The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-01-30
WASHINGTON NOTES.
THE AUSTRALIAN SYSTEM.


| WASHINGTON, January 22.-The house
committee on election of the president and
vice president is to get to work on the pro-
posed Federal election law tomorrow. Mr..
Lodge, who is in charge of this particular
measure, has been waiting for all bills on
the subject to come to this committee be-
fore formulating his general plan. The
| general impression has been all along that
he proposes to press to its passage some
radical measure, sort of force bill which
would apply, in practice, to the South
only. The plan he now proposes is
to make the Australian system gene
raj in its application to all congressional
elections. He does not think that a
measure that would be narrow in its appli-
cation, and aim merely at the South, could
be carried through the house, or would re-
ceive the sanction OF public opinion. On
the other hand, the necessity for some gen.
eral reform OF election methods is felt in
all sections of the country, and the Aus
| tralian system is apparently meeting with
| the approval of popular sentiment. Such
a reform, it is held, would apply as well in
any other section as in the South, and
would be non-partisan.
The Australian system has met with the
approval of many of the most prominent
Democrats in the country, and in its appli-
cation in Massachusetts was approved by
both parties. EX-President Cleveland has
spoken IN favor of it. Governor Campbell
of Ohio, recommended in his inaugural
address the application of the system to
elections in Ohio. Governor Green, of New
Jersey, another Democratic state executive,
strongly recommended the system in his
message to the legislature yesterday. Gov
ernor Hill and Senator German are the
only prominent Democrats who have come
out against the system, and there Is gen.
tln,,
OF these men are more or less interested in
machine politics.
1t is believed by Mr.. Lodge and other
Republicans who have been interesting
themselves in this question that, with the
strong Endorsement this system has had
from prominent men of both parties in its
local application, it will not be difficult to
pass national law making it general in
its application to congressional elections.
They think there will be no strong opposi- |
ton to the proposition to conduct all con- |
gresslonal elections as the last election in |
Boston was conducted. The adoption of
such national law, they think, will cure
the evils now existing at the polls, |
and will be sanctioned by public senti- |
ment.
The strong public feeling that has |
already developed in favor of the system, |
they believe, will disarm the opposition |
The principal point of attack, when the bill |
comes into the house, Will be that congress
has no right to interfere with elections in |
the states. Mr.. Lodge will be prepared to |
meet this objection with demonstration of |
the right of congress to regulate congress
sional elections.
WORLDS FAIR COMMITTEE.
The subcommittee of the special COM
mittee on the worlds fair was called to-
gether this morning by Chairman Chandler
and discussed the Springer proposition to
select the site for the worlds fair by ballot
in the house tomorrow. 1t was evident
that the subcommittee was hopelessly di-
vided upon the proposition, and it will r.
port to the full committee tomorrow that
it has had the proposition under consider
alton and has come to no conclusion
thereon.
THE UNsEATING BUSINESS.
BY strict party vote the house elections
committee today decided to report in favor
Of unseating jackson, (Dem.) representa-
tive from West Virginia, and declaring
smith, (Rep.) the contestant, entitled to
the seat. This is the first of seventeen con-
,ested election cases which the committee
has disposed of and it was the first upon
which argument was heard.
There will, of course, be two reports
which, it is expected, will be presented to
The house tomorrow. Mr.. Dalzell will
probably set forth the majority view, and
Mr.. Crisp will represent the ideas of the
NOMINATIONS
The president today sent to the senate
the following among other nominations: