The Saint Paul globe., 1900-10-28
THE NEW KENTUCKY ELECTION
LAW

/ Ss HAEIS ON<AA
LAW
| Within the past few days the press
dispatches contained mention of the en-
actment of an amended election law by
the legislature of Kentucky. No further
reference has been made to the circum-
| stance, and the Goebel law, the source
| of such infinite political and social tur-
moil has passed away without attract
| ing but passing attention.
| 1t is of sufficient general interest to in
quire what substitute has been offered
for the Gcebel law The law itself
seems to have constituted the chief IS
sue in the prevailing campaign in Ken
lucky. The Republicans are holding the
| Democrats responsible for the results in
/ bloodshed and state dishonor which have
ensued as the result of the last state
! election The Democrats on the other
p! hand, insist that the real source of The
trouble was the conspiracy to murder,
which prevailed and which was efectual
in sending Gov. Goebel before his Maker
| with all his sins upon his head.
The law just passed is the response
which the present state administration
| and the political forces behind it offer
to the~strictures, OF it's opponents. By it
the party in power is TO be judged with
reference at. least to the claims of Its
opponents~that a, fraudulent election law
i-
the state.
1t is doubtful whether a more thor
oughly non-partisan election law exists in
any state than that which now prevails
cured by unanimous vote in one branch
of the legislature and with only four dis
senting votes in the other. 1t provides
for state election commission, and also
for an election board in each of the sew
eral counties of the state. The state
election committee consists in the last
event of three members, but except in
cases Of disagreement, of two members
only They are appointed by the gov
ernor, and they are chosen from among
the names supplied to the governor by
the state committees of the two political
parties casting the highest vote in the
last preceding election, one to be chosen
from each of said lists. They have the
appointment of the several county cleo
ton boards, and they are also charged
with the canvassing of the votes cast for
governor and lieutenant governor
The clerk of the court of appeals Of
the state is ex-officio member of the
state board of elections, casts the de-
cisive vote in cases of disagreement, and
acts as member in the absence of either
of the other two.
The county election boards consist OF
two members in each county who are
chosen by the state board from a list
of five names taken from those presented
by each of the executive committees Of
the two parties in casting the highest
number of votes, respectively, in the last
election, one from each party, and the
sheriff of the county is eX-officio also
member He acts in case of the absence
of either of the two regular commission
ers or in case of disagreement between
them. Their duty consists principally in
canvassing the votes cast in the several
counties.
In case Of contested election for gov
ernor or lieutenant governor the power
of decision rests with the legislature, as
at present. The returns are referred
to a committee consisting of eleven mem
the senate and eight from the house,
seven of the number having power to
act. The members of the state board
are to be chosen by lot from the entire
number of members of both houses The
committee SO chosen has no power of
decision, but must report the result of
its labors to the two houses sitting in
! joint session
Considering the intensity of feeling
which has so long prevailed, the law thus
outlined must be regarded as embodying
| all the essentials of fairness and
| non-partisanship. 1t is true that
the party in power, if it $
intent on corrupt practices, may.
if it chooses. secure some slight advan-
tage, but on the general result justice
is quite as certain to be done under the
operation of this law, as it is possible to
do it when mems passions are aroused
as they were during the contest ending
in the seating OF. the present state Of
ficials
If the Kentucky legislature would sup
plement its action in this instance by The
adoption of strenuous law against the
carrying of concealed weapons and would
axe the necessary steps for its enforce
sasnt, the reign of assassination. as we'll