Iron County register., 1890-05-29
REEDS PROPOSITION.
4 Revolutionary Scheme That VIII
Plunge the Country Into Anarchy

the country into Anarchy
Let US test Speaker Reeds Federal
election system by sober, indispu ia BILE
fGccs. Federal election law that as
sGn."d The entire control of Congression-
a. and Presidential elections indie
! pendent of the State would require a
complete double election machinery;
double registration; double lists of yot-
ers: double election boards of five each
in all of the 1000 election precincts of
Pennsylvania; double elections for
each voter to vote for the President and
Congressman under the Federal law
and to vote for State, district and coun-
t. officers under the State law; double
computation and certification of the
votes, under different laws and By en-
tirelv different officials, anG conflicting
officers at the same polls to maintain
the peace. What hope could be
cherished of tranquility at elections
under such dual and self-antagonizing
election system. with Federal officers
chosen solely for the purpose of forcing
a party victory? How long could busi-
ness tranquility and business safety be
assured under such revolutionary cleo
tion methods?
To execute Speaker Reeds Federal
election system, by which he proposes
to cut loose from the State elections,
do our own regiStra ton, our own count
ing and our own certifcation," it would
require in Pennsylvania one State re-
turning board to compute and certify
the vote for President: twenty-eight
returning boards to compute and certify
the returns in each Congressional
district; 90, 900 election officers
one Judge, two inspectors and two clerks
to each of our 1000 election precincts
in the State-to hold the election: 5000
registers ( voters, if two are required
f T each precinct, or 10000, if three are
required, to register voters, pass upon
the quail fications of electors and revise
and publish the list of voters, to be
employed not less than thirty days
each: and to estimate moderately, in
view of the temptation to employ Unit
ed States marshals to do party work.
fully 200 deputy marshals would be
wanted at any Pennsylvania election.
The c. st of this extra and entirely need
less Federal election machinery would
be about as follows:
500 registers thirty days each, at 50
per day. 80. 80 .372001)
2QoJJ el~ction officers. five for each pre-
c5nct. TWO days each. at :3 per day 10000
Is Congressional returning boards OF five
each. three days at s. per day.. 2,1O0
900 United States marShalS. five days
eacn. at > per day y...........-....-.--- 800
Total. ........ SSH 100
In short Speaker Reeds proposition
to cut loose from the State elections,
do our own registration, our own count
inT and our own ccrtifcation-" would
cost the public treasury not less than
$500, 900 for each Congressional or Presi-
dential election held in PGnTSy lVania.
and the cost in all the States could not
be less than $1,000, 600. and foc what?
Simply to empl- Y hundreds of thousands
of Federal officers, appointed solely for
PARTISAN service, to mock popular gov
crnment by violence and fraud 2nder
color of law. an1 disrupt the tranquility
of 3he whole country. If Speaker Reed
insists upon such an experiment IN pol
tics let him move on and make Il: but
le5 him first write in flaming letters over
his Speakers chair-''After me the del
ugh" -Philad elphia Times.