The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-07-05
ODIOUS ELECTION LAWS.
.r.rurrs THAT CONGRESS MAY
NOW EEFIti.
The Legislation which Followed the ciV''
Wnr f. Now Unnecessary -tise''"" S"-
pcryisors and Deputy M"rsi"i''

lrai election laws Of ISL OIuef ma"
80 beeu thoroughly restored III inc
south. the supremacy OF the eiNh pow
nod not been firmly rc-estabIShto' tnV
results Of the bitter '"h'lc' '''i "a
- f,,iiv acknowledged and acquiesccd
., x.hon a Republican Congress passed
~ Ircnr,,srv - 1871. the original ana
I'm o,d,,riue Federal interference law
n, nrovigcd that in cities having up
- ~ twenty thousand inhabitants
Zen ,rior 60 a registration OF Noe''9
an election for representative IN Con-
,,,eee two citizens shau make Known
a. writing their desire 10 nave the
asnoe scTitlnizcd or guarded u u the
aufv Of the judge Of tie tnit,u 9,%'ts
Circuit Court 90 open court MOI 80 .'i'''
- dovs before registration, ana APP
VI, for each voting district two ciu-
Lors If alGerent political parties as SUI
a.vtsore az election. These SUPERVISORS
elections have the right TO challenge
Icons oefering 10 register. 10 inspect ana
s.rutinIze the registry. ana Tor pun pD''o
az Identification 90 aAiX their sis"' IieS
a.. sa,oe. 20 attend the polls ana the
,,nfi,q Of the ballots. 10 challenge per
cons Offering 20 vote, ana 10 H''""''~
90 count. and canvass the DdIV'' 80, ~.
tbe{r respective districts. the 'iil,"
states Marshal Of the district uPo" ~
fen application e TWO o'N'.'' "a
snnoint sncclal de,uty marshals' 10 ana
"a nrotect the supervisors Persons OBJ
s,ructing these officials are pHhlsh"Di'
XIV Imprisonment for two years OF i's9'
md a fine Of 5000 or Tess. .
The object Of this legislation was 10
,roylde against and prevent. IN ceI'al"
Voting districts in the southern H,"''"
,he hostuitics which chafdcteIlhea OF,
binary elections The abrupt pes'''"di
~ suffrage upon thousands oil So'ui'"
voters in the South brought WIN a. q
long train Of evils. and IN many p'S'llVts
ne white voters, who had but recently
Ia down their arms as soldiers IN or
,~,pized regiments. took them up abalh
.s volunteer regulators Of the suffrage
a. tb,{r respective localities. Federal
oid was invoked By local Republican
naicebolders. whose retention was de-
nendent upon their activity win the
rolored population, and the good sesults
,,,hich they could show from &c. ~ the
return Of Republican congressman rom
Southern constituencies. Along WIN othei
Yepressive laws, most u them lhpracu-
'able and many Of them odiOusly UNI
sat this bill to interfere with State
Elections was enacted. and the Jus.i-
acation for II was found IN that clause
~ the Constitution which article 10,
.actton q empowered Congress TO en-
fo,ce nv appropriate legisl ton the right
80 all citizens 10 vote. without discrim-
nation on account of race, color or pre-
vious condition Of servitude. these
measures were known at the Time as
,Ku Klux" legislation.
The most important features or TINS
hummary attempt of the Federal authoil-
Ties 10 invade the domain OF the state
Eovernments in the control Of elections
tf.t Ia ~
kross or declared unconstitutional by the
Supreme court. But the law establishing
luoervisors and marsbals has Withstood
Jrtu now every assault the Democrats,
though temporarily iu control OF one or
Gtner branch of Congress, or or the
presidency, having never been until this
Year in control of all three at the same
fiyne Several circumstances baVe com
bined to give this law of 1871 more than
twenty years longevity. In the first
.lnce. n APPLIES merely 10 elections for
nangressroen. and i'm the alternate years.
when no congressman are to be voted
for and state officers only are 10 be
elected. II II imperative There are few
doubtful districts i'm the South nova
Jaws. and I'm most Northern districts
marty lines are too tightly drawn TO be
seriously affected by the presence of
these Federal officials. Again their APP
pointment carries with it a certain
amount Of desirable patronage. which.
according to the terms Of the law. must
10 equally divided between the two
parties Cougressmen from districts con-
tanning cities were reluctant TO vote for
the total abolition Of a system which
give employment to many OF their con-
stituents Congressman from districts
containing no large cities were indiffer-
ent about the matter. because IT did not
affect them or their neighbors, and could,
therefore, do no harm To their re-eiec-
ton. The big Democratic cities Of the
North like New York. Brooklyn, st.
Louis. Detroit. Louisville, and San Fran
cisco. suffered most from this Federal
Interference. The Democrats in the big
Republican cities. ike Philadelphia,
plttsburg. Cincinnati and Cleveland, suf-
fered a good deal from it, too.
But the Federal election law might have
been on the statute books a long time
80 come but for the singular inoppor-
tune and rt&ciionary movement that the
Republican leaders in Congress under
took tn order to extend its operations, tn
$50. by the adoption of an aggravated
Ind wholly indefensible addition 10 this
unnecessary law. PECULIARLY called the
'Force bin" This aroused into antagOn-
ism all the opponents Of such Federal
interference end, as is often the case in
The field Of politics, the attempt TO eX-
tend the operation of the law brought
about the very condition OF things re-
nuired for its overthrow The Demo-
Gratis IN the Chicago conN entiOn took up
opposition 20 the Force bin as the first
plank of their platform They unhesita-
tingly denounced II. and pledged them
selves. and their candidates. 10 Its de-
feat and the rereal CT any similar meas
ire. The Republicans, unable 10 justify.
and fearful Of excusing, the radical
course Of many Of the extremists in
Congress. had little to say about the
Force hin during the presidential cam
baign, but Democratic orators and wri-
sers acquainted the voters with its iniqui-
ties. and the futility and injustice of all
tuch laws. As a necessary consequence
or this the popular demand became gen
tral for the repeal OF the law OF 1871,
put, contrary 20 general expectation. the
complications between the Republicans
tnd the Populists in the Western and
Northwestern States have thrown the
Senate Into the hands OF the Democrats
q result which did not seem probable,
ana scarcely possible, a year ago.
the Democracy having. therefore. con-
troll or both branches OF Congress, as
wen as the presidency, will be able al
the August special session 10 wipe
out abrogate and do away with forever
the obsolete plan of stationing special
supervisors and marshals at the polls on
eiection day TO harass. perplex and in.
umidate voters who have already sufii-
Client to do In complying with the cleo
toral regulations prescribed by their re-
specuve States SO we are not likely
again 70 see any OF little Johnny Daven-
port hlrelings In or about the polls Of
New York. except In the capacitv OF mi,
waite Individuals.
AMI This viii not he the Lat n.nln y.