Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-24
NATION AL ELECTIONS
Senator Lodges Remarks Against Repeal
ing the Federal Election Laws
They Are Needed Both in the North
and S0uth-DOn't Go Far
Enough.

| MT. LOQSe, IN discussing tn6 1eOera1 eleC-
tions repeal bill. said that it would be a
| waste of time to argue concerning the con-
stitutionality Of the national election laws.
Ii ever there could have been doubt on
| this subject, Supreme Court decisions had
settled the question for all time. After re-
viewing the decisions of the Supreme Court
| relative to this matter, the Senator took
up the question Of election frauds and re-
viewed in detail recent instances Of cor
ruption in New York city. The Senator
| then continued: 1.-THE passage Of the laws
which 1. is now proposed to repeal and
| the appointment of supervisors in accord
ance with their provisions put a stop in
large measure to these frauds. Whatever
| the defects were in this legislation-and
they were many-at the time they at least
produced this good result" He referred
to the present imitators Of the late Boss
Tweed,and particularly to the work Of John
Y. McKane at Gravesend. Long Island,
last fall.
Mr.. McKane's performances, continued
senator Lodge, prove sufficiently that
crimes against the suffrage are attempted
now just as hagrantly in our northern cit
les as they were more than twenty years
ago. and that the need of stringent legisla-
tion both state and national, to prevent
ana punish them is as great as ever"
Sentiment North and south.
In the north election frauds are the
dangerous but vulgar crimes Of dangerous
men with criminal propensities. Public
opinion there SO regards them, and when
that public opinion is aroused, it treats
them simply as crimes, to be dealt with in
the courts. In the south the case is widely
dinerent, for there the subject is compIi-
Gated with race question and with senti-
ments which are the evil legacies of slavery
as my convictions are on the Question of
horest elections, l have never sought 70
disguise the difficulties of that Question
In the south. The future Of the negro race
IN tne United States is one of the gravest
problems to be met by the American peo-
pie 1t Is not problem which can be set
tied this year or next. 1t will remain with
us and with our childreus children for
many years to come.
But, however much slavery was expiated
py the war. its results remained. Nations
are as unable as men to escape the conse-
quences of their own actions whether those
actions be good or bad. The negroes whom
we brought here are still with u.s. although
slavery has vanished and their numbers
increase from day to day. However we
may divide among ourselves the RESPONSE
bllity for their presence. they at least are
wholly innocent. We brought them here
with cruelty and violence and against their
Will. We took from them their liberty and
We held them in bondage We have done
them great wrong.
They ask that as We have made them
American citizens they should have all the
rights before the law which that name inn
plies. To those rights I believe them to
be entitled. and SO far as those rights come
within the Jurisdiction Of the United States,
believe they should be protected by the
national power.
1 have tried to show that these laws
should not be repealed. because citizens
ton are either deprived of their right to
vote for Congressman or are threatened
with such deprivation. / have shown the
existence Of election frauds of the worst
character in the north. No one doubts that
the negro-whether republican or democrat
ic. 1t matters nOt-haS been suppressed as
such throughout the south. When such
facts exist we should have proper election
laws. But l will go step further and I
will put this question on a broader ground.
am opposed to the repeal Of these laws
because 1t is direct blow to national SEN
timent and to the right and authority of
the nation. If they serve no other pur-
pose. except as an expression Of national
right and authority these laws ought not
to be touched.
DO Not Go Far Enough.
I fully recognize that they are incom-
plete and insufficient. I have endeavored
in the past to improve them But the
crowning defect Of these laws, and Of the
efforts which have been made to add to
them. Is not that they go too far, but that
they are ill-constructed and do not 60 far
enough. National elections-elections, that
is Of Congressmen--are by the Constitu-
tion wholly within the power Of Congress
Congress should exert that power These
elections should be- absolutely separate
from the elections Of state or municipality
They should be held on a different day
from any local election, and they should
be conducted and protected by national
officers and not by local officers. The
United States has no right to NEEDLE in
any way with state, city or county eec-
tions. and m my theory Of the Constitu-
ton the state should not be permitted to
meddie in any way with elections Of MEM
bers of the national House.
The present attempt Is an effort to in
wade the domain Of national authority, to
break down national power, to sweep from
the statute books any recognition of ma
tional rights On this ground / oppose this
bill. And 1 also oppose it because / be-
lieve that national elections, separte from
all local elections, should be under the con-
troll and conduct of the United States, to
the end that citizens Of the United States,
when in that capacity they exercise their
highest right might be able to do so with
out fear favor. AS I quoted in the de-
bate in the House In 1890:
/ wish men to be free,
AS much from mobs as kings; from you
as ne.