The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1890-05-30
REEDS PROPOSITION.

A Revolutionary scheme That WIN
Plunge the Country Into Anarchy.
Let us test Speaker Reeds Federal
election system by sober, indisputablo
facts. A Federal election law that as
sumed the entire control Of CongresSioD-
al and Presidential elections indo-
pendent OF the State woulS require
complete double election machinery;
double registration; doub,s lists Of vot-
ers; double election boards Of five each
in all of tho 1000 election precinc's OF
Pennsylvania; double elections for
each voter To vote for the President and
Congressman under the Federal law
and 10 vote for State, district and coun.
ty officers under the State law; double
computation and certinsatio OF the
votes, under different laws and by en-
tirely different officials, auc conflicting
jurisdiction OF State and Federal
officers at the same polls to maintain
the peace. What hope could be
cherished OF tranquility at elections
under such dual and self-antagonizing
election system, with Federal officers
l~bc.~~, -~1al ' -fsr tho pnfpose -af- <forcine
a party victory? How long could bust.
ness tranquility and business safety be
assured under such revolutionary eler-
ton methods?
To execute Speaker Reed's Federal
election system, by which he proposes
to ''cut loose from the State elections.
do our own registration, our own count
ing and our own certification, IL would
require in Pennsylvania one State re-
turning board to compute and certify
the vote for President; twenty-eight
returning boards to compute and certify
the returns in each Congressional
district; 10000 election officers
one Judge, two inspectors and two clerks
to each Of our 1000 election precincts
in the State-to hold the election; 5000
registers of voters, IL two are required
for each precinct, or $4,000, il three are
required, TO register voters, pass upon
the quail fications OF electors and revise
and publish the liss OF voters, to be
employed not less than thirty days
each; and TO estimate moderately, in
view Of the temptation to employ Unit
ed States marshals TO do party work,
fully 200 deputy marshals would DO
wanted at any Pennsylvania election.
The cost Of this extra and entirely need
less Federal election machinery would
be about as follows:
5000 registers thirty days each, at g
per day $4,000
10000 election officers, Eve for each pre-
cinct, two days each, at % per day. 10000
| 2S Congressional returning boards OF five
each, three days, at s. per day.. 2lW
200 United States marshals, hve days
"A ~
Total ............ ........ tSi7, 100
In short, Speaker Reeds proposition
to ''cut loose from the State elections,
do our own registration, our own count
ing and our own certiflcation,' would
cost the public treasury not less than
$500, 600 for each Congressional or Presi-
dental election held in Pennsylvania,
and the cost in all the States could not
DO less than SIS, 900, 900. and for what7
Simply to employ hundreds Of thousands
of Federal officers, appointed solely for
| partisan service, 10 mock popular gov
| eminent by violence AMI fraud under
color OF law. and disrupt the tranquility
| of the whole country. IL Speaker Reed
| insists upon such an experiment in poi
ties, let him move on and make it; but
let him first write in flaming letters over
his Speakers chair-"After me the del
uge"-Philadelphia Times.