The record-union., 1891-01-16

4
constitutional right exists to protect the
| ballot-boxes in which such elections are
determined, and to make good the guaran-
tee that every citizen may, unobstructedly
and free from intimidation, or vio-
| lence or fraud, vote for his choice for
representatives in Congress.
II is clearly manifest by the intem-
perate assaults upon the bill and the mis-
representations of it, that the politicians
and large body OF the people at the
South are determined to disfranchise the
colored citizen: and it is equally evident
that weak-kneed and timorous Republi-
cans at the North are willing to let them
do it.
The most significant thing that has de-
veloped in all the contention over the bill,
which is by no means the raw head and
| bloody bones measure that the partisan
Democratic press has represented, is the
admission of the people of the South that
the negro voter is deprived of his right to
vote in the South. The opponents of the
| bill, who have causelessly worked them
selves into fever heat over the matter.
and the partisans who oppose the passage
of the bill in the hope of manufacturing
party capital, object to Federal super
vision simply because it viii insure the
guarantee of the constitution and the
| fox hot tta -
elective franchise
Yet these intempcrate and preiudiced
people have been denying all along that
the negro has been deprived of that
right. Now, if it is true that the negro
does vote, is not interfered with, and is
not kept from the polls, what have the
people. of the South to fear from Federal
supervision? In other words. if elections
in which the Federal Government is con-
cerned, are honestly and lawfully con-
Quoted, the supervision bill is not a cause
for fear by the people. The very fact,
therefore, that there is such hot opposi-
| ton to the bin, is q warrant for the con-
viction that it is needed in order to con-
serve the rights Of voters.
| But the bill is not sectional one-it ap-
plies to the whole country; it is to be as
effective against ballot-box, naturaliza-
| ton and registration frauds and the in
! timidation of voters in New York City as
| ia Atlanta. In 1868 there were 10000
| fraudulent registrations, naturalizations
and counted votes in the city of New
York at the November election, at which
| Presidential electors were chosen. These
frauds defeated the will of the people and
subyerted their inalionable rights. They
| were monstrous crimes, which it was the
constitutional right Of Congress to pre-
vent.
| 70 Democrats, who are constant in the
declaration that the Constitution is es-
pecially dear to them, it seems to us the
Federal election supervision bill forcibly
commends itself, since it's sole aim and
purpose is to protect the citizen in his
constitutional rights, and since it is in di-
| rect line with clear and unambiguous
declaration of the Constitution concern
ing the power and duty of Congress to
secure to the citizen the exercise of his
constitutional rights.
There is already, and has been these
many years, a Federal election super
vision law, and it has been found to be
neither a hardship nor a tyrannous reg
ulatiori, but a wise, conservative and dis
Greet oversight in the interest of honest
How far does the new law advance upon
the old one?
1t defines the existing statutes with
more clearness, and more specifically sets
forth the duties of the Supervisors. Thus,
| they are to observe registration and re-
port and prevent by lawful means illegal
registration or revision of registers, not
to enforce Federal laws, but to see that
| the registration laws of the States are not
perverted in elections in which the
Federal Government is concerned.
The Supervisors are to require the
statutory oath to be put to challenged
persons in case the election boards neg
lect that duty. What reasonable grounds
can there be for opposition to such super
vision? What honest election board can be
interfered with by such regulation, what
honest vote hindered or diverted by il?
The Supervisors are to inspect the bal
lot-boxes before the opening of the polls,
and see that they are empty and properly
prepared for the reception OF ballots.
What citizen can reasonably object to
such Federal precaution in elections in
which it is concerned, for in no other
does it take any part. But it is at this point
that the chief objection to the bill is
raised, and the conclusion must be enter
tained that it springs from desire not to
be interfered with in stuffing the ballot
boxes, as has been done, for the matter of
that, in our own State on more than one
occasion.
The Supervisors are to keep full list
of voters, and if the votes of any are
rpiaefnd thy tho Ctata nfficarS tbax- a,.s, -,