The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-10-11

boasts, in equal defiance of the facts
Of history and the principles OF con-
stitutional law. The keynote OF
their speeches is the declaration
that the Federal Election law is
Unconstitutional" A more alb
surd statement could not be put into
words. The constitutionality of the
law has been affirmed time after
time by the highest judicial tribunal
that Americans know; the Supreme
Court of the United States. The
Press will quote brief part of a
single decision. In ex parte Var
borough Clio U. S. R.; 65D Mr..
Justice Miller delivered the opinion
Of the court and no dissent was
noted. He said.
That government whose essen
tial character is republican, whose
executive head and legislative body
are both elected, whose most nu-
merous and powerful branch of the
legislature is elected by the people
directly, has no power by appropri-
ate laws to secure this election from
the influence of violence, |. of corrup-
ton and fraud, isa proposition 80
startling as to arrest attention and
demand the greatest consideration.
If this government is anything more
than mere aggregation of dele
gated agents of other States
and governments, each of
which is superior to the general
government, it must have the
power to protect tho elections on
which its existence depends from
violence and corruption. fit has
not this power it is left helpless be-
fore the two great natural and his
torical enemies of all republics,
open violence and insidious corup-
ton. pages 657. 658.)
Yet in the face of this and Of 9TH
err decisions equally as weighty the
Democrats in the House of Repre-
sentatives keep up their senseless
reiteration that it is "unconstitu-
tional" for representative govern
ment to defend it's own life.
No intelligent person believes
that the Federal Election interferes
with the rights Of any citizen. A
Democratic statesman no less
prominent than the late s. s. Cox
is on record as declaring in repor,
to Congress that the operation Of
these laws had proved "a. decided
success" and that in the holly con.
tested election of 1876 they stand
"as monument of what good faith,
honest endeavor, legal forms and
lust authority may do for the
protection of the electoral fran.
chise." This is testimony thai
should carry conviction to every
honest Democrat.
But the men who are trying to gel
the Federal Election laws off the
statute books'are not acting honest
ly. They are doing all they can to
bring about a ring of fraud and ter
rorism at the polls in New Yorl
city. They are conspiring, MOI
alone against the Republican party,
but against the common rights of all
citizens, white or black, rich OF
poor, who venture to oppose the
will of Democratic bosses, whethe,
in Alabama or New York. They
are striving to upset republican
government, not indeedin the South
for it no longer exists there-but
in the great free communities of the
North. The Tammany bosses SEE
in the repeal of the election laws
an opportunity to make their des.
pOtism over this city absolute
They see before them, if this one
bulwark of the ballot box can be
torn down, long carnival of un-
checked fraud and corruption; a
wider license to plumber the people
to enrich themselves.
The repeal of the Federal Election
laws means more stealing, NOR,
diamonds, more fast horses, swift
yachts and splendidj mansions TO
the magnates OF the Fourteenth
street conspiracy against decen
government. 1t means increase,
arrogance from the successors ant
imitators Of Tweed; the sitting o
the voice of the people at the polls
tho daorada tiop ~ ayar,, f,no