Arizona republican., 1890-12-03

elation remains unchanged. President Wool
 ruff does not renounce the doctrine, but refrains
 from teaching 1t and advises against the prac-
 tice of 1t because the law Is now against 1t. It Is quite true the law should not attempt to deal
 with the faith or belief of any one, but this is
 quite another thing and the only easy way to deal with the Territory of Utah is that those who
 believe polygamy to be rightful shall not
 have the power to make 1t lawful.
 His advocacy of National election
 law is the dearest and most forcible
 argument in favor of such law we have ever seen presented. It is so pertinent to the question in every phase of it that
 it is here quoted in full:
 Han intelligent and loyal company of Amer ican citizens were required to catalogue the es-
 sential human conditions of national life, do
 not doubt that with absolute unanimity they
 would begin with "free and honest elections"
 and 1t is gratifying to know that in general
 there is growing and non partisan demand for
 better election laws But against this sign of
 hope and progress must be set the depressing and undeniable fact that election laws and
 methods are sometimes eunningly contrived to ensure minority control. A whole volume would
 be needed to complete the list of shortcomings and fraud. In my last annual message sug
 gested that the adaptment of the existing law
 providing for federal supervising of Con gressional elections, ofierSd an effective method of reforming these abuses. The need of such a
 law has manifested itself in many parts of the country and its wholesome restraints and pen alties will be useful in all. The constitutional ity of such legislation has been affirmed by the Supreme Court Its probable effectiveness is evidenced by the character of the opposition that is made to it. It has been denounced as fl it were new exercise of federal power and an invasion of the rights of the state. Nothing could be further from the truth. Congress has already fixed time for the election of members of Congress, which must be by written or printed ballots. It has provided for the appointment by Circuit Courts upon the petition of ccr- tain number of citizens, of election super visors and made it their duty to supervise the registration of voters, conducted by the srate officers, to challenge persons offering to regis ter, to personally inspect and serutinise the registry lists and to aix their names to the lists for the purpose of identification and proven. ton of frauds. to attend at elections and re- main with the boxes until the votes are all cast and counted; to attach to the registry list and election returns any statement touching the ac- curacy and fairness of the regisry and elections to take and to transmit to the clerk of the House of Representatives any evidence of fraudulent practices which may be presented to them. The same law provides for the appoint ment of del putty United States m marshals to attend the polls and support the supervisors in the dis charge of their duties and to arrest persons vio- lsting the election law. The provisions of this familiar title of the Revised Statutes have been put into exercise by both the great political parties in the North as well as in the South. It is not, therefore, a ques- tion whether we shall have Q federal election law, for we now have one and have had one for nearly twenty years, but whether we shall have an effective one.
 The present law stops just short of effective ness, for 1t surrenders to the local authori ties all control over the certifcation which estab-
 fishes the right to a seat in the House of Repre- sentatives, This defect should be cured. Equal ity of representation and the purity of elections must be maintained or everything that is valua ble In our system of government will be lost The qualification of an eleetor must be sought in the law, not in the opinion prejudice or fears of a class, however powerful. The path of an eleetor to the bsllot-box must be free from the ambush fear and the ,enticenent of fraud; the course true and open, that none shall gairlsay lks ouCH n lhW pc hDcOANltl1 uOh- phtltshh and impartial. It should give the advantage 70 honesty, the control to majority. Surely there Is nothing sectional about this creed. If itshall happen that the penalties of the laws intended to enforce these rights fall hare and not there it is not because the law is sectional, but be- cause, happily, crime is local and not universal Nor should 1t be forgotten that every law, whether relating to elections or to any other subject, whether enacted by the State or by the Nation, has force behind it. The courI, the mar. shal or constable, the posse comitatus, the prison, are all and always behind the law. One cannot be justly charged with unfriendliness to any section or class who seeks only to restrain violators of law and of personal right. No com. munity will find lawlessness profitable, no com munity can afford to have it known that the officers who are charged with the preservation of the public peace and the restraint of their criminal classes are themselves the product of fraud or violence. The magistrate is then with out respect and the law without sanction. The lawlessness can be made to run in one channel.
 The killing of United States Marshsl, cary Ing writ of arrest for an election of'ense, is full of offense to the men who are pursued by A city marshal for a crime against life or property
 But 1t Is said that this legislation will revive and some have even suggested that when the peaceful methods of fraud are made impossible, they may be supplanted by intimi. iation and violence. If the proposed law gives any qualified elector by hairs width more than his equal influence or detracts so much from any other qualified elector it is fatally i'm peached. But if the law is equal and the to evoke grow out of the fact that some electors have been accustomed to exercise the franchise for others as well as for them selves, then these animosites ought not be con Iessed without shame, and cannot be given any weight in the discussion without dishonor No choice is left to me but to enforce with vigor all laws intended to secure to the citizen his con ,titutional rights and to recommend that the nadequacies of such laws be promptly remedied If to promote with zeal every project for the development of it's material interests, rivers, harbors, mines and factories, and the intelli- sence, peace and security under the law of ts communities and it's homes is not accepted IS sufficient evidence of friendliness to any tate or section, cannot add conniyance at election practices that not only disturb, not 'nly all local results but rob the electors of 'ther states and sections of their most priceless political rights.
 As whole the message is very Itrong one, one which cannot we'll be attacked and one which the people will cad with interest and will fully endorse.