Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-02
PARTISAN LEGISLATION.

The House will come to vote on the Fed
eral election bill to-day. The result is, of
course, unknown, although it is to be pre-
sumed that the leaders of the Republican
panty in that body would not force a meas
ure of that sort to vote unless they were
certain of votes enough to carry it, and the
vote yesterday warrants that conclusion.
Nevertheless the avowed policy of the
Speaker to even refuse Republican members
who are opposed to the bill chance to
speak against it shows a suppression of in
dependence on the subject which may force
the Republican dissent to find expression
only in the most eogent manner of an ad
verse vote.
The debate on the bill has proceeded
mainly upon two lines. The Republicans
have enlarged upon the suppression of the
Republican votes in the South; the Demo-
Gratis have asserted in various forms the un-
constitutionality of the measure. Both argu-
ments are rather weak. The position is
simply asserting something which the whole
country has known for years, but the dis
credit of which the Republican party thir-
teen years ago, after trying for ten years to
rule Southern elections deliberately left to
the South. The Democratic position is
weakened by the fact that the Constitution
authorizes Congress to prescribe the time and
manner of holding elections for Congressman.
Nevertheless, there is some force in the ar
gument of Mr.. Vaux that clause authoriz-
ing Congress to prescribe the manner in
which the States shall elect Congressman
does not authorize it to put the whole ma
chinery of election into the hands of Federal
officials. 1t is a very grave question whether
a measure which puts the election into the
hands Of Federal supervisors and makes the
certificates of the Federal officers as to the
election of Congressman superior to those of
State officials, does not overstep the funda-
mental divisions of State and Federal au-
thority in the Constitution.
The fact is that the measure is such as no
party can afford to pass, for reasons which
extreme partisans, like members of Con-
gress, cannot appreciate. The first is that
it is a measure wholly designed to legislate
party success. How insincere is the pre-
tense that it is intended to give protection to
a suppressed vote, is evident in the fact that
the bill virtually holds out to the South the
bargain that it can carry its State elections
by what means it pieases, so that like
liberty is given the national administration
with regard to Congressional elections.
Such legislation is vicious in its very incep-
ton and is sure to expose fatally weak point,
in its operation. 1t is a practical confession
that the party forcing it upon the nation is
unable to trust for its maintenance, to eco
nomical administration and legislation for
the public good, and therefore seeks new
lease of life by seizing the machinery of
elections.
The further weak point in the meas
ure will be seen by supposing the
conditions OF its application to be
reversed. 1t has often been alleged that
majorities in Philadelphia were counted to
order. Suppose that under the Cleveland
administration it had been proposed that
Democratic federal officials were to take all
the machinery of electing Congressman out |
of the hands of the local officers. Suppose
that in the future Democratic administra-
tion should be in power. Would Republi-
can States enjoy the spectacle of federal Off |
cials controlling the whole machinery of |
Congressional elections, simply on the alle-
cation that the State officers were unable to
conduct elections honestly? Would not |
that spectacle be sure to arouse protest by |
an increased vote for the opposition?
Such legislation as this, solely for the pur- |
pose of perpetuating party control, always
reacts on the party which resorts to it. 1t |
may not be ''bloody Instruction." but it is
of the class which as Macbeth says ''returns |
to plague the inventor" The people have |
intelligence enough to perceive that it is not
designed to secure any public good, but |
simply and almost avOwedly to keep one
party in control of Congress. Such course
cannot command popular approval.