciliary
visits by deputy United States marshals be
struck from the bill. Mr.. DAVENPORT will
get offended at this. 1t was cute arrange
ment he had made to pay Republican can
vassers out Of the United States Treasury.
md it had this peculiar effectiveness. that
foreigners and other shy voters when they
were told that they were being searched
for by marshals would have their fears ey-
cited and would hasten away from rather
than to the polls. 1t was a trick equiya-
lent to that played In New York by Mr..
DAVENPORT when he raised tremendous
row about naturalization papers and thus
scared from the ballot-boxes many worthy
foreign-born citizens who desired to vote
the Democratic ticket, but in their igno-
rance Of orr laws feared that they would
get into trouble about their papers.
We heartily rejoice that all these sections
are to be abandoned. Other changes are
made most Of them improvements, but
these are the greatest.
The vital essence of the scheme remains
In that provision which allows Federal
returning board in each State to decide
who is and who is not entitled to have his
name enrolled by the Clerk of the House
of Representatives. There is clause
which permits an appeal to the judge, but
1t affords no remedy for a radical wrong.
..,t n H.
Federal Constitution this duty of award
ing certificates of election is now per-
formed by State officers. In Virginia tho
Governor, the Secretary of the Common
wealth. and three other officers constitute
the State Board of Canyassers, who meet
IN the Capitol after each election. canvass
the returns. tabulate the vote. declare re-
suits. and award certificates which entitle
the holders 10 have their names placed
upon the House roll and to vote in the or
ganization of that body. DAVENPORT and
LODGE provide in effect that this work
shall be done hereafter by Federal board
appointed by the circuit nudge and from
memoranda sent in by the supervisors.
The radicals are willing to sacrifice all
their other schemes to get this pivotal one
through. Strike il out and the bill is dead
Adopt il and they imagine the House of
Representatives will be Republican ever
hereafter.
1t seems impossible that the bill should
pass the Senate at this session. At present
the Republicans have as much as they can
do to keep order in their own ranks.
There Is a suspicion that these amend
ments have been consented to by the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections. so as to
get the bill through the Senate; that then
the House will non-concur; that a CON-
mittee Of conference will result. and that
the committee will report in favor Of the
original measure. and that then all the Re
publican senators Will yield and the
country will have the law just ~ Mr. DA-
vrSPosr framed it.
This is too complicateda project for sue
cessfui execution in the hurly-burly of the
closing hours of Congress. We believe the
whole radical set would only be too glad
TO get the substitute enacted into law.
In this, too. We trust, and have much rea-
son TO believe. they will be disappointed,
for the substitute does not suit Mr.. TEL
yER and may prove Objectionable 10 the
Republican senators.
-
Kemmler's Case.
49,. ..s..x:n~ L. a.,