Nevada County picayune., 1890-07-31

IutCIi't llIt Nll'ltt VI t'tIidiplS1 lbl Allt Constitution also gives to Congrcs, the right to make or alter the regu, lations concerning the "manner oi holding elections for Senator's
 It having been, therefore, the i'm. memorial usage of the people of eacl locality to conduct their own cleo tions. and it being also the right of the State to interpret their own laws, among them those which determine who shall vote for Congress, let us see how these immemorial usages and these rights of the State are af- fccted by the Federal election bill.
 The officer who is to be in charge of elections is called the chief super visor of elections. There is to be one for each judicial district. New York would have three-one in the city of New York, one in Brook yn, and one in the central or western part of the State He is judicial officer, for he is United States Commissioner. He is to have charge of the Federal officers who are to be appointed to control the elections. 1 He is to examine voters under oath and receive returns. He is to have charge of the deputy marshals ap- pointed to assist him, and will have absolute power to order arrests.
 The bill applies to State as well as Federal elections. It's language is : 1 "Elections at which Representatives or Delegates in Congress are voted for As is well known, Congress- men and State officers are voted for al the same elections. In this State they are voted for on the same bal lot, and under our reformed ballot law there is only one ballot-boX at each polling place. There are to be three supervisors, subordinate to the chief supervisor, two of whom shall be of the same political party, and these supervisors are to conduct the elcc- ton.
 A partisan could appoint two sound Republicans and one Demo cra' who was Il cripple or too i'll to be at the polls. The bill provides. in such case, that all the duties shall he performed hy the two remaining supervisors. In other words, the two Republican supervisors are to manage the election.
 Supervisors may be appointed on the request to the chief supervisor of 100 persons in any city or town having 10000 inhabitants or up ward, or in any entire Congressional 1 District, no part of which is within any city or town of 10000 inhabi- tants and upward, or on the request of fifty persons "in any one or more counties or parishes Tn any Con grcssional district"
 In a Congressional district con sistng of half dozen counties, two Republican and four Democratic, the polls in the Democratic counties ties could be manned by Republican supervisors, who need not be resi- dents of the counties, but might be brought from different parts of the district. In the other counties the machinery of elections would be in the hands of local officers. The bill, , therefore, is device by which the Republicans may manage all elcc- tions, no matter what may be the politics of a community.
 Arrangements are made in the bill whereby local party committees may name the supervisors, so that the most serviceable party workers may be employed. This is effected by q provision authorizing persons to ap- ! ply to the chief supervisor for ap- pointments.
 Care is taken also that supervisors may be appointed on the very eve of an election, in order, doubtless, that if it be necessary complaints against the character of the appointees may be avoided.
 The chief supervisor is permitted to name double the number of super yisors that can be required in his whole judicial district. In this way the Republican party can pay an army of workers at the polls from the Federal Treasury.
 Supervisors may be transferred from one part of Congressional dis trlct to another, SO that the voters have no acquaintance with the men who are guarding, supervising and scrutinizing" their election,
 The new bill requires the super Yisors to perform all their dnties.