The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-10-21
THE FORCE BILL.
MI. BUcXALEw 70 The VOTERS
OF COLUMBIA COUNTY, IN EX-
PLANTATION OF THE BILL.
A BAD MEASURE EXPOSED.

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resentative branch of Congress by a
political party. Some persons having
strange affection for this bill have
objected to its being called ''force
BILL" and agree with them in theil
criticism upon the name the bill con
tains more fraud than force, although
compulsion to enforce its most objec-
tionable provisions is a Distinguishing
feature.
BY the bill manager of elections
of representatives, called a chief super.
visor is to be appointed in each OF the
several judicial districts of the United
States by a Judge Of the circuit court,
who is confined, however, in his selec-
tion to commissioner of the court
scheme of selection which would re.
suit, at present, in the appointment of
Republicans almost exclusively as
chief supervisors and the law is to be
put in force in any Congressional dis
trict upon the petition of fifty electors
in country district or of one hundred
in a city district then for each elec.
ton precinct, or polling place, in the
Congressional district three supervis-
ors of election are to be appointed
one, at least, to be of different party
from the other two but who need not
be residents of the election-precinct,
residence anywhere in the Congress.
sional district being sufficient.
In order to their appointment, the
chief supervisor of elections (the "elec-
ton boss as he may be called makes
out list of persons in the Congress
slonal district, double in number to
the number to be assigned to actual
service, and this list is to be submitted
to circuit court Judge of the judicial
district for formal appointments the
judge can select no one, but acts only
on names furnished him by the elec.
ton boss then the boss picks out men
from the list and assigns them to duty
IN particular precincts and these pre-.
cinct-supervisors supervise registration
and attend at the holding of elections,
when they may challenge voters, assist
In counting votes, keep tallies, receive
votes rejected by the state officers Of
election, and make returns of the cleo
tlon to their chief together with state.
ments in writing concerning the elec.
ton and the registration of votes and
they are made expressly subject to the
direction and orders Of the election
boss In the performance of their duties.
In cities the election boss and u. S.
Marshall of the district are to confer
together and to agree upon the mum.
Der OF deputy marshall to be appoint.
ed for election purposes, but one,third
OF the deputy marshalls appointed are
to be named by the election boss, un-
der whose direction the precinct sup
ervisors and deputy marshalls are to
canvass the precinct districts from
house to house, obtaining full lists of
names OF voters with their nationality,
character of citizenship and other par
tlculars and returns are to be made
OF the canvassing sufficient time be
fore the election to enable their chief
to understand the political situation
everywhere and to give proper orders.
From the returns and statements
made to him after the election the
election boss makes out returns for
the several Congressional district
within his jurisdiction which are TO
be laid before United States return
ing board for the state, to consist Of
three persons appointed by the prop
er circuit court judge; which board,
upon the returns and statements
furnished it by the election bosses,
makes return for the state; each
member of the board to receive 6f-
teen dollars per day as his pay with
an additional allowance OF FIVE dollars
per day for expenses; while the pay
OF precinct supervisors is five dollars
per day for SIX days in any congress
ional district where there is regis.
tration of voters, and for twelve DAYS
in cities where there is house-to house
CanVaSSlnS.
The election board returns are to
be transmitted to the clerk of the
House of Representatives at Washing.
ton (the old clerk of the House al.
ways holding over until a new con-
gress is organized) by whom the names
OF the members so returned are to be
placed upon the roll of members of
the new House, under penalty in
case of failure of heavy fine and i'm,
prlsonment The returns made by
governors Of state, in accordance
with the reports of state officers of
election, are to be wholly dsregarded.
1t will be seen that the chef super
visors of election, called by US cleo
ton bosses, stand at the center of
this novel scheme and substantially
control it throughout. All precinct
supervisors are selected by them and
are subject to their direction; deputy
marshall are in part selected by them,
also, the canvassing of distrcts is &C,
| COrdlDg to their orders. The writteo =