Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-07-23
THE FEDERAL ELECTION BILL.

TIE FEDERAL ELECTION BILL.
IT HENACEs THE LIBERTIES OF THE PRO-
PLE-THE ELEcrIoNs..To BE CONTROLLED
BY MILITARY FORCE
From the admirable speech of Congress
man Crisp, of Georgia, delivered in Balti.
more in the night of the 18th instant, We
copy that portion which discusses the Fed
eral election bill as follows:-
The republican leaders do no. want fair
and free election. They SANDER and Willy
the South to revive animosities and preju-
dices against that section, aud under the
plea of wanting honest elections there they
enact law which will deprive the people
not only of the South, but of the North also,
of all power to repudiate them at the polls.
AN UBIQUITOUS BILL.
"Under the House bill the circuit courts
Of the United States appoint chief super
visors of elections for each judicial district.
The judges are nearly all republican. The
chief supervisor, when appointed, is the
master of the situation. Supervisors are
appointed for each voting place. Any num-
Der of deputy marshals, all of the same par
ty, may be appointed; there is no limit to
the number. These officers are ali paid out
of the treasury, and may be employed ten
days Or more. The marshals may make a
house toulouse canvass to Inquire into the
qualification of voters, and must do what
ever the chief supervisor orders them to do.
The States may have election officers, but
whenever there is conflict in the returns
the State return gives way to the federal
or Nhn nrrt0 rot,,v ,riv nv
board. Their certificate entities the holder
to participate in the organization of the
next House. The holder of the certificate
from a Governor of State can only contest
the election after the House is organized.
The bill appropriates an indefinite sum of
money to execute the law, and it is con-
tnuing or permanent appropriation. The
treasury is required to honor the requisiton
of the chief supervisor in advance of the
election for as much money as he wants;
there is no emit; his direction cannot be re-
vised or reviewed. If enforced generally
hundreds of thousands of officers would be
appointed, and at least $40, 000, 900 expend-
ed at every election. Such corruption
fund was never before in the history of any
government appropriated out of the treasury
of the people. Oar present jury law pro.
vides for the appointment of discreet per-
son of opposite political sentiments to the
clerk of the United States Court, and these
two pfspaagss a list Of for the court.
This bill repeats that law and permits the
board to be all of the same political party.
The bill declares innumerable pains and pen
alties against the people and provides for
a republican jury to try persons accused Of
violations of the law. A democratic voter
is to be tried by his political enemies, but a
republican official who may cheat and de.
fraud the voters out of their rights is to be
tried by jury of his political friends. Can
that provision of the bill meet the approval
of honest and fair-minded men? The re-
publican caucus approved the bill with a
provision in it reviving the test oath, that
is providing that no one should sit upon a
jury who ever gave aid or comfort to the
Confederacy. They got ashamed of that
and struck it out, but its insertion illus.
trates and demonstrates the feeling and
animus and motive of him who drew the
bill, and dissipates the idea that il was in
tended to be an honest or just measure
But the worst feature of the bill remains to
be mentioned. Under it the President may
Use the army and navy of the United States
not only to enforce judicial process, as he
my now d but to enforce and prevent
violation of tue ,lection law. That is to
say, whenever in the opinion of any marshal
or chief supervisor or in the opinion of the
President without suggestion, it is desira-
Bile or necessary he can send the army of the
United States or any part thereof into any
State before and during an election to aid in
the enforcement of the law. No matter
how unnecessary it may be, no matter how
perfect the peace is, in anticipation of wrong
the troops may be sent to superintend the
election. We are not left to conjecture
what that means. Unfortunately this coun-
try understands; you understand it here in
Baltimore. New York understands it.,
Philadel phia understands it, the South un-
derstands it, and we all know it means the
use Of the troops to intimidate, to influence
and to control the votes of the country.
TROOPS AT THE POLLS.
"The English people have always protest
ed against and denounced the use of troops
at the polls. Webster warned Us against
the use of military force to enforce obedi-
ence to domestic authority.
"Seward in the Senate said: "Civil iiber-
ty and standing army for the purpose of
civil police have never yet stood together,
and never can stand together. If l am to
choose, sir, between unfolding laws in any
part of this republic which cannot be main
tanned without standing army, or relin-
gushing the laws themselves, 1 give up
the laws at once, by whomsoever they are
made aud by whatever authority, for either
our system of government is radically
wrong or such laws are unjust, unequal
and pernicious.'
sFederal control of elections and the use
of troops at the polls have been condemned
by the people of this country. The repub-
lican party has been once driven from pow
er on those issues. They now renew them,
adding to the old law that provision which
allows them to do their own registration,
their own counting and their own certifying
In this way, and by the corrupt use of the
public money, by the appointment of thou
sands of officials to do their bidding and by
the use of the army, they hope, in defiance
of the people, to retain the power they &C.
quired through corruption.
"But in this they will fail. To deny the
right of trial by an impartial jury, to de-
prive the people of the freedom of the bal
lot, to refuse them the right to manage
their own affairs and to pss the army for
police purposes in time of peace are crimes
against liberty which justly merit, and will
surely receive, the condemnation of an over
whelmiug majority Of the American peo-
ple." Mr.. Crisp was frequently cheeIed.