The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1892-08-30

From speaker Crtsa's Letter
Oar great adversary. ;hs. party which
Tor The past thirty ycars has had legisla
t'vc control of our country, and with
which At the polls IN Novembc next our
real battle Is 10 be fought. has. in il.
declaration Of principles. given US plainlv
to understand wha, legislation il to fol
low It's success. The republican party ia
pledged TO the enactment Of a federal
election law. have before me. a. ]
write, the bill passed by the las, rcpuhl..
can House on that subject. This bin
may be fairly considered as an an;hori,s
tive expression of the kind and charac
ter OF law which republican success a,
the next election will iafiic; upon us. /
cannot, within the proper scope Of such
letter As this, enumerste all its remark
able provisions. Il gives 10 the jnd ges
OF the Uaited States Circuit, Courts the
power OF appointing election officers Of
the States. 1t gives to the election Off
GERS SO appointed the po ~er 10 design ate
an unlimited number Of deputy mar.
shals, who may be employed for q nu n i.
Der OF days prior TO each election, at S5
per day. "a thousand or more nigh,
be appointed In each congressional dis
trict IN Georgia. 1t authorizes the use
'of the armies Of the United States
to preserve the peace at the polls.
1t gives to judges OF the United States
courts the power OF appointing q can
vassing or returning board for each
State, who shall certify whom the people
have elected to Congress. II requires
the clerk of the House Of Representa-.
tives to place on the roll of the mem bers
elect the names of the persons holding
such certificates, so that they may par
ticipate as members in the Organization
OF the House. 1t authorizes officers Of
the United States TO supervise and con
troll the registration OF voters 1t au-
thorizes such officers to make house to-
house canvass, To ascertain the legality
OF any registered voter. 1t provides for
the payment Of all these officers ou, OF
the federal treasury, and authorizes the
employment Of many Of them for as
much as eight days before An election.
And finally 1t makes permanent appro-
priation Of your money for the execution
of the law This enumeration OF the
provisions Of the bill, meager though il
is, must make it plain to all men. that il
1t 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.
Judge of the Circuit court of the
United States, who is himself appointed
by the President and holds his office for
life, appoints the election officers All
these judges, save two, are republican in
politics. II election Ulcers abuse or be-
tray their trust. they are not responsible
to the people. The source Of their power
and authority is the Judge who appointed
them. If republican judge, to advance
the interests Of his party, abuses his
trust, he would not-should this bill be-
come law-be responsible to the people.
Our constitution intended that he should
be, and to that end lodged in the peoples
representatives in Congress the power of
impeachment, but this law removes that
responsibility by permitting the appoin-
tee Of the judge to determine who is your
duly elected representative. II 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
| yous The partisan election officers are
alone responsible to the partisan Judge
and that partisan Judge can only be i'm
peached by representatives in Congress
who hold their offices by virtue Of GER
tificate from fhe partisan election officers.
This is mockery Of responsibility.