The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-07-25

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Counting and Certifsing.
Federal supervisors 81 Congressional
elections have boon employed for moro
than tucnty years; deputy United
states marshals OF the Black Jack Vat
faN kind have drawn their royolvcrs in
ike elections and killed their man for
the hcnellt Of the Republican party. and
have gone scot-frce in consequence. but
the election measure which has Just
passed the House despite the pro-
test OF the entire Democratic
party and q respectable but small
minority Of Republicans is . rad
zeal departure. We may discern now
the real cagerness Of Republicans arhi-
trarily % dispossess Democrats OF their
seats. They did not feel that for every
~ar;isan purpose they could command
the united support OF Republican Con-
ercssmcn duly elected. and that their
working majority might be secure they
gave seats 10 contcsting Republicans.
upon whose gratitude and complete sub
seryiency they could rely.
The House measure. which may fail
in the Senate through the obstinacy o.
Democratic members OF that body. pro
yides for Fcderal-that is. under pres
ent circumstances. Repubiican-supcr-
vision OF all Congressional elections in
any district where such supervision IS
asked BY AZ least one hundred voters
therein. Such supervision asked, super
yisors IRE appointed whose nominal
duty is 70 prevent frauds Of registration.
OF naturalization. Of casting and OF
counting. but whose real duty. as they
will understand 1t. is to look particular
~ 70 the interest OF Republican candi-
dates There is TO he at every poll in a
Federally supervised district aseparate
Congressional box. In many OF the
States. the effort HIS been made to Sc
cure a secret ballot The provision OF
the Federal law is for an open ballot
$ to Congressman, for supervisors are
20 inspect all ballots as they are cast,
TO keep a tally thereof. to oversee the
local count and make q return thereof.
The supervisors are to note whether
there is any difference between the
local count and their own There is
provision for a canvassing board to be
appointed BY the United Ssates Circuit
Court which may or may not be such a
returning board IS Wells conducted in
louisiana The finding 81 this board is
Il BE- SEN TO the clerk Of the House Of
Representatives,, and is to be binding
upon him no matter what return may
be made to him By the Governor OF a
State. The clerk is a Republican. and
the House may be organized on Federal
supervisors certificates OF election. III
contest be made after such organization
II must be done before a hostile CON-
mittee- What the Republican sense Of
and fairness in matters OF this
kind Is we have had evidence enough
the present session. when Democrats
have been unseated quite as a matter
of course Why not? They were Demo
There is a provision At the end Of the
let that any State, il it saall see fit.
nay provide by law that ballots shall
provided at the public expense con-
the names Of such candidates as
may have been nominated by qualified |
voters in the district, and providing |
regulations for ascertaining !
'uch nomination and for screening from
observation the ballot OF each voter and
the same secret This surres
ion Of the Australian system is rem
Iered nugatory. however, BY the require
nent Of the same bill that supervisors
hall keep a correct tally OF the votes
inspecting them as they are cast
noting for whom they are given
The whole scheme. which IL not IN
constitutional is novel and unusual. is
AIKEN in pursuance of the Speakers de-
hand that we do our own registra-
ion, ''our own counting. and s'ourr
'wn certifying. 1t Is a device for con-
inuing the Republican party in power
through the manipulation Of Congress
ional elections.
The supposition is that in clearly Re-
'ublican districts this elaborate and
expensive machinery will not be set in
notion Herein mistake Is made. A
Iorde Of supervisors and deputy mar.
halls must be appinted in every Con-
district upon the application
I one hundred electors. This does not
xceed the number Of expectants in
very district for a dash at the Federal
ay-roll. and II the law pass theemploy-
tent Of this Federal machinery will be
cneral- Chicago Times. II