The Portland daily press., 1890-12-10
FACTS VERSUS DEMOCRATIC oRArORY.
Statement of the Provisions of the
Elections Bill.
A Measure Framed to Secure an
Honest Suffrage.
The "gayonets" and "Fcrce" Exis,
Only in Opposition Speeches.


Especial to the Press.]
| WASHINGTON, December 9.-In view of
the violent party passions that are likely to
be aroused during the discussion which has
begun on the federal election bill, it is of the
highest Importance that this much misrep-
resented measure be fully understood. Prob
| ably eight men out of ten in this country,
Republicans as we'll as Democrats, regard
the measure as entirely different from what
it really is. The cry of ''force bill" and the
shout Of "bayonets" has moulded opinion
among a large class of voters who do not
have time to enter into study of a question
necessarily complicated. 1t is now time for
every candid Republican and Democrat to
look at the measure as it is, not as 1t is mis-
represented by partisan paragraphs in pa
| pers that oppose it because it is a Republi-
can measure. Suppose it be conceded to the
| Democrats that the elections bill as original
| ly proposed embodied too wide departures
| from old methods tn be adopted at the pres
| ent time; then there remains common
| ground for approaching the present eXami-
| nation IN the fact that the bill now before
the Senate is much different bill from the
| rough and Uniformed plan put forth in the
| of the bill pitched the key of their Opposi-
| tiOn by that early draft, and they have neY-
| er changed it, although the bill now before
| the Senate is modified in important particu-
lars. During the discussion In the House it
| received at Republican hands important
amendments.
The machinery by which the new election
system would be operated claims first atten
tion. This machinery is not new in whole
sw. - - 1.~sA
States government has asserted and exer-
eised the right OF supervising the election Of
congressman, and the present electi ons bill
asserts no further rights.
The United States officers required by the
Lodge bill are ~ chief supervisor of cleo
tions for each judicial district, % local su-
pervisors TOR each polling place, % United
States deputy marshals to aid the
local supervisors If necessary. W
board of United States canvas
sers In each state where the election law NAV
be applied to congressional district. Of
these four classes of officers only the fourth
Is new. The United States election laws in
operation for % years have employed the
chief supervisors, the local supervisors and
the deputy :marshals.. No one, either Demo-
cTat or Republican calls for the repeal of the
present law, which has made congressional
elections In the great city OF New York so
fair that elections for Congressman are nev-
er contested there.
A chief supervisor of elections is appoint
ed in each judicial district of the country by
the judge of the United States Circuit Court
for that district. For the New England dis
triet Judge Colt would appoint. He hapens
to be Republican. In alarge section of the
South and West, Judge jackson of Tennes-
see would appoint. He happens to be a
Democrat.
Ths local supervisors for the variou, poll
ing places are to be appointed also by the
circuit court, upon recommendation of the
chief supervisor. But If necessary the court
may disregard the chief supervisors nomi
nees and appoint other men. Three super
visors. not more than two ofwhom snail be
of the same political party. are to be ap-
pointed for each polling place. The present
law makes the number two.
The deputy marshals are appointed as at
present by the marshal, who consults the
CHIEF supervisor as to the number required.
The board of canvassers does not exist un-
der the present law. There is to be such a
hoard for each state wherein there may be
United States supervisor for one or more
congressional districts. The board Is to con-
sist of three citizens of the state, not more
than two of whom shall belong to one politi-
Cal party. One OF the three shall be chair
man of the board, and clerk is provided.
These officials constitute the machinery of
the elections BILL 1t Is an ampli6cation of
the present machinery, not new machine,
II.
In the operation of the machinery are to be
found the important changes effected by the
new law. The old law makes the supervisors
spectators of an election, and in places where
public sentiment Is strong their presence has
deterring effect upon criminals. By the
Lodge bill the fed sralssupervisors are made
as important and as powerful as the state in
spectOrs of election who occupy with them
the space by the ballot box.
Not so much TO the chief supervisor, how
ever, as to the local supervisors are addition
al powers given. The chief supervisor has
general oversight of his judicial district re-
commencing suitable men to the circuit
court for appointment as supervisors, con-
sulting with the United States marshal as to
the use of deputy marshals and receiving the
returns made up bv the local supervisors and
transmitting them to the board of canvassers.
This last duty of receiving the returns is the
only important addition to the preser t pre-
negatives of the chief supervisor. He as
signs the local supervisors to the polling
places where they are to serve, and has GER
tain powers of removal, ETC., over them.
With the local supervisors, three for
each polling place, is to be found the great
est enlargement of power From mere spec
tators of the election they are elevated to a
place of power equal to that held by state
inspectors of election. These men must be
able to speak and write the English Ian
guage, and must be residents of the congress
sional district in which they are to serve.
They cannot be all of the same political par
ty; at each polling place not more than two
OF the three being of the same political par
ty.
These three local supervisors are entitled
under the Lodge bill, iu the first place, to at
tend upon the registrations for congressional
elections, wherever under the state laws
registration is required. AS the state Off
GERS proceed with the registration, the Unit
ed States supervisors are entitled to examine
the books, challenge any person whom they
believe not entitled to vote, require the
statutory oaths to be administered to any
person. and in cities of 10000 inhabitants
nnWQr6S 6QnntV
marsh is, house to house canvass, in order
to see that no fictitious names are put upon
the registration lists This portion of the
prerogatives of the supervisors is undoub
edly designed especially to prevent fraudu-
lent registration in the large cities of the
North The other duties uf the supervisors
relate to election day. The first duty in the
morning is to see that the oallot-box, which
the state inspectors have. is empty before 1t
S locked; Oh, in case the state officers do not
appear to open the polls, to do so In accord
ance with the provisions of the state law.
During the day they are to stand with
the state officers at the ballot boxes,
inform the voters of the
keep list Of all persons voting, and in case
the state officers may refuse tU receive the
votes of certain persons, to receive those
ballots and forward them with the names of
those casting them and a statement of the
circumstances to the chief supervisor. FL
nally, when the polls are closed, the United
States supervisors are to join with the state
| inspectors in counting the ballots In the
| boxes. AS the state and the United States
officers count the ballots for the vario us
Offices they shall compare the results of their
count. If there be any discrepancies the Uni
| ted States officials shall make a memoran-
| dunn Of these differences for transmission to
| the chief supervisor When the count Is
| completed the state officers make up their
| returns for transmission to their governor or
| secretary Of state according to the state
| laws. With this return the United States
| supervisors have nothing to DO. But ON
| their part they make up returns in duplicate,