Mountain advocate., 1912-04-19
POWERS BILLS
would End Election Frauds
by Severe Punishment,
and Provides FOR
Better Laws

| enacted INTO law, wOul0 Strike a
ody blow at fraud and corruption
elections.
"Ours is a representative form oil
overnment;" said Mr.. Powers yer
rday. ''ln the very nature oil
Kings. all the people cannot assist
making the laws, nor in carrying
n the multitudinous affairs of this
reat government. All this mist be
one by the people Representatives
"Ifthere is fraud here, wrong Their,
inefficiency anyw here. all these
wills car be corrected at the ballot
*. In fact, all reforms IN the ad
mi. tration of the affairs Of our
overnment mus; take place at tn,
blot box, and cannot be corrected
anywhere else II Tor any reason tn.
.nple are denied voice at the hal
box, they are then denied
ice in b' inging about any and
reforms.
TO protect the people in their
: gifts ought to be the first concern
Of our law makers. From every
state in the Union comes the cry of
ottenness in politics, fraud at the
4olls, in the general elections, in the
primary, and at the political mass
convention-notwi understanding that
The ! ederal Laws on the elective
franchise are stringent and far-reach-
ing.
But these laws do not 60 far en-
ough; they do not prescribe any
t,enalty for wrongs done either in
Official conventions or primary
elections"
The Powers bill not only aims to
trengthen the present laws, but
make punishable wrongs done and
crimes committed with equal force
to the defeated as we'll as the Success
full candidate.
1t provides, in part, that any ele-
ction for representative or delegate
to the Congress ofthe United States
any person knowingly personates
and votes, or attempts to vote in a
false or fictitious name. or in a name
not his own, or in the name OF any
other person; or votes or attempts
to vote more than once, or votes or
attempts to vote at a place not his
actual and lawful residence. or does
or attempts TO do any unlawful act
to secure an opportunity to vote
himself. or to enable any other per-
son to vote unlawiully; or by force
threats. intimidation, or bribery of
any kind, directly or indirectly; or
procures or attempts TO procure
any person to vote who is not EMIT
ed to vote -" shall be punished
by fine OF not less than 81 900 nor
more than $4,000, or by imprison-
ment in the penitentisry at hard
labor not less than one nor more
than FIVE wears, or both by such 6ne
and imprisonment"
The Powers bill creates a nonpar.
tisan commission known as the
Commission of the House of Repre-
sentative" 10 determine all contest.
ed election cases coming before the
House of Representatives, instead
OF putting that duty on the already
overburdened members of the House
The law now allows the defeated |
contestant $4,000 for making the
contest. The Powers bill wsuld do
away with that. |
The recent fight in Kentucky DO
tween the TAFT and Roosevelt forces;
the charges and Countsrcbarges of
corruption and fraud, emphasize the
Importance aud merit ofMr Powers
bill. The Federal statutes do not |
now prescribe any penalty for cor.
ruption and fraud perPetrated in
political mass conventions. The
hill introduced by Mr.. Powers pre-.
scribes severe penalties for such
wrongs Mr.. Powers is on the right
road, We lrope be will succeed.