Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-01-01

i road companies, 10 caTrg AZ spneiheH rates
such commnnicaiions rs the senders niay
designate for this method of transmission.
i / recommend that such legislation be en-
acted as will enable the posfoffire depart
1 nent fairly TO test by experiment the adj
vantages or such h use OF the telegraph.
/ The subject Of the conservation andeanni
1 distribution of the water supply OF the arid
| regions has bad much attention from con
| gress. but has not MS vet been put upon a
persnan ent and satisfactory basis. The
! urgency OF the subject does not grow out OF
| any large present demand for the use OF
| these lands for agriculture, but out OF the
1 danger that the water supply and the sites
| for the necessary catch basins may fall
! into the hands OF individuals or. private
4 corporations aud be used to render subser
| Went the large areas dependent upon such
| supply. The owner OF the water IL the
owner of the lands, however the titles may
| run. ALI unappropriated natural water
sources and all necessary reservoir sites
should be held by the government for the
| equal use, at fair rates, of the homestead
settlers who will eventually take up these
| lands. The United states should not, La my
| opinion, undertake the construction or dams
! or canals, but should limit Its work to such
surveys and observations as will determine
! the water supply, both surface and subter-F
| ranean, the areas capable of irrigation, and
| the use and location OF the storage capacity
| of reservoirs. This done, the use OF the
water and of the reservoir sites might be
| granted to the respective states or iterri-
tories, or to individuals or associations
| upon the condition that the necessary worka
should be constructed and the water fur
nished at fair rates, without Discrimination
the rates to be subject to supervision by
| legislatures or by boards OF water commits
| sioners duly constituted. The essential
| thing to be secured is the common and
| equal use at fair rates OF the accummu-
| lated water supply. It were almost better
| that these lands should remain arid than
that those who occupy them should become
| the slaves OF unrestrained monopolies con-
| trolling the one essential element OF land
values and crop results
II any intelligent and loyal company OF
American citizens we're required to oata-
| logue the essential human conditions or ma
| tional life, do not doubt that with abso-
| lutte unanimity they would begin with
| free ana Honest Elections" And Ii In
| gratifying to know that generally there Is
| growing and non-partisan demand for
better election laws. But against this sign
| of hope and progress must be set the de-
| pressing and undeniable fact that election
! laws and methods are sometimes cunningly
contrlved to secure minority control, while
violence completes the shortcomings OF
| fraud. In my last annual message I
| suggested that the development OF
| the existing law providing n
| fedora Supervision of congressional cleo
| lions offered an effective method of reform
| Ing these abuses. The need CT such q law
| has manifested Itself In many parta of the
| country anu its wholesome restraints ana
! penalties will be useful in all. The consti-
| tutionality Of such legislation has been at
| firmed by the supreme court. Its probable
| effectiveness is evidenced by the character
| OF the opposition that is made to 1t. 1t has
| been denounced as II it were q new exercise
| of federal power and an Invasion Of the
pta 70 rf In fnfn n
| further from the truth Congress- has all
ready fixed the time for the election Of
| members of congress. Ii has declared that
votes for members of congress must be by
written or printed ballot. 1t has provided
| for the appointment by the circuit courts la
| certain cases, and upon the petition Of q
I UCFrHrn number or CITIZENS, or 6TeCtTo1
| supervisors, and made 1t their duty to
supervise the registration of voters con~
| Quoted by the state officers; to challenge
persons Offering TO register; to personally
| inspect and scrutinize the registry lists, anu
| to afiS their names to the lists for the nur-
| pose of identification and the prevention or
| frauds; to attend at elections, and remain
with the boxes until the votes are all cass
| and counted: to attach to the registry lists
| and election returns any statement touch
| ing the accuracy aud fairness OF the regis
| try and elections and to take and transmit to
| the house of representatives any evidence
1 OF fraudulent practices which may be pre-
| sented to them. The same law provides for
1 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
1 OF the revised statutes have been nut into
| exercise by both the great political parties.
and in tho north as well as In the south by
| fling with the court the petitions re-
quired by law. 1t is not, therefore, a guess
IHns vNNnAl, hall g.
| ton law, for wo now have one and have
| had for nearly twenty years, but whether
| we shall have an effective law. The pres
| emit law stops just short of effectiveness, for
| IT surrenders to the local authorities oil
control over the certifcation which estab-
| fishes the prima facie right to seat In the
| house OF representatives. This defect
| should be cured. Equality OF represents
| ton and the purity of the elections must be
| maintained, or everything that is valuable
| In our system of government fl lost. The
| qualifications of an elector must be sought
In the law. not in the opinions, prejudices,
or fears or any GLASS, however powerful.
| The path of the eiector to the ballot box
/ must be free from the ambush OF fear ana
| the enticements of fraud; the count so true
and open that none shall gainsay 1t, Such
a law should be absolutely nom partisan
and impartial. 1t should give the adyan-
| tage to honesty and the control TO maiORf-
| ties. Surely there Is nothing sectional
about this creed, and IL it should happen
/ that the penalties OF laws intended to en- :
| force these rights fall here and there, it il
| not because the law Is sectional. bat be-
cause, happily, crime Is local and not uni
| versal. Nor should 1t be forgotten that
every law, whether relating TO elections or
| to any other subject whether created by
the state or by the nation, has force behind
| it. The courts, the marshal or constable.
the posse consitdt,s. The prisons are all and
always behind the law. One can not be-
| justly charged with unfriendliness to any
| section or cause who seeks only to restrain
| violations OF law and of personal right. The
| community will find lawlessness nnprofit-
| able. No community can afford to have
| 1t known that the officers who
| are charged with the preservation OF the
/ public peace and the restraint OF the crimi-
nal classes are themselves the product OF
| fraud or violence. The magistrate is then,
| without respect and the law without sanc~
| ton. The foods OF lawlessness cannot be-
believed and made to run In one channel
| The killing Of o United States marshal car.
| rying writ of arrest for an election Of
/ Tense Is full OF prompting and suggestion to
men who are pursued by city marshal for
| a crime against life or property. But IL IN
| said that this legislation VIII revive Race
Rnimosities, and some have even suR-
| gested that when the peaceful methods Of
/ fraud are made impossible theysa.ay be
supplanted by intimidation and violence.
| IL the proposed Law gives to any qualifled
/ elector by a hairs weight more than this
! renewal, influence, or detards by 40 much
| from any other qualified elect0r, Ii IL fata lly
impeached. But II the law IL equal
and the animoaities 1t IL to avert
electors have been accustomed to
exercise that franchise for others rs well as
for themselves. then these anirnosfties
ought not to be confessed without shame.