The St. Johns herald., 1890-08-14
The Sawyer Bill.

 continent as "bill to make Judge Sawyer the boss of the Pacific Coast" That is exactly and liter ally what its effect would be. From that point of view we ask the at tention of Republicans, who what ever they might be willing to do to the Democrats, may be presumed to have some care for the fate of their own party organization.
 What does the average Republi- can think of the idea of giving Judge Sawyer the power to dictate every Republican nomination, State local and Federal, in California, and not only in California, but in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Mon tana, ENeveda and Arizona as we'll? Would not that be rather dear price to pay for seating a dozen negro Representatives from South Caro- lima and Mississippi"
 Perhaps some of our readers may doubt the facts. They may think 1t incredible that MT. Morrow and his colleagues should vote for bill that would make an absolute dicta- tor of a Judge whose impeachment was demanded only two years ago by mass meeting of which one of the principal figures was the Chair man of the Republican State Com mittee. Let us see.
 The force bill nominally affects only the elections for members of Congress. It puts these absolutely in the hands of the Chief Supervi- sors, who are appointed, whenever there are vacancies, by the Circuit Judges. To this end 1t authorizes the appointment of three Federal Supervisors for every polling place, of an unlimited number of Deputy Marshals and of numerous supe- rior officers. The Supervisors alone would number 900 in the city ot San Francisco. They are author ized to superintend theregistration and naturalization of voters, to yer 1fy the registration in cities by a house-to-house canvass, to inspect ballot-boxes, and do dozen other things, all nominally relating ex- clusively to the election of mem- bers of Congress, but extending in reality just as far as the officials choose to carry them. The can vassers under the law are to give the only certificate of election that is to be recognized by the Clerk of the House, and if by any chance they make a count that fails to sat isfy the Circuit Judge they may be cited before him and compelled 10 change it. The Federal Treasury is placed at their disposal by an in definite and permanent appropria- ton, and their accounts are to be set tied in case of dispute, by the Court, so that they are freed from all the cheeks of Treasury routine. Thus the whole machinery of the cleo tion and certifcation of members of Congress is placed in the hands of Curcuit Judges, the United States Marshal and the Chief Su- pervisors, who are all officers of the same courts and who form practi- cally a single political family.
 Now let us imagine the bill pass ed and let us further suppose Judge Sawyer to be ambitious of ruling the politics of the Pacific Coast. He may call the Republican lead CTS before him and say, in 6 decor ous, judicial way: Here is my slate of State, Federal and local of- icers. Nominate it and you need give yourselves no trouble about the election. Refuse, and l will de- feat any ticket you may put up. l can secure the appointment of every floating or doubtful voter in the States as a Supervisor of Election or Deputy Marshal at s a day. With an avcoadin0 moderate 1ca Of