Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-12-06

NiioN hllS NVNNlOplllNul VI tilO CAiotlllS !
law providing Federal supervision
of congressional elections offered an
effective method of reforming these
abuses. The need of such law has
manifested itself in many parts of the
country, and its wholesome restraints
and penalties will be useful in all.
The c0nstitutionality of such legisla-
ton has been affirmed by the SUI
preme Court. Its probable effective
ness is evinced by the character OF the
opposition that is made to it. 1t has
been denounced as if it were a new
exercise of Federal power and an in>
vasiOn of the rights of the States.
Nothing could be further from the
truth. Congress has already fixed the
time for the election of members of
Congress. 1t has declared that votes
for members of Congress must be
by written or printed ballot lit has
provided for the appointment by the
Circuit Courts in certain cases, and
upon the petition of a certain number
of citizens of election supervisors and
made it their duty to supervise the
registration of voters conducted by
State officers; tochallenge persons Of
fering to register; to personally in
spect and scrutinize the registry lists,
and to affiX their names to the lists
for the purpose of Identification and
the prevention of frauds; to attend at
elections and remain with the boxes
until the votes are all cast and count
ed; to attach to the registry lists and
election returns any statement touch.
ing the accuracy and fairness of the
registry and election, and to take and
transmit to the Clerk of the House of
Representatives any evidence of the
fraudulent practices which may be
presented to them. The same law
provides for the appointment of
Deputy United State Marshals to at
tend at the polls, support the Super
visors in the discharge of their duties
and to arrest persons violating the
election laws. The provisions of this
familiar title of the revised statutes
have been put into exercise by both
the great political parties, and in
the North as well as the South, by the
filing with the court of the petitions
required by law.
1t is not, therefore, a question OF
whether we shall have a Federal cleo.
ton law, for we now have one, and
have had for nearly twenty years, but
whether we shall have an effective
law. The present law stops just short
5 of effectiveness, for it surrenders tC
u the local authorities all control over
the certificatiOn, which establishes 8
: prima facie right to a seat in the
House of Representatives. This de
feet should be cured. Equality O
e representation and the purity of the
y electors must be maintained, or ev'
5 crything that is valuable in our sys
s tenn of Government is lost. Tit
5 qualifications of an elector must bt
e sought in the law,nOt in the opinions
u prejudices, or fears of any class, how
y ever powerful. The path of the cleo
IS tor to the ballot-boX must be fire.,
Il from ambush of fear and the entice
Is ments of fraud; the count so true ant
e open that none shall gainsay it. Sucl
J. law should be absolutely non.parti
'r san and impartial. 1t should Civ
q the advantage to honesty and tn
q control to majorities. Surely there i
q nothing sectional about this creed
n and if it shall happen that the penal
"a ties of laws intended to enforce thes
is rights, fall here and not there, it
a not because the law is sectional, bu
l. because, happily, crime is local an
p not universal.
e. X \ X x X
Of But it is said that this Legislation
N will revive race animosities and som
e. have even suggested that when tn
rs peaceful methods of fraud are mad
a. impossible they must be supplante
as by intimidation and violence.
le If the proposed law gives to an
"a qualified elector, by hairs weigh
III more than his equal influence, or d,
" tracts by so much from any otht
lr qualified elector, it is fatally impeacl
rt ed. But if the law is equal and tn
es animOsities it is to evoke grow out
ut the fact that some electors have bee
n. accustomed to exercise the franchi'
at for others as we'll as for themselve
~ then these animosities ought not to |
ny confessed without shame, and cannC
re be given any weight in the discussio