The Brookhaven leader., 1890-07-24
THE BILL DEFINED.
Republicans Bound to DO Their "Own"
Counting and Certifying.


Federal supervisors of Congressional
elections have been employed for more
than twenty years; deputy United
States marshals Of the Black Jack Vat
taw kind have drawn their revolvers in
like elections and killed their man for
the benefit of the Republican party, and
have gone scot-free in consequence, but
the election measure which has just
passed the House despite the pro-
test of the entire Democratic
party and a respectable but small
minority of Republicans is a rad
ical departure. We may discern now
the real eagerness of Republicans arbi-
| trarily to dispossess Democrats OF their
seats. They did not feel that for every
| partisan purpose they could command
the united support of Republican Con-
gressmen duly elected, and that their
working majority might be secure they
gave seats to contesting Republicans
upon whose gratitude and com plete sub
serviency they could rely.
| The House measure, which may fail
in the Senate through the obstinacy of
| Democratic members Of that body, pro-
| vides for Federal-that is, under pres
ent circumstances, Republican-super
vision of all Congressional elections in
any district where such supervision Is
asked by at least one hundred voters
| therein. Such supervision asked, super
visors are appointed whose nominal
| duty is to prevent frauds Of registration,
of naturalization, of casting and of
counting, but whose real duty, as they
will understand it, is to look particular
| ly to the interest of Republican candi-
dates. There is to be at every poll in
| Fede-ally supervised district separate
| Congressional box. In many of the
States, the effort has been made to Sc
cure a secret ballot The provision of
the Federal law is for an open ballot
as to Congressman, for supervisors are
to inspect all ballots as they are cast,
to keep a tally thereof, to oversee the
local count and make a return thereof.
| The supervisors are to note whether
there is any difference between the
local count and their own. There is
| provision for canvassing board to be
! appointed by the United States Circuit
| Court which may or may not be such
returning board as Wells conducted in
Louisiana. The finding of this board is
! to be sent to the clerk of the House of
| Representatives, and is to be binding
| upon him no matter what return may
be made TO him by the Governor of a
| State. The clerk is a Republican, and
| the House may be organized on Federal
| supervisors certificates of election. If
contest be made after such organization
| it must be done before a hostile COM
mittee. What the Republican sense of
| Justice and fairness in matters of this
| kind is we have had evidence enough
| at the present session, when Democrats
have been unseated quite as matter
of course. Why not? They were Demo
Gratis.
There is a provision at the end of the
act that any State, if it shall see fit
may provide by law that ballots shall
be provided at the public expense con-
tanning the names of such candidates as
may have been nominated by qualified
voters in the district, and providing
suitable regulations for ascertaining
such nomination and for screening from
observation the ballot of each voter and
keeping the same secret This sugges-
tion of the Australian system Is rem
dered nugatory, however, by the require
ment of the same bill that supervisors
shall keep correct tally of the votes
east, inspecting them as they are cast
and noting for whom they are given.
The whole scheme, which if not un-
constitutional is novel and unusual, is
taken in pursuance of the Speakers de-
mand that we do our own registra-
tion, ''our" own counting, and our"
own certifying. 1t is device for con-
tinuing the Republican party in power
through the manipulation Of Congress
sional elections.
The supposition is that in clearly Re-
publican districts this elaborate and
expensive machinery will not be set in
motion. Herein mistake is made. A
horde of supervisors and deputy mar
shals must be appinted in every Con-
gressional district upon the application
of one hundred electors. This does not
exceed the number of expectants in
every district for dash at the Federal
payroll, and if the law pass the employ
ment of this Federal machinery will be
general.-Chicago Times.