The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-04-12
United States Elections.


Mr.. Lodges Election bill is intended
to provide q new and uniform mode
o. conducting Congressional elections
in all parts OF the country, says the
New York Tribune. It is true that
unless 500 voters In the district pc
tition FOR enforcement OF the act, the
election OF Representative will there
continue under State laws. But IL 10
presumed that one party or another
in almost every district in the country
will soon desire to call into operation
the safeguards against fraud which the
bill supplies. Upon such a petition
the Judge OF the United States District
Court is required to place the next
Congressional election In that district
under the provisions Of the act, and
to appoint for the Congressional dis.
trict all officers OF registration and
election. The registrars must be one
OF each leading party, and must post
preliminary lists OF voters in eech
precinct, afterward holding public
meetings for registration, which shall
cease not less than ten days before
elections Unless registered no person
can enter within the voting enclos.
ure.
The method OF voting is substan-
TALLY the Australian or MassachE-
setts system, with an official ballot,
exclusion OF voters from all scrutiny,
protection against any interference.
The provisions for punishment OF dis
closure OF ballots or interference with
voters, destruction OF election sup.
plies or faiiureaby election officers to
perform their duties faithfully, place
enforcement OF the law under entire
control OF the court, and the marshal
OF the court selects deputy marshsls
to preserve order, aud to secure
to all qualified voters the peace
able exercise of their rights. Final.
ly the votes are to be returned
to the clerk OF tine District Court,
who with the Judge shall compute the
result and certify it to the clerk OF the
House OF Representatives, who shall
place on the roll the names OF Repre-
sentatives thus certified.
In many parts OF the country the
provision FOR registration OF all voters
and for the exclusion OF those who
fail TO register. will be an unwelcome
innovation. But ID has plainly be-
come necessary to have &C command
ample means OF protecting honest
voters in the use OF their suffrage,
since the legally qualified voter is in
effect robbed OF bis franchise /. he Is
outvoted by election officers, by dead
men or by repeaters, after the Jersey
City fashion. II the people OF any
district desire to avoid thu inconyen-
fences Of che law, they have only to
make their elections so fair and Just
to all that there may not be found
800 voters in q district to apply for
the defence oil United States laws.
The cost OF registration, and OF pro-
vidine voting places and ballots. falls
upon the United States, and an ap.
prop-lation OF $4,000 Ia embraced
for that purpose, which will probably
be found too small. But were the
cost ten times as great, it would be
well and wisely expended il 1t would
secure in election OF Representa- atives
in Congress fair and true expression
OF the will OF the people.
THIS measure, II adopted, would put
an end to the industry OF ballOt-box
suffers and repeaters, and to ths
making OF fraudulent or forged re-
turns, for it In not TO be presumed
that any United States Judge would
select for election officers persons ca.
pable OF psrpetrating or conniying at
such crimes. Protection to each vot-
err against violence CT intimidation
cannot practically be given in some
parts OF the country, but whether
that wrong exists and can In the main
be removed, the number OF deputies
can be increased at the discretion OF
the Court. In many cases the pres
ence OF q single official. clothed with
the authority OF the Court, will suffice
to preserve order and secure obedience
to the law. However radical may be
the change which this hill proposes, it
would be q change In the direction OF
greater freedom and fuller exercise OF
his rights for every qualified voter.
1t would set an example, moreover,
which State authorities could not
long refuse to follow ii respect TO
methods ot registration and voting.