The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-06-06
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS.
salient Features of the Measure Reported
by the House Committee,

CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS.
Salient Features of the Measure Reported
by the House Committee.
Congress is expected to pass some meas
ure for the protection of the ballot at Fed
eral elections. A large number of bills
for this purpose have been introduced.
some OF them are quite radical, some
have little practical value. 1t seems to
be the general opinion among Repub-
licans that bill limiting Federal inter-
ference to the act Of supervision of the
elections is about what is needed. Sem
ator Hoar's bill covers the case pretty
we'll. But the House committee bill,
prepared by instruction of the Repub-
lican caucus, seems to he the measure
that gives most general approval This
bill differs but little from the Hoar bill.
Its main purpose is to extend the pres
ent system of Federal supervision so as
to make it available whenever it is
needed. Under the present law it is
limited to cities having a certain mini.
mum population. The Hoar bill pro-
yides that there can be judicial inter.
ference when a hundred voters petition
for it. The House bill fixes the number
of petitioners required at fifty instead
of one hundred. It provides punish
ment for any person who should change
the position of boxes intended for Con-
gressional ballots with an intention to
deceive. The chief supervisor in each
election district is required to keep the
poll-list and list of rejected votes,
showing the reasons for their rejection.
He is also required to separately re-
ceive these rejected ballots, place the
name of the voter upon the back and in
close them In separate envelopes. The
supervisors are also required to inspect
all ballots as they are being canvassed
and counted by the local election Of
ficers and make separate return of the
result of the vote, being governed by the
laws of the State, except as otherwise
provided by the act. rs p tttN u
They are also to inspect the returns
for representatives and delegates in
Congress of the local inspectors of elec-
tions, and note whether or not they dis
agree with their own returns. In case
the polls are not open within one hour
from the time fixed by State law, it is
made the duty of the supervisor to open
them to ballots for representative and
delegates in Congress only, and conduct
the election and make the returns &C
cording to the State law.
In each judicial district canvassing
board is to be created, composed of the
chief supervisors, United States District
Attorney and United States Marshal.
This board is to correct imperfect re-
turns; with the assistance of the SUPER
visors to tabulate the returns for rep
resentatiyes and delegates and to fur
nish copies to the Acknowledgement and
Clerk of the Hoase of Representatives. |
This latter officer is to examine the re-
turns, and where the result conflicts |
with the returns of the local canvassing |
board to the extent of returning diff |
ferent person to Congress, that neither |
of the persons so certified shall be placed |
upon the roll of members until the
House decides which has been duly
elected.
Those are the main features of the |
bill. There is nothing in the bill to
which honest men should object. It is
free from the objections which have
been raised against 'force bills" or
any system of Federal control of cleo
lions which seem to take the machinery
Of voting out Of the hands of the local
1t proposes nothing more
han competent supervision over the
elections in which the Nation has an
interest. In the election Of every Con-
FRESHMAN there are two parties at inter-
st, one the people of the district which
selecting the Congressman. the other the
,eople of the whole country, for whom
hat Congressman helps to make laws.
therefore, each party should
70 represented at the election, if there
S any reason to suspect that it may not
'e conducted fairly and honestly. Lo- S
al sympathy and prejudices will see
hat the one side is always represented.
Ind this proposed law arranges for SUI
ervisors to represent the Nation at i
arge at such time. Their duty is sim
ly supervisory. They are, so to speak,
o be the eye Of the Nation fastened
pom the election, to see that it is prop :
rly conducted; to see that every man I
Untitled to vote, is given a chance; to a
ee that the votes are properly counted t
nd returned. The system of super v
ision has worked well in the large
tiles where it has been tried. And so n
is well to extend it to the country e
istricts or the small cities, or to any I
ocality where 1t is needed. Congress o
hould pass the House committee bill, S
r one substantially like it. 1t viii be c
cry useful next November. - Des
Ioines Qa-) Register. I