Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-08-10
A Letter from Speaker Crisp.
AN ABLE ARGUMENT ON THE PRINCI-
PILES OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

AN ABLE ARGUMENT ON THE PRINCE
PILES OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
Hon. Charles F. Crisp, of Georgia,
Speaker of the National House of Rep
resentatives, has written the following
letter accepting the denomination re-
Gently rendered him by the Democrat
ic convention of his district:
WASHING ToN, July 26.-*
The Republican party is pledged to the
enactment of a Federal election law. |
have before me as l write the bill pass
ed by the Republican House on that
subject This bill may be fairly consid
cred as an authoritative expression of
the kind and character of law which
Republican success at the next election
will infiict upon us.
REMARKABLE PROVISIONS.
| cannot within the proper scope of
such letter as this enumerate all its
remarkable provisions.
1t gives to the judge of the United
States Circuit Court the power of ap
pointing election officers in the States.
1t gives to the election officers so ap
pointed the power to designate an I'M
limited number of deputy marshals.
who may be employed number of
days prior to each election at five dol
lars per day. "a thousand or more
might be appointed in each congress
sional district in Georgia.
1t authorizes the use of the armies of
the United Stvtes to preserve peace at
the polls.
1t gives to the judges of the United
States Courts the power of appointing
a canvassing or returning board for
each State, who shall certify whom the
people have elected to Congress.
1t requires the Clerk of the House of
Representative to place on the roll of
members elect the names of the persons
holding such certificates, so that they
may participate as members in the Or
ganization of the House.
1t authorizes officers of the United
States to supervise and control the reg
istration of voters.
1t authorizes such officers to make a
housetO-hOuse canvass, to ascertain,
the legally of any registered voter
1t provides for the payment of all
these officers out of the Federal treas
ury, aud authorizes the employment of
many of them for as much as eight days
before an election.
And finally it makes permanent ap-
preparation of yonr money for the exc
cution of the law.
This enumeration of the provisions
of the bill, meagre though it is, must
make it plain to all men that if it were
enacted into law the people would lose
all voice in the selection or control of
the officers who manage and certify the
result of their election.
IN THE POWER OF REPUBLICAN
JUDGES
A judge of the Circuit Court of the
United States, who is himself appoint
ed by the President and holds his office
| for life, appoints the election officers
All these judges save two are Republi-
can in politics. If election officers abuse
or betray their trust they are not re-
their power and authority is the Judge
who appointed them. If Republican
judge, to advance the interest of the
party, abuses his trust, he would not
should this bill become a law-be re-
sponsible to the people. Our COnstitu-
ton intended that he should be, and,
to that end, lodged in the peoples rep
resentatives in Congress the power of
Impeachment, but this law removes
that responsibility by permitting the
appointee of the judge to determine
who is your duly elected representative.
If a partisan Judge appoints partisan
election officers who falsely certify that
he whom you have defeated at the polls
is your duly elected representative,
what remedy have your The partisan
election officers are alone responsible to
the partisan Judge, aud the partisan
Judge can only be impeached bv repre-
sentatives in Congress who hold their
offices by virtue of a certificate from
the partisan election officers. This is
a mockery of responsibility.
ii'i hAA' ioNAA 'oAAissioN NhcAhLAp'
No one respects more highly than l
willing teSt;monv thar do 70 +ho ~
estv the inteorifv and tho abiIitv Of