The Charlotte Democrat., 1890-12-05

still regard as very desirable The Constitution
having given to Congress jurisdiction OF this
SUBJECT 1t should be exercised and uniform rules
previdei for the administration Of the affairs oi
Ntnsolyent debtors. The inconveniences resulting
from the occasional and temporary exercise OF
this power by Congress and from the conflicting
State codes OF insolvency which come into forcs
intermediately should be removed by the enact
ment OF . simple, inexpensive, and permanent
national bankrupt-law. Ia u q ,3itt# sa
The use Of the telegraph by the Post Office
department as q means for the rapid transmits
sion OF written communications is, believe
upon proper terms quite desirable. The Govern
ment does not own or operate the railroads and
II should moi, think. own OrEoperate ahes tele-
graph lines. 1t does, however, seem to be quite
practlcable for the Government to contract with
the telegraph companies ss il does With the rail
road companies to carry at specified rates such
communications as the senders may designate for
this method of Transmission. recommend that
such Legislation be enacted = as will enable
the Post Office Department fairly to test by
experiment the advantage of such q use of the
Ii any intelligent a and Ioyaaf 70 Il company of Amer: ne
lcfn citizens were required to catalogue the
essential human conditions of national life, do
not doubt that ith absolute unanimity they
would begin with free, honest elections and 1t is
graufYing 10 know that generally there is q
growing and nOn-partisaa demand for better
election laws. But against this sign of hope and
progress must be set the depressing and undenia-
BILE fact that election laws aud methods are
sometimes cunningiy contrlved to secure a
minority control, while violence completes the
shortcomings of fraud.
In my last annual message I suggested that
the development of the existing law providing q
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 whole
some restraints and penalties viii be useful in all
The cOnstitutionality Of snch legislation has
been affirmed by the: Supreme Court. 10
character of the opposition that is made to it, 1t
has been denounced as if 1t were q new exercise
Of Federal power and an invasion of the right of
the States. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Congress has already fixed the time for
the election Of members of Congress; it has de-
clared that votes for metlbers'of Congress must
be by written or printed ballot. II has provided
for the appointment, by the circuit courts In
certain cases and upon the petition OF certain
number OF citizens, of election supervisors, and
made it their duty to supervise the registration
of voters conducted by the State officers, to chal
lenge persons Offering to register. to personally
inspect and scrutinize the registry-lists, and to
affix their names to the list for the purpose OF
Identification and the prevention of frauds, to
attend at elections and remain with the boxes
till the votes are all cast and couoted, to attach
to the registry lists and election returns any
touching the accuracy and fairness Of
tie registry and election, and to take aud trans
nit to the clerk of the House!of Representatives
any evidence OF fraudulant practices which may
be presented to them ,'+. =. '''' t.'.., 80
The same law provides for the appointment OF
deputy United States marshals to attend at the
polls, support the supervisors 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
10 the North as we'll IS in the South by the filing
with the court |of the petition required by the
law. g.. a- .s - T51ni1s lua. II . ..r.sf
1t is not, therefore, a question whether we
shall have Federal election law, for we now
have one, and have had for nearly twenty years,
but wht ther we shall have an effective law. The
present law stops just short of effectiveness for
it surrenders to the local authorities all control
over the certification which establishes pfsnsG
fdcie right to seat III the House Of Representa-
tives. This defect should be cured. The equal
ty of representation and the parity Of the elec-
tors must be maintained or every thing that is
valuable in our system of government is lost.
The qualifications of an elector must be sought
In the law, not in the opinions, p.ejudices, or
tears of any class, however powerful. The path
Of the eector to the ballot box must be free from
the ambush of fear and the entice ments of fraud;
the count so true and open that none shah gain
say it. Such law should be absolutely nom
partisan and impartial. It should give the ad-
vantage to honesty and the control to the ma
this creed, and if it shall happen that the
penalties of laws intended to enforce these
rights fall here and not there, it is not because
the law is sectional, but because, happily,
crime is locaI and not universal. Nor
should it be forgotten that every law, whether
relating to elections or to any other subject,
whether enacted by the State or by the nation,
has force behind it. The courts, the marshal or
the posse comitatus, the prison are all
and always behind the law. =H One cannot be
fr4a
Or class VINO seeksfonly to restrain Violations
Of law and OF personal right. No community
will fnd lawlessness profitable. No community
ian afford to have it known that the officers who
are charged with the preservation of the public
peace and the restraint of the criminal classes
are themselves the product of fraud or violence
The magistrate is then without respect and the
aw without sanction. The foods of lawlessness
cannot be leveed and made to- run in one Chan
ael. The killing of United States marshal
IS full of prompting and suggestion to men who
IRE pursued by city marshal for crime against
life or property *f .+ -I..a ts.. I
But it is said that this legislation will revive race
and some have even suggested that
when the peaceful methods of fraud are made
impossible they may be supplanted by intimi-
1stion and violence. II the proposed law gives
to any qualified elector by a hairs weight more
han his equal influence or detracts by 30 much
from any other qualified eleetor it is fatally i'm
Deached. But II the law Is equal and the
snimosities it is to evoke grow out of the fact
hat some electors have been accustomed to
exercise the franchise for others as we'll as for
themselves. then these animosties ought not to
be confessed without shame and cannot be given
any weight in the discussion without dishonor
No choice is left to me to enforce with vigor all
avs intended to secure to the citizen his consti-
Lutional rights, and to recommend that the made
luacies of such laws be promptly remedied. I Il
If to promote with zeal and ready interest
every project for the development of its ma
terial interests its rivers, harbors mines, and
and the intelligence. peace, and
security, under the law of it's communities and
It's homes. is not accepted as sufficient evidence
Of friendliness to any State or section, cannot
add connyance at election practices that not only
disturb local results, but rob the electors OF
other States and sections Of their most priceless
political right.
The preparation of the general appropriation
bills should be conducted with the greatest care
and the closest scrutiny of expenditures. Ap-
should be adequate to the needs Of
the public service, but they should be absolutely
free from prodigality. nun Z. 4
I venture to again remind you that the brief
time remaining for the consideration of theSim-
portant legislation now awaiting your attention
offers no margin for waste. If the present
duty is discharged with diligence fidelity and
the work Of the Ffty-frst Congress
may be confidently submitted to the eonsid-
crate judgment of the people.
s-H BENJAMIN HARRISON.
.