The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1892-09-03
MENACE 70 LIBERTY.
A Concise Statement Of the Provisions
OF the Force Bill.


elections. Ittakes flom the States
the sui stance OF tue right, reserved
in the Constitution, 10 determine
and Judge Of the qualifications Of
voters. The assertion hat it is 10
secure full aud free elections is
mere pretense. The Chief SUPER
visors are to be appointed for life,
and, as the electoral machinery j.
put into their hands, it will be FIR
years under the control of Repuh-
lican partisan S, no matter what
may be the character of the
Administration.
The motive of the bill is bad. IT
is intended to coDtrnl at Washing
ton the return Of Congrt ssmen.
The business of choosing their Rep
resentatives is 10 be transferred
from The people of the partisanS
of the Republ can Administration.
For hundreds of years all elections
to Euglish-speaklng patliaments
have been conducted by the officers
of the locality where tie votina
has taken place. In England tile
witt for an election is received bA
the sheriff Of the county, and the
proceedings are III change Of the
returning officers of the counties
and boroughs. The statutes regu.
laling the procedure date back to
the reign of Henry vi.
So firmly fixed is the traditiOnary
right OF the people Of the locality
TO conduct Their own eh ctlans,
that only three years ago Mr..
Rowell, the Republican author ol
the worst features OF the bill com-
planned bitterly, in the contested
election case OF Smalls and Elliott,
that the election officers Of South
Caroliua are appointed 10y the Gov
elnor. Now it is intended by this
man and his party that the power
shall come from u much more re-
mote source-irom Washington.
All Congressional legislation
must find it's warrant i'll the Con.
sfituiion. There can be no differ
ence of opinion in the proposition
that the States alone have thu
right to declare who shall be voters.
The only imitation upon this light
is that suffrage shall net be deniel
to any one on tile ground hat he
is negro or WIS a slave. No on
has the right to SOte for a Com
gree sman unless lie Is a voter Of
the State. The Constitution Say-
that he Il ctors who shall vote f0i
Representatives III Congress ''ir
each State shall have he qualllica
ti0ns requisite for electors If thu
most numerous branch Of the Sta {
Legislature" This means tina
every one who is permitted by th.
laws of State TO vote for members
of the Legislature may vote fol
members of Congress. AS the voI
ing is done under the laws of the
State, State officers have invaria-
bly, conducted elections. 1t is now
proposed that the State laws sha
be administered by United States
officers.
The clause of the Constitution on
which the makers of this neW law
depend is that which provides tina
Congress may make or alter iht
GU latiOns which the States are
directed TO pr, sciihe concerning
the ssmanner Of holding elections.
This provision was adopted as q
nre autlOnary measure. and IL
order to guard against a possible
refusal of State IT, provide for tn
election OF Congrrssmeu. Tht
resolution adopted by the State q
New YORK concerning tbs tlass
on ratiiying the Constitution shows
what was intended. New York;
1e o,ution was as follows:
Sin full confidence that the Con.
gless will not make or alter any
regulations in this ate respecting
the times, manner and places o.
holding elections Tor Senators ol
Representatives, unless the Lrgis.
lature of this State snail neglect ol
refuse to make laws or regulation
for the purpose, or from any cir
cumstance be incapable Of making
the same, and that in those case'
such power will duly b. exercised
until the Legislature Of this Stae,
shall make provision in til
premises.
1t m v be added that if til,
United States officers have th,
power to take ch srg- Of elections
for RepiesentaiiN es they may ais,
enter the State Legislature am
supervise and superlulend th,
choice of Senators, for the Con
sii'ution also gives to Congress til,
right to make or alter the regnla
tions concerning the '.manner o
boiling elections for Sen tors"
1t having been, therefore, tn
immemorial usage of the people o
each locality TO conduct their owl
elections, and it being also til,
right Of the S afes to interpr,
their own laws, among them tbos
which determine WHO hall volt
for congressman, lei us see hos
these immemorial us ges an,
these rights of the State ale affect
ed hy the Force bill.
4 l.