Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-12-04

and arrest persons violating the election
laws. The provisions of this familiar title of
the revised statutes have been put into eXer-
else by both the great political parties, and
in the North, as well as in the South, by the
filing with the court petitions required by
law. 1t is not, therefore, a question whether
we shall have Federal election law, for we
now have one and have had for nearly
twenty years, but whether we shall have
an effective law.
The present law stops just short of effect
ivcness, for it surrenders to the legal au-
thOritics all control over the certification
which establishes the prima facie right to
seat in the lower house of representatives.
This defect should be cured. Equality of
representation and the purity of the electors
must be maintained or every thing that is
valuable in our system of government is lost.
The qualification of electOr must be sought
in the law not in the opinions, preiudices or
fears of any class, however powerful. The
path of the elector to the ballot box must be
free from the ambush of fear and the entice
mentS of fraud, the count so true
and open that none shall gainsay it. Such a
law should be absolutely non partisan and
impartial. 1t should give the advantage to
honesty and the control to majOrities. Surely
there is nothing sectional about this creed,
and if it shall happen that the penalties of
laws intended to enforce these rights fall
u
is sectional, but because happily crime is
local and not universal. Nor should it be
forgotten that every law, whether re-
lating to elections or to any other sub
ject, whether enacted by the State or
by the Nation, has force behind the courts,
the marshal or constable, the posse comita-
tus, the prisons are all and always behind
the law. One can not be justly charged with
unfriendIness to any section or class who
seeks only to restrain violations of law and
of personal right. No community will find
lawlessness profitable. No community can
afford to have it known that the officers who
are charged with the preservation of the
public peace and the restraint of the crimi-
nal class are themselves the product of fraud
or violence. The magistrate is then with
out respect and the law without sanction.
The floods of lawlessness can not be levied up
on and made to run in one channel. The kill
ing of a United States marshal carrying writ
Of arrest for an election offense is full of
prompting and suggestion to men who arc
pursued by city marshal for Il crime against
life or property.
But it is said that this legislation will re-
Vive race animOsites, and some have even
suggested that when the peaceful methods
of fraud are made impossible they may be
supplanted by intimidation and violence. II
the proposed law gives to any qualified elect
or by hairs weight more than his equal in
fiuence or detractS by so much from any other
qualified electOr, it is fatally impeached. But
if the law is equal and the animOsities it
evokes grow out of the fact that some
electors have been accustomed to exer-
else the franchise for others as well as for
themselves, then these animosties ought
not to be confessed without shame and can
not be given any weight in the discussion
without dishonOr. No choice is left to me
but to enforce with vigOr all laws intended
Il af1 - fffrN nj
rights and to recommend that the inadequa-
cies of such laws be promptly remedied. II
to promote with zeal and ready in
terest every project for the develop
ment of its material interests, its
rivers, harbors, mines and factories aud the
intelligence, peace and security under the
law of its communities and homes is not ac-
cepted as sufficient evidences of friendliness
to any State or section, can not add con-
nivance at election practices that not only
disturb local results, but rob the electors OF
other States and sections of their most price
less political results.