The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-04-03
THE LODGE BILL,
MR.. CARLISLE DISCUSSES PROPOSED
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATION:

REPUBLICAN LEGISLATION:
| IL VIII Cost over Ten Millions Every Two
| Years to Operate It---Other Objections to
the Scheme.
The Washington Gazette publishes
an interview with ex-Speaker Car
llsle upon the attitude of Democratic
representatives towards several i'm
portant measures pending before Con-
gress.
In the interview Mr.. CarlisleYfrst
attacked the Lodge bill, providing
for Federal regulation of election for
representatives He said: "The Demo-
ocrats Ill the house are O unit of op-
position to the first clause, which in
practice would make the bill operate
only III certain sections of the, coun-
try. If we are to have such law, it
should operate everywhere alike and
not to be left, as the Lodge bill leaves
it, to operate here and there as may
be requested by IL given number of
voters III such n Congressional dis
trlct. The intention is, in other
words, to control the machinery of
elections for representative in Con-
gress from Southern Congressional
districts, and from few Northern
districts only. This we shall op
pose.
Continuing, Mr.: Carlisle next esti-
mates that to carry out the provi-
sions of the bill would require the en-
plOyment of 100000 officers of cleo
tons, at IN expense of from S1O,OOO,-
600 to S15,000,O00 every two years,
which would have to be met by the
United States Treasury. This esti-
mate is based upon the present num-
bcr of polling places, but ho holds
that the system (Australian) proposed
would prove SOS slow and cumbrousas
to ncccssitatc Il vast increase in the
number of polls. Then, too, he ~
gucs, the bill is SO complex that it's
requirements could not be made clear
to illiterate voters or to ignorant Re-
publican election officers in the South
and Il legal election would be impos-
siblc. Said he, The Dill is full of
requirements difficult of execution
by officials, and not easily to be I'M
dcrstood by voters
'lt would be prolific source of
lnnumcrable contests" continued MIR.
| Carlisle, speaking with great empha-
sis, and that is just what they want.
They could take advantage of every
irregulaIity that might and would
arise under this multifarious law, and
additional machinery of the law pro-
vidcs how this may be done"
He contended that the bill did not
come within the meaning of the
clause OF the constitution Comforting
upon Congress the right to prescribe
the manner of elections. It deprived
governors of the right to issue GER
tificates of elections; in fact took
away all controls of election.
MIR. Carlisle further said that the
NlcComas bill, providing that cleo
tons for representatives ini the next
Congress shall be held in districts as
| they were constituted at the last cleo
tlon, was open to the same objection.
Said he, "If the bill be not unconsti-
tutlonal, ut least it is certainly unwise.
1T puts too much power in the hands
OF the canvassing board in coniunc-
ton the clerk of the House-always
partisan-and would provoke con-
tests and lead to innumerable
frauds.'
In conclusion Mr. Carlisle said that
while the extravagant expenditures of
the party III power and it's proposed
partisan laws were important uues-
tons they would not be the. overtop-
ping issues of the fall campaign, but
that the great question would con-
tmuc to be the relief of the people
from unnecessary taxation by tariff
laws.