The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-10-01
What the Force Bill Is.

of the Force Bill when it was before the
Senate, and who thoroughly understands It's
scope and purpose, gives the following
analysis of ii in the Baltimore News:
A Federal circuit Judge, whose tenure of
office is for life, is given the power TO appoint
in each Judicial district of his circuit an officer
known as the supervisor of election, which
office he may hold for life.
Into the hands of this single officer is
placed the entire election machinery created
by this bill, covering a territory in the State
Of West Virginia limited only by its bounda-
ries;. he controls the appointment OF supervl-
sors at ever precinct in the State, who are
to pass upon the qualifications Of the voters;
he is given the extraordinary power OF select
ing one-third of the Deputy United States
Marshals, even against the protest of the
Marshal, although he is responsible for their
conduct He even has the power conferred
upon him of converting the Circuit Courts
when, in his Judgment, he deems it proper.
That frauds upon the ballot may more fear
lessy be perpetrated, he is authorized to
transfer the supervisors living in one end OF
Congressional district TO any other portion
of the district to pass upon the right and
| qualification oe a citizen to deposit his ballot.
This is one of the most ingenious devices
provided in the bill for the preparation OF
frauds upon the ballot. Unknown men are
brought from a distant portion Of the dis
| trict on the morning of the election, known
not to "A single voter in the precinct, and
who knows no one in the locality, to deter
mine finally and without appeal upon the
| rights of the citizen to vote.
They may reject ballots even after they are
deposited in the ballot-box, during the count,
and, after perpetrating any conceivable fraud
| upon the ballot without fear of detection,
I II sI,,r nm
the next morning He can order house
| to house canvass, where the life and history
of the citizen must be laid bare for the in
| spection of his agents, under the heaviest
penalties for refusal; he is given authority to
remove at will any supervisor or deputy mar
i shall who attempts to prevent OF expose any
| fraud that he desired or connived at, the his
tory and life of every naturalized citizen, the
time and place of naturalization, and the
| witnesses on whose evidence he was admit
ed to citizenship, with their residence, must
be given to him, the certificate OF the court
not being regarded as sufficient or even prima
facie evidence of his rights; he is authorized
to have his agents as spies upon both Federal
| and State Courts, to interfere with their duties
as provided by law in the naturalization OF
| aliens, and to order such reports from super
visor and marshals, as to the proceedings on
the day of election, which ex-parte reports
are laid before a board of canvassers, appoint
ed by circuit judge who hold his office for
life, and on whom is conferred the power,
upon these eX-parte statements oil the mere
| tools of partisan power, to exercise Judicial
functions in the canvassipg of returns
turns on which the certificate of the member
of Congress is given, which certificate is TO
supersede the certificate of the Governor of
the State, and shall control the Clerk of the
House of Representatives in placing the name
of the person on its roll. An appeal, from
the decision of the canvassing board to the
Circuit Court, is rendered nugatory, as the
Judge is limited in examination of the case
to the face of the returns and the ex parte
statements of the supervisors and deputy
marshals.
Such power has never been conferred upon
any set of officers by any one OF the Al Stats:
| of thisUnion. Its machinery starts with the
supervision of registration, attempts TO lniiu
ence the mind of the registrar by the seyeres
penalties if his acts are not in accord witt
the views of this Federal Spy. ltinyades tht
sanctity of the home by any brutal agent APP
pointed to make house to house; it make
the eX-parte statements Of paid pohtica
| agents, evidence upon which to throw on
returns of precincts; it clothes the canvassint
board with absolute protection in the perpe
tration of its frauds, by comforting upon
judicial functions; and by making all thes'
officers of the U. S. it relieves them from al
penalties under the State laws for crimes o
every description perpetrated by them aglns
the person, the property, or the suffrage o
the people, under the decision rendered b.
the Supreme Court in the noted case o
sNagle," who as Deputy Marshal killed Ter
ry, when he assaulted Justice Field, il
, California; and should the act charged agains
the supervisor or deputy marshal be thu
, killing of man or the debauchment of
woman, | know of no law under this decis
ion which would Justify his arrest, Indictment
trial or conviction,
Of the A States in this Union, | know o
no one of them which tolerates the appoint
ment or election of an officer for life. le
this statue clothes all of its chief instrument
with that tenure; first, the.circut judge; sec
ond, the chief supervisor; third, the canvass
ing board of the returns.
,. No provision found within the folds Of tina
measure would lead to more corruption thai
that which authorizes the chief supervisor t.
have as many special deputy marshals as he
may "certify to be, in his opinion, necessary.
This clause would enable him to draw from
the common treasury of the people the sun
necessary to pay any number OF the opposite
party that could be purchased to vote the he
publican ticket at $40 a head, which amonn
| is the only limit upon his power.
= The action of even a Federal court no
permitted TO intervene to pass upon the pro
prety or the limit of the exercise of this au
thority; the judgment or extent of corruption
of the chief supervisor is the only limit to it
= exercise. Not satisfied with this unlimited
power, John |. Davenport, in framing tn
bill, lost sight of the instincts and tradition
of the Anglo-Saxo race when he inserted
clause that, if presented by British ministr
to British Parliament, would have aroused
! such a spirit of Indignation even in a countr
: ruled by the principles of limited monarchy
as would have caused change OF government
within "a hours.
Yet the method of its incorporation int
the bill clearly indicated that even that des
: perate trickster and INSCRIPTIONS manipula
tor in the interests of partisan power felt tha
/ he was treadiDg on dangerous ground, an
instead of having it presented so it could b
read with the bill, he incorporated it by refer
ence to the number of the section found II
the revised code of the United States.
provides that sit shall be lawful for the Presi
dent of the United States, or such person q
he may empower for that purpose, to emplo
such part of the land or naval forces, or o
the militia as may be necessary to proven
a violation and enforce a due execution c
. the provisions of this title.
f, 1t will be noticed that this provision doe
B. not confine the right to use the army or tn
= militia to the President. He "may empowe
any person" in any section of the country
/ and if he deems it proper, every chief super
visor appointed in the United States, to exel
else this power, thus Sinking the respons
+ biity by imposing it upon mere tools, al
pointed for the purpose of carrying, by fraud
intimidation and force, partisan result.
is not limited to the suppression of riots s
/. the polls, but the bayonet may be called int
service to surround the offices of the registrar
to guard the brazen bully who enters tn
sanctity of a mans home in his house I
= house canvass, or in performance OF al
: other duty imposed upon these FEEDER,
officers by any ''of the provisions Of TIL
y title. u
!. ireland has suffered much and the wal
t of her noble people have penetrated II
0 hearts of the Americans in the unequal figl