The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-01-23
GROWING OUTRAGE.
The Force Biis stripped of Its Disguises
and its PreSistens Laid Eare BY
Senator Gibson OF Louisiana.
WITHOUT PREcED EMIT.
fcongrsssIonal Record.l

Congressional Record
Mr.. Gibson said:
Mr.. PRESIDENT: The bill before the Sem
ate Is unreasonable; il belongs 70 another
epoch; it is out Of date. Its harsh and
coerciyc features are not cougenial 80 the
temper Of shc times, for it comes like an
arctic iceberg into the warm gulf stream
of patriotic sympathy which is flowing
North and South.
can not conceive of measure every
lustrate moro strikingly how the actual
workings of our institutions may be d.
yerted from the literary theory upon which
they were constructed, when dominated
bipartisan interest and passion.
This is, in fact, although not revealed
upon its face, the most intensely partisan
bill that was ever presented to the Sem
ate. 1t authorizes and directs the circuit
judges of the United States to appoint
supervisors for life to oversee and con-
duct the elections at which the people OF
the several States are to choose their
representatives in Congress, who in turn
may appoint their successors. These SUI
pervisors have authority and power to APP
deputy marshals to aid them in the per-
forman:c of their duties; the bill places
at their service the Department of Justice
of the United States; at their command
the courts arc to be opened; and there is
bill still more extraordinary, which places
at their control the Treasury Of the peo-
pie, for this bill carries along continu-
ing and indefinite appropriation without
specification or limit as TO amount: and
finally they are authorized to cause to be
summoned the military forces OF the
United States to keep the peace at the
polls, and to arrest, incarcerate and pun
ish any citizen who may question the law
fuiness of their conduct in any respect or
incur their censure.
But this is not ALL 1t not only authori-
yes and directs the Federal judges to APP
point supervisors who may in turn nomi-
nate and cause to be appointed assistant
supervisors and deputy marshals without
limit to aid them in their work, but to
appoint n canyassing board TO ascertain
the results, hoard whose jurisdiction is
not confined to specified official state
mcnts, but is broad and general, and in
which is vested the power TO make the
returns, 4 right from which time immcmo-
rial has been exercised by the governors
of the States, elected by the people, in
whose name the writ of election runs.
Such, in brief, are salient points of this
bill. 1t would never occur, perhaps, to
anyone who looked ut it merely from an
academic standpoint that it Was other
than Just and patriotic measure intend
ed to secure honest elections and 4 fair
count, but this view is Danished the very
moment We become acquainted with the
actualities to which the bill applies, the
facts and circumstances upon which it is
TO operate.
Let us sec what these facts and circum-
stances are. Every one of these Federal
judges is, with one exception, a Republic
can, and Republican supervisors were APP
pointed before this Democratic judge took
his seat on the bench Of his circuit. Ev-
cry supervisor in the United States is,
/ believe, Republican Every Judge
hereafter to lie appointed by the Republic
can President and confirmed by Il lscpub-
lican Senate, will be of the Republican
faith in politics, and every supervisor
hereafter appointed by Republican Judges
will be also of the same faith, and every
assistant supervisor, every deputy mar
shal called into service, will be a staunch
and reliable Republican. Such has been
our experience in the past. But as all the
judges and supervisors hold for life they
must ali remain Republicans during this
generation. Such is the state Of facts
now in view while we lcgislate. Hence,
it must be clear to every man in this
country that this is partisan measure
intended to create Il huge machine to
control the elections of the people i'll the
interest of the Republican party.
can we'll understand how Senators
like the Senator from Maine Mr.. Frye
and perhaps others, who conscicntiousiv
believe that no Democrat can be trusted
TO conduct elections. that Democrats arc
dishonest, that the Republican platform
is good substitute for the Constitution
of our country, and that the way TO pro-
mote the prosperity and welfare of the
people is to employ the power and rcsour-
ces of the Government to advance the
success Of the Republican party-I can
readily comprehend how they, holding to
this political creed, should earnestly sup
port this bill.
Nine. de Stael, after the Restoration,
proposed constitution for France which
was 70 consist of only two paragraphs,
namely, one declaring all Frenchmen to
be government officers and another pro-
yiding that every officer should have
a salary. And in the same manner the
authors Of this measure have provided in
effect that every Republican may be APP
pointed as an officer to oversee and con-
duet the elections at which the people are
to choose their Representatives in Con-
gress and that every such officer shall he
provided with salary from the United
States Treasury.
The title Of the bill, therefore, should
be changed in order that it may indicate
its real import. 1t ought to he entitled,
"An act to provide for the supervision and
control of the elections at which the pco-
ple of the several States are to choose
their Representatives in Congress by Of
fcers taken exclusively from the Repuh-
lican party, and to vest i'll that party the
permanent control of the organization OF
the House of Representatives. No one
acquainted with the facts can deny that
this is n fair characterization of the bill!
now before us.
Suppose every judge and every super
visor in the country we're q Democrat and
the authority were invested in them to APP
point all the officers of election, super
yisors, assistant supervisors, deputy
marshals and returning boards, could it
not be said truthtully that they would
constitute Democratic machine to con-
troll elections in behalf of the Democratic
party! Every Republican, in the country