Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-08
THE ELECTION LAWS,
Senator Pugh Says That Congress Will
Repeal Them.

hcpodI 4uoWs
He 10 Chairman OF the Judiciary Committee
and . Leader in the Senate-He Warned
Harrison About the Force Bill.
Wilton for The Evening Star. Copyrighted 1898.
After thirteen years in the Senate represent
I. Pugh is the chairman Of the committee on
he judiciary, which, next to the appropria-
ions committee, is the most important COM
nittee in the Senate. Mr.. Pugh is also mem
Der of the committee on privileges and cleo
| TINS, another important committee. Mr..
Poyh has attained distinction in the Senate
a. constitutional lawyer. 1t is d istinction
to which every lawyer who comes to the Sen
ate a,pires. Few are SO fortunate as Mr.
Peugh aas been. To his ability as q constitu-
ticnal lawyer he can attribute his elevation by
the democratic caucus to the position he holds
at the head Of the committee Of which SEN
alter Edmunds was the leader for SO many
years.
| called on Ma Pugh in his committee room
a few days ago by appointment to ask him what
| he believed Congress would do in the mat
session. When IL was known that the force bill
had been defeated absolutely by the election of
| q democratic Congress and a democratic Presi-
| dent great many people said to me: "The
democrats will repeal all Of the federal election
laws" Other people said that they thought
the election laws would not be repealed. Even
. good democratic paper published in the east
seemed 70 be in doubt recently about what
Congress would do, and appealed to New
| York democratic paper for information. The
reply was emphatically that the election laws
would be repealed Mr.. Pugh, as . southern
man, might be expected to take sectional
| view Of the federal supervision of elections,
| since the federal election laws are supposed to
| have been created for the benefit of the south
| or for application there. But as one Of the
leaders OF the democratic party in the Senate.
and one apt to know what that party proposed
| to do in the matter Of election laws, whatever
Mr.. Pugh might say on the subject would be OF
| interest and authority.
WILL REPEAL ALL THE ELECTION LAWS.
Mr.. Pugh is heavy-set, broad-shouldered
man Of medium height, with . rugged face
adorned with heavy eyebrows, a mustache
clipped close above his mouth and q short
beard, slightly pointed. He speaks in q deep,
resonant voice, easily and forcibly.
Following the promises OF the democratic
| party as l understand them" Senator Pugh
| said, Congress will repeal all of the election
| laws under Title XVI from 20o7 TO 2O3l, in
elusive. These are the laws relating to the fed
eral supervision Of federal elections in the
| states-the appointment OF deputy marshals
| and supervisors The reason for their repeal is
| that the occasion for these laws has passed
| away. They grew out OF the prejudices and
| the conditions Immediately following the civil
war. The conditions have changed. The states
| are now working in the interest of free ballot
| and fair count, and the supposed necessity for
federal interference does not exist. As a mat
ter OF fact more trouble has come from the ap-
pointment Of these federal oficers-the ballot
has been moro endangered by them-than
in any other way. This is chiefly be-
cause Of the character Of the men appointed
men for whom the best people Of the south have
no respect. They are irresponsible and often
disreputable characters. 1t is for this reason
that the south is united on the subject Of fed
eral interference. 1t is this that united the
south against what was known rs the force bill
told President Harrison that but for the idea
that he represented the force bill $50 caled) it
would have been possible on other issues for
the republican party TO have carried from three
to five southern states. But when you touch
the race question the south is unit. Cur
rency, tariff-every other question becomes in
significant. Shake that red rag Mt the southern
bull and he begins to below and paw up the
clay. No, the federal election laws are an ex-
preston Of distrust in the states. and the states
resent them. The states are to be trusted
ton system, and Congress will leave the matter
in their hands"
REFORM IN THE SOUTH.
SIN what way are the southern states trying
to reform the system Of elections?" asked.
'fBy the Introduction of the Australian ballot
system or modification of it," said the Senator
1--WE have law similar to the Australian in our
state now, and the populists are trying to make
It an issue in the next election because it dis
franchises many white people. The effect Of
| the Australian BALLOTS to eliminate the ignor-
ant and irresponsible element from elections.
The republican party claim to be irving TO do
the same thing in New York to keep the Irish
vote and the criminal vote from controlling
elections. The Australian system establishes
the qualifications Of intelligence and educa-
ton for the use of the ballot. or the
$4,000, 900 voters in this country it would be
conceding large proportion to say that one
half are capable OF self-government. There are
the ignorant and the incapable, the criminal
and finally the dependent element-those that
| are dependent on capital or who are in some
| other way influenced in casting their votes
Now. If this large per cent should gain control
OF this country, we would go to ruin in ninety
days. But it is the other class that always
rules-the intelligent, moral and property class
1t succeeds through the use of money and the
influence of capital on its dependents. but when
it is in power it aims to legisate wisely and for
VIC Soou VI luo lutelllSeut, mOral and
capable class must control"
EVERY DEMOCRAT WILL VOTE FOR REPEAL.
asked the Senator il he expected a strict
party vote on the repeal of the election laws
Every Democrat he said, twill vote for it.
I do not expect any republican votes for it, but
the opposition will be feeble. / think that YOU
viii be surprised at the feebleness Of the oppo-
sition. OF course the representatives of certain
states will make fuss-Reed in the House and
Chandler in the Senate, among others-but you
would be surprised at the number of republi-
cans who are coming to our view OF the ques-
ton OF federal interference. think that Har-
| rison was beginning to see something of his
mistake before he went out of Office. 1t is pos
sible that he would have been glad to have had
less made of the force bill issue in the campaign
1t was the Blaine men, Harrison's enemies in
his own party, who made such a loud outcry
about the force bill in the convention and lust
| after Harrison's nomination; just as it was the
enemies of Mr.. Cleveland who made SO much OF
the tariff issue and forced the plank in the ma
tional platform on the democratic party"
told the Senator that great many people
were asking in all earnestness whether Con-
gress was really going to repeal the Mckinley
law and give the country nothing in its place
The Senator chuckled at this proposition.
1.-The cry Of tariff REFORM" he said, twas
cloak for the silver question. l knew that
all along. The currency question is the great
| qestion Of today. 1t will be the great Question