The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-07-08
WHAT TIE FORCE BILL IS,
a cOmpREHeNSlvE REVIEW OF
lTs PROVISIONS.

II WIN Complicate Congressional hiee-
lions aud Employ an Army OF bepub-
,,can rar,Isans- CLEAN OF the Eayo-
net.
Tho Federal Election bill, or, as 1t Is very
rronetly called, the Force biil, which mas
nas.et inc House Of ives, covers,
in rrtnt. seycnty-iwo ana Onc-hnIf pages Of
twenty live lines each. Set IA ordinary nom
,"reii tyue il would about nil nine columns
OF IHE LINES. It's ute Is "A Dhi 70 amend
and supplement- the election laws OF the
Ifnitel states, and To provide for the more
eficteut EMF rccmcnt OF such laws, ana Tor
other purposes ~ churgos the Chiei "a.
uervlsote % Elections now IN Oflicc, ana
'uch chef Supervisors of Elections rs may
hereafter De appointed, with the supervision
OF elections at which Representatives or Del
cgatcs I'M Congress are voted for. with the
enforcement OF me national election laWs'
and with the prevention OF frauds ana ifregu-
laritles IA naturalization.
SUM Tvisiun such as Is contemplated by the
hin viii not he had uniformly over country
II the DILL becomes n law, but only where Pc
ilioned for The provision is mat In any
civ or town having over 10000 Inhabitants
or mOie OF IN any Congressional district, no
mari of which Is within any town or city haV-
revision OF a Congressional election may be
had when petitiOned for by one hundic ed per-
CONS claiming 10 be qualified voters, and mat
in anv one or more counties or parishes
forming pat OF Congresslon9l dlstiici,
sxpefvisOn may be mad Wnen petitiOned fOi
bV fifty voters. The petitions are In every
case 10 be addressed 10 the chief supervisor
Of elections Of the district which the petit
TONERS live in.
TO every registration, every revision of
regi .tration every antecedent or subsequent
act connected with registration, every plan
of aScertainng who may be legal voters, ana
Iaferward 20 the election itself.
| The chief supervisor, upon Teccivinga petit
| fion such as Is referred TO above. VIII ask the
| Circuit court 20 appoint sucn a number Oh
| SuperyisOTs, as he may determine VIII De
| peadp1 nrOperly TO fill all OF the elecOOn as
! tricfs within his Jurisdiction, and all vacan-
| clos which may occur, but the numOer Whlcn
! the court shall appoint. shall not be less than
! double the whole number. which the clte or
! Town, the county or parish, or the entire dis
| trlct, as the case may be, is entitled.
/ 10 each voting place the Chief Supervisor
| ia TO assign three supervisors, but TWO OF
whom shall be Of the same political party,
and but TWO of the three shall be required 10
perform any duty prior 10 election day.
| The Chief Supervisor may at any time
transfer any supervisor from service In one
election district To another in the same town
| or 10 any other district within the Congress
ional district. aud, upon any other than cleo
ton or registration day, may transfer any
supervisor to any other duty authorized 10y
the laws + the United states.
| The term OF Office for supervisors il TO rur
for two months from and. after election, but
/ they will receive pay 0DlS when actually
employed. They are 20 be subject 10 the in
strnctions, directions ana details oftthe chic
supervisor. ana are tOperiOrm the duties nov
Imposed upon such officers in cities anC
towns having 10000 inhabitants or more
save where such duties are specifcall!
limited 10 cities or towns having desig
mated poDulaliOns. In addition, they are an
thOrized
/. TO attend all ic4lSlIdtlois ana ItNlelOii
Of the same.
| .. 10 challenge the right Of any person 4
register and the right of any person register
| ed q continue registered ana 10 require TN
| officer having control Of the registry book Il
mark the name of q person challenged.
3. TO inspect the lists OF voters in case
where registration is not required 10 be mad
personally, and All papers pertaining thereto
and 20 make full copies Of such lists and O
all papers relating thereto.
| t. TO attend wherever electors pcrSOnalil
appear for registration ana TO Keep iull re-
| cord of ali proceedings aud be present az al
places where elections are holding and vote
are counting
,. 10 inspect and hold under strict SCRUTINY
an registry books, check lists, TALES, re
turns. and az other papers connected VIII
registration or election. and tOaiilX their sig
natures to every page Of such papers, when
ever they deem II necessary TO DO 50, IN sucl
a manner as viii enable them subsequent,
To detect ana expose the NIOlslul ItiluNhlo
any name OF names.
a. ToVeriiv registration in cities hayin.
5000 or more inhabitants by house-tO-hous'
canvass.
= 10 pass upon the qualifications Of chat
lenged voters, whenever State officers refuse
TO 30 il. and in case the state officers rcfusi
90 receive the ballot Of any person judged by
the supervisors To be qualified 10 vote, the
supervisors are 10 receive such vote and pu
IL into The ballot box, making a record n
each case.
S To personally inspect ballot boxes be
fore polls are opened 10 see That they an
empty.
list TO be made when registration has Oc
CURED by checking names Of voters upon tn,
registration book; 10 keep record OF votes re
eced by ii3f2n ms mas h. tondSrei fhS S1S ol
To carefully mark and preserve them.
10. TO make. certify. and forward all state
mcnts. certificates and returns provided 10
bV law,and those called for by the Chieisuper
visor.
II. To make, In cities Of 10000 or more I'm
hapitants, house-to-house canYasses whef
ordered so 10 DO, and To return. ful lists o
all the male Inhabitants with Statement @
the qualifications as voter Of each.
II 10 make in such cities, when Ordere,
so 70 do full lists Of all naturallzed person
and all the facts Of pertaining 10 the natural
lZatiOn OF each.
rs. To show voters INFO what boxes ballot
q. FOR Congressman should be placed.
/ il. 10 MAlfn MAJ uItl LtlllOn anu dll ll
preventing fraud therein, and TO have, at al
times. free access 10 all rooms where natur
alizatiOn Is going on. This specification ap
plies only 10 such discreet or special super
Vlsors' as may Doe selected for the duty IL
towns or cities having 10000 or more lnhaO
itants but 10 nav, IN The discretion OF th'
Chief Supervisors, apply IN smaller places.
Elaborate direcu0us are given for tn
counting Of VOles. The votes are To b. count
cd both by The local inspectors and by th'
Federal Supervisors. When the Two sets o
officers agree, an announcement Of theresa
Is 10 be Aiadc. In the event Of disagree
ment the inspectors shall state that tho1'
has been disagreement, but that by thci
| cOmput ttiOn The result Is 80 and so. \ state
ment must then be made by the supervisor
showing what they compute the result 10 pc
40 certuicatc nor return Of the final resnl
OF the votes cast for Congressman Is 10 h.
made until the hnUi count shall have been
completed OF all the ballots cast for every
other officer. and " local inspectors find bal
lots for Congressman in other boxes than thl
one set apart for COngi essman tallOts they
are to deliver Them 10 The supervisors. who
are 10 Put them at once into an envelope
with statement upon 1t showing whence
, the ballots came.
when there is an cXccssiVe number Of bal
. lois Tor Congressman IN the ballot box. IN,
. box is 10 be well shaken up, after which az
many ballots are u be drawn out as are eX
ccNsIVc a blindiOlded supervisor and a blind
FOLDED inspector alternating in Withdrawing
the ballots, the whole performance 10 IL
public
The canvass OF the votes completed. Gael
set of officers is 10 make up us ~ turns &c
cording % the law governing it, The super
visOIs VIII make up their returns IN dupli
cate. forwarding one set Ofpdpers 10 the chic
sudery isOr, the Oiher TO the clerk Ofthe court
I'm preparing their returns the supervisors
are required to exercise great care and Il
! lake many precautions TO prevent sUbsequcn
attempts at fraud. Before sending OFT thei
returns they are 20 compare all OF their state
ments and certificates with those prepare
| by The inspectors, and 10 note any difference
which mag appear. line returns fOrwarde,
! 10 the chief supervisor arc immediately
opened and filed IN his Office; The other Sc
remains IN the Office OF the Cllcuit Court
sealed until it Is called Tor by the propo
CanVassing Board.
To make provision forcaSes OF failure upor
the part of local officers 10 open polls IL is or
dered that whenever ut aaY place polls are
not opened within an hour of The time wheI
they should be- opened the supervisors shal
proceed 10 hold an election for Congressman
conducting 10 In accordance with the stat
laws, cXcepta as 10 those respects in which the
State law Is superseded by Federal law.
IL is provided that on or before September
I, Of TINS year each Chief Supervisor mus
cause judge the Circnit Court within the
Jurisdiction which his sphere of duty lies tC