Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1892-08-11
WHAT THE FORCE BILL is.

The Force Bill of Two Years Ago Will
be the Basis of Any Similar Bill Here
after-The Same Idea Will be involved
in Any New Measure.
We give synopsis OF the provls-
ions of the bill as then published, a
voluminous document of seventy-slx
pages, and deals with the problem
of securing the solid negro vote of
the South to the Republican party
with considerable ingenuity and an
evident determination to leave no
loophole by which such a result
could be defeated. Professedly it
applies to all the States, but no one
can read it carefully without arriv-
ing at the conclusion that it could
be so applied as to count the negro
vote of the Southern States for the
dominant party. One of the curl
Gus features of the measure is a lot
terry system of reaching result
where the number of ballots cast IN
any district is in excess of the num-
Der of voters. There is also the
fullest provision for the use Of
troops at the polls to support the
Federal supervisors, marshals and
canvassing boards in the exercise of
arbitrary powers for registering
voters, espurging" the lists, holding
elections and canvassing and return
ing the votes. Where State laws
conflict with the operation of the bill
those laws are declared to be null
and void. In other words, the entire
control of congressional elections is
lodged in the hands of the Federal
government, or, in other words, those
of the dominant party.
FEDERAL REGISTRATION.
The earlier sections of the bill,
after providing that the Federal su-
pervisors of elections shall be charged
with the supervision of elections at
which Representatives or Delegates
in Congress are voted for, with the
enforcement of the national election
laws and with the prevention of
frauds and irregularities in naturali-
cation. dealt in detail with the subject
of registration.
Section 2 provides that registra-
ton shall be guarded, scrutinized
and supervised" in any city or town
having 10000 inhab;tan or up
wards, "whether such city or town
contains within its boundaries one
or more congressional districts, or is
only part of one or more congress
sional districts, or in any one or
more counties in any congressional
district and forming part only of a
congressional district, or in any en-
tire congressional district no part OF
which is within any city or town of
10000 inhabitants and upwards,
whenever the chief supervisor for the
judicial district Gin which either OF
the three above mentioned places is
situated shall have received from
the first and third of such mentioned
places (that is, city or town and
an entire congressional district), an
application from 100 persons claim
ing to be qualified voters therein, or
from fifty such persons in one or
more counties or parishes, petition
ing for Federal supervision.
USE OF THE UNITED STATES COURTS.
Sections 2 to IA, inclusive, set
forth the manner in which such sn-
pervision shall be exercised. Upon
notice from the chief supervisor, the
Judge of the United States Circuit
Court having jurisdiction is required
within ten days to open his court at
the most convenient place F'for the
purpose of transacting all such bus
mess pertaining to registration OF
election matters as may. under the
laws of the United States, there be
transacted and done''.
If the circuit judge is unable to
act he shall designate district judge
10 sit in his place.
HOW SUPERVISORS WOULD BE CHOSEN
Supervisors of election are to be
appointed by the circuit courts upon
recommendation of the supervisors
who may also have deputies, to be
appointed by the court. The mum
Der of supervisors for each election
district or precinct shall be three
but two of whom shall be of the
same political faith.
The chief supervisor is authorized
to transfer his subordinates from
point to point, and also to assigr
Them, upon any other day than ont
of registration, revision or election
'sto any other duty authorized BY
laws of the United States. Th'
power of summary suspension is Civ
en- the supervisor, who may fill th'
vacancy by the designation of an
other unassigned appointee of tn
court of the same political faith. |
will be observed that the court i