Omaha daily bee., 1890-12-02
FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
What the Chief Executive Has to Say
on the Subiect.


What the Chief Executive Has to Say
, on the Subject.
If any intelligent and loyal company Of
American citizens were required to catalogue
the essential human conditions of
national life ] do not doubt
that with absolute unanimity they
would begin with free and honest ecCtions.n
and it is gratifying TO know that generally
there is growing and non partisan demand
for better election laws. But against this
sign of hope and progress must be set the
depressing and undeniabe fact that election
laws and methods are oTetimes cunnn gly
contnved TO insure minority con-
troll while violence completes the
shortcomings Of fraud. In my last annual
message suggested that the development of
the existing law providing federal
supervision of congressional elections offered
an effective method Of reforming these
abuses. The need of such a law has mani
tested itself IN many parts of the country
will be useful in all. The constitutions
ality of such legislation has been
affirmed by the supreme court. It's probable
effectiveness is evidenc ced by the character of
the opposition that is made to it. 1t has been
denounced as if it Were a new exercise of
federal power and an invasion of the rights
OF the states. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Congress has already fixed the
time for the election of members Of congress.
1t has declared that votec for members of
congress must be by written or printed
ballot; il has provided for the appoint
ment by the circuit courts in certain cases
and upon the petition of a certain number of
citizens of election supervisors and made IL
their duty to supervise the registration of
voters conducted by the state oficers; TO
challenge persons Offering to register; to per
sonally inspect and scrutini2e the registry
lists and to atiN their names to the lists for
the purpose of dentiticati and the preven-
ton of frauds; to attend at elections and
remain with the boxes until the votes are all
cast and counted; to attach to the registry
lists and election returns any statement
touching the accuracy and fairness of the
registry and elections to take and transmit
to the clerk of the house of representatives
any evidence of fraudulent practices which
may be presented TO them. The same law
provides for the appointment of deputy
United States marShalS to attend at
the polls, support the supervisors in the
discharge Of their duties and to arrest per
sons violating the election laws The provi-
sions of this familiar title of the revised stat
utes have been put into exercise by both the
great political parties and in the north as
well as Uhe south by the filing with the court
of the petitions required by law. 1t is not
thefore, question whether we shall
have a federal election law-for we
now have one and have had
for nearly twenty years-but whether
law stops just short of effectiveness, for IL
surrenders to the local authorities all control
over the ccrtiication which establishes the
prtma facie right to n seat in the 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 gov
ernment is lost The qualification of an cleo
tor must be sought in the law, not in the Opin-
ions, 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 enticem,nts of fraud; the count
so true and open that none shall gaiusay 1t.
Such 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 fail
here and not there it is not because the
law is sectional, but because, happily, crime
is local and not universal. Nor should it be
forgotten that every law, whether relating TO
elections or to any other subject, whether en-
acted by the state or by the nation has force
behind it. The courts, the hal
or constable, the posse comitatus,
the prison, are all and always
behind the law. One cannot be justly
charged with un nfriendlincss to any section or
class who seeks only to restrain violation of
will hndlawlessness proiita bic, n 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 criminal classes are themselves
the products of fraud or violence The mag
strate is, then, without respect aud the law
without san ctiOn. The floods of lawlessness
can be leveed and made to run in one chan
| mel. The killing of "a United States marshal
| carrying writ of arrest for an election
| offense is full of prompting and suggestion to
| men who are pursued by city marshal
| for crime against life or property.
| But it is said that this legislation will revive
| race animosites, and some have even sug-
| gested that when the peaceful methods OF
fraud are made impossible they
may be supplauted by intimidation and
| violence. If the proposed law gives to any
| than his equal share of influence or detracts
by so much from any other qualified elcctor
! it is fatally impeached. But If the law is
| equal and the animOsites it is to evoke grow
out of the fact that some electors have been
accustomed to exercise the franchise sior
| Others as well as Tor Them
selves, then these animosities ought not TO be
! confessed without shame and cannot be given
| any weight in the discussion without dis
| honor. No choice is left to me but to enforce
| with vigOr all laws intended to secure TO the
| citizen his constitutional rights and TO recon-
mend that the inadequdcics Of such laws be
! promptly remedied If to promote win zeal
and ready interest every project for the de-
vel0pment of its material interests, its rivers,
! harbors, mines and factories, and the
| intelligence, peace ana security under the
| law of its communities and its homes, Is not
| accepted as sufficient evidence OF frlendlihesa
| to any state or section, | cannot add connlV'
ance at election practices that not only dis.
| turb local results, but rob the electors ol
| other states and sections of their most price'
less political rights
| &IS.S. ESTIDAS.