The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-22
a Moderate ELECTION Law?

The New York Press, which expresses the
views of the most radical of the republi-
cans, for the reason, perhaps, that the man
who controls it is a federal Office holder.
says that the federal election bill which the
republican congressman in caucus adopted
last week is a moderate bill, and declares
that its object is to prevent fraud. That
paper knows that neither Of those state
ments is true. Is the bill moderate meas
urel Can bill be a moderate measure that
takes from the states right they have ex-
ercised for a century, and that takes from
the people privilege they have had from
time immemorial and gives it to political
partyl The federal election bill, which de-
prives the states Of the control of congress
sional elections, does not. as matter of fact,
transfer this control to the national govern
ment. 1t transfers it to the Republican
party. Speaker Reed said: 1--WE must do
our own registration, our own counting
and our own certification." The federal
election bill gives the Republican party the
power to do those things. It puts the whole
election machinery in the hands of that
party. The purpose of it is TO do that.
How, then, can it be called a moderate
measured
If that bill becomes law the Republican
party will be in position to keep itself in
control of the government. Does anybody
doubt that it will make the most of its
position. And yet the bill is called a
moderate one. Could it be made more
radical! Could it be so changed as to give
the Republican party more complete con-
troll of congressional elections!
Those who call it moderate bill do so
with the intention to deceive. They seek to
quiet the apprehensions of conservative
republicans. They are afraid that public
sentiment in the north would be strongly
against it If its true character should be-
come generally understood. They hide the
truth under false statements, and pretend
that nothing more is intended by the bill
than to prevent fraud.
If the purpose were to prevent fraud the
character of the bill would be- altogether
different. 1t would be bill that would
strike at men who are prominent in the
management of the Republican party-men
who collect money from political monopo-
lies and distribute it in corrupting voters
When was the Republican party ever
known to take steps to prevent fraud in
elections! Statements have been published
recently that Speaker Reed owes his own
election TO fraud.
No, the purpose of the federal election bill
is not the prevention of fraud. 1t is the
gaining of power. The bill is cleverly
concocted scheme to keep the Republican
party in control of the government. The
supervisors for which it provides will be re-
publicans, the returning boards will be
composed of republicans, and, in
fact, only republicans will have
control of the elections. Are the republi-
cans so good and pure that it is impossible
for them to commit fraudl Is their record
50 clean as to justify the placing of the most
implicit confidence in their management of
elections? To answer these questions it is
only necessary to refer to the returning
board frauds of 1876, by which they stole
the Drasidencv