Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-28
A PROTEST.
Northern Democrats In the House Tell the
People of the North of the Monstrosities
of the National Election Bill.

! WASHINGTON, June 27.-The Northern
representatives have prepared the fol-
| lowing formal protest against the nation
al election bill now under discussion in
the house:
The undersigned representing in the
| congress of the United States constituents
in the states north of the Ohio and Po-
tomac rivers feel it their duty to their
| fellow citizens to briefly call their atten-
| ton to the extraordinary dangerous and
| revolutionary measure now proposed by
| the leaders of the party in power for
| passage in the house of representatives.
| Under doubtful construction OF the con-
sJitution this bill proposes to substan-
| TALLY take from the states and local au-
thorities control of all elections at which
members of congress are balloted
| for, and hand the same over to
| United States judges ap. ointed to
Office for life and chief supervisors
of elections. If the power claimed re-
sides in the constitution, which we deny,
the republic has gone through the diff
culties of the formative period, made
heroic struggle against dissolution, tri-
| 10 changed conditions without the exer-
| else of such power by the Federal gov
| erment for 100 years and over. MIR. JEFF
| ferson and the fathers of the republic
would have considered such q proposition
as this is as dangerous as an open at
tempt at Capitalization. This bill is q
purely partisan measure intended pri-
marily to control elections for congress
and presidential elections in all the
states, and TO intimidate, hound, OBJ
| struct and harrass, by political prosecu-
ton in unfriendly hands, adverse ma
| joritles in the cities of the North. To
| this end it gives to the control
| of the chief supervisor of cleo
| tions q body of Federal police
| spies who are authorized to make
| domicilIary visits, superintend the nat
uralization of foreign born citizens,
| place the citizen under the strict scrutiny
| of trusty unprincipled Federal detectives
| for days, both proceeding and following
an election, and in every way subject
| him to the power and control of a paid
| party mercenary of the government in
W y at utter variance with republican
| institutions and the great principle of
| American freedom, home rule. To
| carry on this scheme of imperial gov
eminent millions of dollars will be taxed
from our people and the judiciary of the
| United States will be prostituted to the
basest partisanship in the management
| of elections, and the liberties of our
people will be left for safety to partisan
jurists in Federal courts composed en-
tirely of the party in power.
The constitutional objections to the bill
are set forth at length, and the protest
| concludes as follows:
In view of the great danger to the
| rights and liberties of the people, and to
the principles of local f-government
involved in this bill, we respectfully APP
| peal to American freemen, without re-
| gard to party, to enter a timely protest
| by way of public meetings or other
| wise against this consolidation of
| government, destruction of popular
rights and the very foundation of Amer
| lean liberty; for we indulge in no mere
| rhetorical flourish when we solemnly
affirm on our loyalty as citizens, and on
our honor as representatives., that this
| vicious and unpatriotic measure is most
! serious menace to the very life of the re-
| public. This issue is, shall a political
party elect itself aud keep in power by
paid agents who are to control political
elections in all the states. The sigma
lures so far are as follows: Holman :,
Buckalew, Springer, MoAdoo, Cum
ming, Wilcox, Kerr, Fowler, Parrett,
| Chapman, Shevely, Mcclellan, Brown,
| Covert, Martin, Mansur, Drummer, Will
| Jams, Mutchler, Veux, Walsh, O'Neill
| of Massachusetts; Andrews, Turner of
New York; Stahlnecker, Tarsuey, Gels
senhaur, Flower, Bynum, Brookshir.