Smyrna times., 1892-08-24
ABOUT THE SUPERVISORS.
CHAT WITH CHIEF MCALLIsTER ON
THE SUBJECT.
The POUers and Limitations of the Fed.
erat Supervisors of Elections.

]
A representative of EUery EreninO
called upon Chief Supervisor of Elec.
tlons, 5. A. Macallister, at his Office in
the Exchange Building, Seventh and
Market streets, in regard to some of
the details of registration and voting
as they will be affected under the
congressional enactment known as
the Federal Elections bill.
There will be two supervisors pres
ent at each polling and registration
precinct in the city. One will be a
Democrat and the other will be a Re-
publican.
"Will they sit within the registra-
ton or voting room ?" the reporter
asked.
The Chief Supervisor-"Yes."
"Have they the power to object to a
vote or registration ?"
Yes. They have the power to
challenge anyone"
I'm November, when you challenge
a vote, is that vote then thrown out p"
Not necessarily"
What is to be done with it?"
The officers of election will decide
what is to be done"
Can the supervisor in turn upset
their decision ?"
Certainly not"
The election judges are the final
court of appeal ?"
They are the Judges as to whether
a vote shall be accepted or rejected
If, however. it is evident to the suner-
! visor that any election officer is violat
ing the law, and the law in this case
should be the law of Delaware, which
IN this connection would be United
states Iaw-or is refusing any duty
required of him after being warned and
admOnished by supervisor, that he
then persists in such violation. the
supervisor may Immediately order his
arrest. And it will be the duty of the
United States marshal or his deputy
to obey such an order. This, however.
would be resOrted to only in extreme
cases, where the purity of election
would be endangered"
NOT A TwO-EDGED SWORD.
Nov, chief" continued the repor.
ter, 'suppOsing that the election off.
GERS have good cause 20 believe that
supervisor is exceeding his rights, or is
otherwise wrOngfully interfering or
stepping beyond his rights. have the
election officers not the right to order
his arrest the same as as anv other
person supposed to be interfering with
the state election laws ?"
HOW is THIS?
No supervisor is liable to arrest
under any warrant or process issued bv
state authority. But if any supervisor
shall exceed his duty in any particular
he may be arrested upon a COMPLAINT
made before any judge of the United
States Court or any United States
Commissioner"
PROVISIONS FOR APPEAL.
How many officials of that kind
have we in Wilmington ?"
There are four, think-Judge
Wales, S. Redmond Smith, Henry G.
Conrad and myself"
How many United States officials
will be ready to hear complaints ?"
Il can't say anything in regard TO
that beyond myself. l shall be at nv
office here at Seventh and Market
Streets"
What is there in the assertion that
the supervisors will keep lists of ner.
sons registering"
THE SUPERVISORS BOOK.
Each supervisor will be provided
with book similar to that used nv |
the state officials in which he shall |
make written entries under proper
columns in the same manner as The |
registrars. He will obtain his infor- |
nation from the applicants who call
Tor registration. taking the answers
gwen the registrars, and he NAV also |
ask any question at his discretion.
THE powers of the Republican and
Democratic supervisors are of course
identical all the way through in the |
registration and in the November |
voting"
What does the supervisor do with
this list ?''
THE book will be delivered to me
at the close of each day for nv inspec.
ton, in order to ascertain whether the |
officers are competent and are perform |
ing their duties properly. when it
appears that any of them are incompe-
tent their places will be supplied by
the next day of registration.
ut will be the duty of each supervi.
sor, and they will be so instructed |
after the close of the registration of
voters, to take these books and visit
those places which the voters who
registered, claimed as their residence
and when it appears that anV Dersop
claiming to reside at a particular place
does not reside there and has fraudu- |
lently caused himself to be registered
complaints will be presented to the
chief supervisor or any United States
Commissioner, and warrants will be
issued for the apprehension of such
persons having so falsely registered"
You can go to any house in quest
of this information P''
'Yes."
And demand entrance9"
Yes, in a polite, gentlemanly way
in fact this section, No. 5523 of the
Laws of the United States, relative to
the elective franchise and duties of
the United States supervisors of elec.
tions, explains the position:
Every person who, during the progress
of any .varifeation of any list of any per-
sons who may have registered or voted.
winch Is had or made under any of the
provisions of title, Elective Franchise"
refuses to answer or refrains from answer
ing or, answering knowingly, gives false
information to any inquiry lawfully made.
shall be punishable by imprisonment for
not more than 30 days, or by fine of not
more than SlOO or by both, and shall pay
the costs of prosecution.
ANY supervisor, acting impolitely
or Extensively, or who exceeds his au.
thority, is liable to punishment as
provided by law"
CANNOT FORCE AN ENTRANCE.
Have you the right of entrance of q
domicile?n
"NO, we have no right to break open
q door-nothing extreme of that ma
ture. The section quoted covers the
duties. The powers of the supervisors
Democratic and Republican, are
Identical, and It is Just as much the duty
of the Democratic supervisors to ferret
out a fraud as it is that of the Republi-
can"
Colonel" the reporter continued,
can an election precinct supervisor of
his own volition go to a house to in
vestigate an alleged illegal registration
or voting?"
Yes, certainly"
Then on original information, gain
ed by the supervisor, Democratic or
Republican, at the polling or registra-
ton place or elsewhere, he has the
rfukk - 10 and fnuaoff- /