The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-08-06
A MENACE TO LIBERTY,
A CONCISE STATEMENT OF THE
MEANING OF THE FORCE BILL.

MEANING OF THE FORCE BILL.
A Mighty Argument Asainsta Most Dan
gerous Measure that Should Convince
the Most Rabid Republican that it
Should Not Become Law.
The Federal Elections bill gives to
Republican Federal officers the control
of all elections. 1t takes from the
States the substance Of the right. re-
served in the Constitution, to deter
mine and judge Of the qualifications
of voters. 1t is a partisan measure,
and the assertion that it is to secure
full and free elections is mere pretense.
How intensely partisan it is is shown by
the fact that the bill provides that it
shall 60 into operation at the coming
fall election. The chief supervisors
are to be appointed for life, and, as the
electoral machinery is put into their
hands, it will be for years under the
control of republican partisans no
matter what may be the character of
the Administration.
THE MOTIVE OF THE BILL.
The motive of the bill is therefore
bad. It is intended to control at
Washington the return Of Congress
men. The business of choosing their
representatives is transferred from the
people to the partisans of the admin
istration. For hundreds of years all
elections to English-speaking parlia-
ments have been conducted by the
officers of the locality where the voting
has taken place. In England the writ
for an election is received by the sheriff
of the county, and the proceedings are
in charge Of the returning officers of
the counties and boroughs. The stat
utes regulating the procedure date
back to the reign of Henry VI.
So firmly fixed is the traditional
right of the people of the locality to
conduct their own elections, that only
year ago Mr.. Rowell, the Republican
author of the worst features of the
pending bill, complained bitterly, IN
the contested election case Of Smalis
and Elliot, that the election officers OF
South Carolina are appointed by the
Governor. Now it is intended by this
man and his party that the power
shall come from a very much remoter
source-from Washington. The change
is to be haStened, too, in order that it
may be made while Quay is at the
head of the party. Therefore, in con-
sidering the bill. we are forced to judge
it by what the master of corruption
may accomplish under its provisions.
TEE FOUNDATION OF THE BILL.
All Congressional legislation must
find its warrant in the Constitution.
There can be no difference of opinion
in the proposition that the States alone
have the right to declare who shall be
voters. The only limitation upon this
right is that suffrage shall not be denied
to any one on the ground that he is a
negro or was a slave. No one has
right to vote for Congressman unless
he is voter of the State. The Con-
stitution says that the electors who
shall vote for representatives in Con-
gress Sin each State shall have the
qualifications requisite for electors of
the most numerous branch of the State
LEGISLATURE" This means that every
one who is permitted by the laws of the
State of New York to vote for men,
bers of Assembly may vote for mem
bers of Congress. AS the voting is
done under the laws of the State, State
officers have invariably conducted
elections. 1t is POW proposed that the
,Stats~lsws shall be administered by
United States officers. The clause Of
the Constitution on which the makers
of this new law depend is that which
provides that Congress may make or
alter the regulations which the States
are directed to prescribe concerning
the manner of holding elections.
This provision was adopted as pre-
cautionary measure, and in order to
guard against a possible refusal of a
State to provide for the election Of
Congressmen. The resolution adopted
by the State of New York concerning
this clause on ratifying the Constitu-
ton shows what was intended. New
York's resolution was as follows:
In full confidence that the Congress
will not make or alter any regulations
in this State respecting the times,
manner and place of holding elections
for Senators or Representatives, unless
the Legislature of this State shall
neglect or refure to make laws or reg
ulations for the purpose, or from any
circumstances be incapable of making
the same, and that in those cases such
power will duly be exercised until the
Legislature of this State shall make
provision in the premises.
It NAV be added that if the United
States officers have the power to take
charge of elections for Representatives
they may also enter the State LegiSla-
ture and supervise and superlntend
the choice of Senators, for the Consti-
tuition also gives to Congress the right
to make or alter the regulations con-
cerning the manner of holding cleo
Tons for Senators"
Ithaving been, therefore, the imne-
mortal usage of the people OF each
locality to conduct their own elections,
and it being also the right OF the
States to interpret their own laws,
among them those which determine
who shall vote for congressman, let us
see how these immemorial usages and
these rights of the State are affected
by the Federal Elections bill.
The officer who is,to be in charge of
elections is called the chief supervisor
of elections. There is to be one for
each judicial district. New York
would have three-one in the city OF
New York, one in Brooklyn and one in
the central or western part Of the State.
Heis a judicial officer, for hei isa United
States Commissioner. He is to have
charge of the Federal officers who are
to be appointed to control elections.
He is to examine voters under oath and
receive returns. He is to have charge
of the deputy marshals appointed to
assist him, and will have absolute
power to order arrests.
The bill applies to State as to Fede-
raj elections. Its language is: ''Elec-
tions at which Representatives of Del
egates in Congress are voted for" As
is well known, Congressman and State
officers are voted for at the same cleo
tions. In this State they are voted for
on the same ballot, and under our re-
formed ballot law there is only one