The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-02-17
rte Federal election Laws.

The Senate yesterday passed
brief bill Of tremendous significance,
and as it had ialready passed the
House, it requires only the assured
approval of the President to become
law. 1t repeals the federal election
laws of 1S7l-72, which formed part
of the SO called reconstruction policy
of the Republican party, and to
which the Reed Congress proposed
to add even more drastic provisions,
but was happily prevented BY the
patriotism of Republican Senators in
rejecting the force bill, as it was call
ed. The verdict of the people at the
last two national elections has been
against the whole system of federal
election laws, and the Republicans
so well appreciated this fact that the
opposition of the Senate and House
to repeal has been rather of a per
functory order.
These federal laws revolutionized
the electoral system that prevailed
in this country from the foundation
of the government down to 1872
They were based on distrust of the
people, and on the peculiar theory
that the people, as citizens of the
United States, could devise better
election system than they could in
the exercise of their local sovereignty
and in accord with the principles of
home rule, as citizens of their respec
tive states. Carried to their legiti-
mate conclusion, as attempted in the
odious force bill of 1890, they cen
trallzed the contro, of all elections,
the registration, the voting, the count
of the vote and the declaration of
the result in the appointees of feder-
al authority. They would necessar-
lily be partisan. The authority was
Withdrawn from the officers elected
by the people, which insured a fair
and equal Observation-Disclosures
in Republican districts and Demo-
Gratis in Democratic districts-and
entrusted to partisans, receiving
their warrant of power from distant
authority. If the necessity of such
laws could be demonstrated, then it
became fact that the fundamental
principle upon which this govern
ment is based, that the people are in
telligent enough and honest enough
for self government, is monstrous
delusion. These laws were giant
stride in the direction of centraliza-
ton and the overthrow of the legiti-
mate authority of the states. Car
ried out as proposed by the force bill
of 1890, they would have made the
states in their relations to the feder-
al government about the same as the
counties or townships in their rela-
tions to the states. This would have
been revolution, and none the less
revolution that it was accomplished
peaceably. Weaan imagine only one
principle more destl uctive to the
American theory of government, and
that is the principle of secession.
The repeal of the federal election
laws is the natural swing of the pen
dulqm in the other direction, looking
to the maintenance of the rights of
the states and the local sovereignty
Of the people. Ofcourse all elections
will not be honest, but the best way
to make them so is by putting the
responsibility on the citizens most
directly concerned. If we want hon
est elections in Pennsylvania, as ev-
cry good citizen does, the way to Sc
cure them is to place the sole respon-
sihility on the citizens of the state.
We will not help matters by dividing
responsibility, or by making the cleo
tion officers chosen by the people
subordinate to those representing
federal authority.-Post