Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-07-25
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN A. BU-
CHANAN ON THE FEDERAL
ELECTION Law.

After forciblo answer to Mr..
Burrows, of Michigan, in his charges
against tile people of Virginia, Mr..
Buchanan continued
shall not discuss tho question of
the power of Congress to enact n
Federal election law, nor tho unes-
ton of the necessity for it. These
questions have been fully and ably
considered by tho gentlemen of tho
committee and others who have pre-
ceded me. But suppose it be true,
as is claimed, that Congress has such
power and that the necessity for tho
exercise of that power has arisen, bo.
cause corruption has licked It's way
into the great popular heart, because
violence aud fraud are abroad i'll the
land, because the State governments
arc no longer able or willing to con
duet their elections fairly and hon
estly, because local home rule is n
future and fair cloctions Gun only be
had through the intervention Of the
Federal Government (none of which
do | delieve) will the bill under con
sideration accomplish that object?
Is it fair und just in its provisions
Or is il not IL partisan measure, frnm-
ell in violation of sound principles
and i'll tho interest of the party in
power Ours is government Of laws
not government of men. In all
free governments this must be the
case. Civil liberty is only possible
when regulated BY law and not left
to the discretion of rulers. The du
ties Of the officers who arc TO execute
the laws must be clearly defined aud
their powers rigidly limited. The
government is best, other things be-
lug equal, which leaves least to the
discretion of its officers
This bill violates those great prin
ciplcs. The powers it confcrs upon
the chief supervisor of each Judicial
district are very great, not clearly
defined nor regulated by law. He
alone determines how many super
visors of election and how many spc
cinl deputy maashals shall be ap
pointed. The court can appoint no
one unless he is recommended by
the chief supervisor, so that practi
cally hc not only determines the
number, but he selects the men.
They nre not selected for nor from
any particular precinct, but can be
taken from any place and assigned
10 duty Mt any other place in the
samo Congressional district, without
any regard to the wishes Of the peo
pie OF of the supervisors. Roughs
and rowdies can bo sent from the
cities to the country to watch over
and take charge of tho elections Mt
country precincts.
All supervisors are under tho NIB
solute control of the chief supervisor
He details them for duty like the
commander Of nm army does his sol
dicrs. His Instructions and direc
tions is their chief, in not their only,
gnide i'll tho performance of their du-
ties II he is partisan, rs he is III
most sure to be, he can disfrnnrhiso
all the supervisors taken from the
party to which ho does not belong,
By assigning them to duty on elec
,ion day at precincts where they do
not live and Mt which they cannot
vote. He can use his power in this
and in many other ways to strength
eli his own party and to weaken the
opposition. He can use the money
raised by taxation from all tho peo-
pie in such way as to corrupt the
voter and control the elections in the
interest of his own party, and thus
perpetuate its power and defeat the
real will of the people. All these
things can be done under tho forms
of law; under the provisions of this
bill; and there is no remedy for the
wrong; no punishment for the wrong
doer.
No election law is just that pro.
vides for or allows such things. 1t
is useless to say that such wrongs
will only be done where bud men are
appointed to Office, and that such
will not be appointed. The history
of one section of this country for the
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