The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-18

" tHc pDpI-2l Doly VI t4-o Aity -AESt CcH-
gress, and incorrectly ssigmatized as 81
force BILL" This proposed federal cleo
tons law was intended 10 apply only 10
elections OF members OF congress 1t did
not concern itself either with state or
presidential elections. Presidential cleo
tors are purely state officers: congress has
no more control over the manner Of their
choice than it has over the election of gov
errors Of states. The federal election law
did not even undertake TO exercise the
constitutional power OF congress 10 pre-
scribe the manner Of holding elections for
representatives in congress. It left that TO
the states.
This go-called "force bill," which the
Democrats are raising such dust about,
merely prescribed supplementary federal
supervision OF the elections held under
authority and in manners prescribed by
the state TO see that the laws are obeyed
and that an honest count and return is
made. These supervisors have the over
sight of registration as well as Of voting,
and are charged with the prevention of
frauds and irregularities in naturaliza-
ton. An important section pro-
vided for counting Of ballots
for representative deposited by mistake in
mated for the reception of ballots for repre-
sentative. This was intended especially
TO meet the South Carolina election laws,
which were designed to defraud the ignor.
ant colored voter under cover of the law.
Supervisors are TO inspect al the ballots as
they are being cast and counted by the
local election officers, keep correct tally
thereof and for whom cast, and upon the
completion of the count and canvass ito
make and sign a return setting forth at
length the number Of votes cast for
each person voted for at such election for
representative or delegate in congress-"
This return was the vital feature of the
whole bill. 1t is return, made by the
order and under the direction OF congress,
of votes cast for its own members, as a
check upon the local returns and means
Of preventing fraud, permitted or con-
doned by the state authorities.
The object of this bill was clear enough.
and return of the votes cast for representa-
tives in congress. The state is permitted
to conductive elections in her own way.
Congress merely places its officials ct the
polling places to see that the votes are
honestly cast, counted and returned.
Under the present system persons not
elected may be given primo facie
right to seat in the House by
certificate from the governor of a state,
innocently or knowingly based upon
fraudulent returns from the local election
officers. The House may subsequently IN
seat such members. but they will have par
ticipated in the organization of the House
in the meantime. and may have given it
| officers and committees opposed to those
who would have been elected by members
honestly returned.
The federal elections bill. however, de-
| clared that If the certificate received by
the clerk of the House of Representatives
| from the state authorities shall show the
election of different person from the one
named in the certificate received by him
from the United States canvassing board.
he shall place the name of the latter on
the roll of representatives elected as being
| the person vested with the prima facie
right to a seat in the House Of Representa-
tlyes till such time as that body,
after investigation. shall otherwise decide.
That is TO say, it takes away from the
clerk of the outgoing House OF Repre-
sentatiyes the power Of making up the
primd .faeie list of members OF the new
congress upon the certificates of governors
OF states and compels him 10 make it upon
returns and certificates prepared and is
sued under authority of congress itself
And this is absolutely all that there was
10 the federal elections bill, stigmatized
falsely as force bill, which passed the
House in the Fifty-iirst congress but failed
20 pass the Senate. There was not a line
in it that was objectionable in theory or
purpose to any man of either party who
believed in an honest ballot. and in max
ing il legally difficult to cast a dishonest
ballot. This is the bill that the Democ-
racy are trying TO make the people believe
| is a sectional measure intended to secure
negro domination" at the South. There
was no negro domination possible under
| it; there was no glitter of coming federal
| bayonets behind this bill +; It applied TO the
| whole country, North and South, and it
was a perfectly proper measure in its
theory and purpose.
! 1t was defeated in the Senate by Repub-
| lican votes, not because it was other than
| just and constitutional measure, bnt be-
| cause if enacted it W as sure 70 be nullihed
| by the Southern political handitti and
| burglars Of the ballot box. Since il was
not force bill il was nothing but
! o red rag TO the Southern mad ball
who always stands ready, clsring az q
Republican congress. ready with his horns
10 toss the constitution and the federal
laws in the air and trample them con-
temptuously in the dirt beneath his spurn-
| ing feet. There has been no force bill''
with bayonets attached since the defeat o;
! the force bill by Republican votes in lS74
| there has been no federal bayonets al cleo
| tons At the South since President Hayes
recalled them in March, 1877, and there
/ is not the slightest prospect Of the
enactment Of force bill even j.
the Republicans had working majority
! in both houses Of congress. So far As the
federal elections bill, which is today
| falsely described as "a force BILL" there IS
no danger of its passage; not because it IS
| other than a perfectly proper and desir-