The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-18
THE FORCE BILL OF 1890.

1t Failed Then, but win he Revived il
Harrison Wins.
Below will be found the substance of tie
force bill OF 1890, passed BY the republican
house of representatives in the Fifty Fl, st
congress. and which will be revived should
Harrison be successful in the campaign of
1892. The bill as reported. made seventy
six printed pages. Its principal features
are as follows:
Chief supervisors of elections in judicial
districts are charged with the execution of
the law. which is to apply to federal cleo
tions in cities of 10000 inhabitants and up
ward, and In entire congressional districts,
exclusive Of such cities. upon application to
the supervisor OF 100 voters. or in counties
and parishes forming part of a congress-
ional district upon application from fifty
voters. The supervisors are to guard,
scrutlnlze and supervise repatriation and
every act or incident connected with regis
tration and plans for ascettaininu who are
legal voters. Upon notice from the chief
supervisors, tho United States circuit
courts are required to open for the pur-
pose OF transsctinR registration aud cleo
ton matters.
The supervisors are to be appointed by
the ciroait c~ourts-three in each election
district or voting precinct, only two of
whom are to be Of the same political party.
these supervisors are to attend all reEistra-
tons III their districts, challenge persons,
personally inspect and oopy tho original
registration books and papers, attend elec-
tlons. and detect and expose the improper
or wrongful manipulation of the lists. In
case of failure of local election Office; to
put the statutory oath to a challenged
voter. and to pass at once upon his qualif-
cations, then the supervisors are to apply
the test and receive and deposit the vote.
IN u w. n lNo - OF rr,-I L--
are also to personally inspect ballot boxes
before elections. keep independent POLL
lists. and enclose rejected votes endorsed
with the name of the yoter) in envelopes.
In addition TO these duties tho supervise e
|. are required to make-in towns of 10000
people and upward-a thorough house-to-
house canvass before election. TO inform
voters upon inquiry where and in what box
to deposit their ballots. and to scrutinize
naturalizations.
In canvassing the votes the state laws are
to govern, except: All ballots are to be
counted BY tens. first by an inspector of
election and second BY a supervisor, the
local election officers and tho supervisor
keeping separate tally sheets, which are to
be compared and the result publicly an
nounced. Ballots deposited in the wrong
box are to be counted. Returns are to be
made by tho supervisors in duplicate to the
clerks Of the United States circuit courts
RAtA w "a ~ ouR0k V40Ols u Al W GhOu-
late and refer them to the United States
board of sers of the congressional
vot2. which is to be appointed by the
United States circuit cou t. and consisting
of three citizens of the state and persons of
good repute, not more than two of whom
are to be of the same political party. The
board is to convene On Nov. Is each even
year. and is to declare and certify the
result OF the election, and send one return
to the clerk OF tho house of representatives,
one to the governor of the stnts, and one to
the proper chief supervisor of elections.
j he clerk of the house is to place upon the
roll of members-elect the names of the per
sons declared elected by the United States
canvassers, in case there is a difference in
the result reached bv them and by the
state election officers. A penalty Of be-
tween $l,0O0 and $4,000 is provided in case
the clerk ~pe0lects this duty.
All ballet boxes are to be clearly in
scribed with their nature. and boxes are to
be kept in plain sight and open to inspec-
ton. Bribery or attempted bribery of
voters or election officers is made runish-
able by a fms OF not more than S., 600 or
imprisonment for not more than FIVE years,
or both. Like severe penalties are uro-
vided for false registration and voting re-
penting, coercion of SUPERVISORS OF vote 9,
improper conduct Of election officers, false
canvassina. ballot box %stuffing. fraudulent
ballot distribution, resistance to a super
visor's awful commands. breach of the
psuce at registration or election, intimidu-
ton. aud almost every kind of election
fraud.
1t ia not neoessarily to be supposed that
the republican revolutionists would revive
the force bill absolutely as it passed the
house in 1890; but certainly tho main and
worst features OF that bill would be in their
new bill, with additional sections more in
famous yet. where the experience OF two
years. disappointed malice might show them
to be needed to secure tho perpetuation of
republican misrule.