Year: 1879

WASHINGTON March IA, 1879.
THE FEDERAL ELECTION LAws-MEAsUREs THE
DEMOCRATS ARE DETERMINED TO REPEAL.
Below will be found careful summary Of the
Federal Supervisor and Deputy Marshal laws. which
the democrats in Congress desirous to repeal


and against which repeal the republicans arc
unitedly opposed The repeating clause offered by
Mr. Southland, Of Ohio in the last House in these
words:-


That the several sections Of the Revised Statutes
of tho United States. from and including section
2011 to and including 2031 and all other provisions
OF law authorizing the appointment Of or the per-
formance Of any duty by any chief other
supervisor Of elections. or any special dep


elections e ,''A or the % payment t'p Of any T money
to any such supervisor or deputy marshal Of eec


tions for any services performed as such. be- and
the same are hereby repealed


The sections above named direct the judges of
United States circuit courts to appoint for each
voting precinct, If required by the written request
of citizens, ten days before registration. or
before election il registration takes place, two
supervisors of election. who can read and write
English. who shall be residents of the place in
which they to act and who shall be of different
political parties In cities Of twenty thousand
or more inhabitants these supervisors must
be appointed tho request Of two
citizens. in counties on the requisiton Of ten men,
and the circuit judge may delegate his function
of appointment to the district judges. and the
court when opened for this purpose, is to sit per-
manently until the day after election.


1t is made the duty of supervisors to attend at the
registration places. and to challenge any person
Offering to register whatever that MAJ mean; to at-
tend to the scrutiny OF the registration lists and
mark for challenge such names cas- they may
deem proper" without being required to give
any reason for such marking, and they are to
anime verify and authenticate tho registry lists in
such manner will. in their judgment. detect and
expose wrong It will be that
to their most important duties. these officers
two at every voting precinct and Of diff
ferent politics-are left by the law to act "as
they may deem proper" and provision is made
for the very possible event Of their disagreeng in
Judgment or act.


They are further required to attend at the polling
places on election day. to challenge voters whose
right either of them may doubt. and no limit is
fixed by the law to this power of challenge. al
though the registry lists have been already
thoroughly supervised. They to remain
with the ballot boxes until the election is
completed and the certificates and returns signed
and to inspect the tally books and other parapherna
mia. and the manner in which the election is con-
Quoted. and all these subjects they finally
report to the chief supervisor of the election dis
trict But the law makes provision for disagree
ment in the reports of the local supervisors.
They further to not only count but to canvass
each vote cast at their precinct and they are to at
tach to the returns ''any statement touching
the truth. accuracy or fairness of the reg :
istry or election which they or either Of
them may desire to make" and forward
these to the chief supervisor That is to say. the


law allows either of the two supervisors the right
attack the election at his option. They have the
right to place themselves anywhere at the registration


polling place where in their judgment they best


the proceedings and to canvass the ballots
| when the voting is done.


Finally. the supervisors may make complaint that
they have been interrupted by "brbery. solicita-


tion interference, hindrance molestation. violence


threats thereof the part of any person." such


complaint to be sent TO the chief supervisor within


days after tho election, and he is thcreupon
qured, acting as Commissioner Of the Circuit Court,
to summon witnesses take testimony. examine into


all the facts and file his report and all reports


and evidence with the Clerk of tho House Of


Representatives. The Chief Supervisor Of tho Ju-


dcia district is named by the Judge of the Circuit
Court and holds Office until removed. He
receives applications for the places Of local
supervisors, and recommends to the Court
| those no thinks fit. and he receives


examines. files and makes proper disposition Of all


the reports. only Of the supervisors but of the
| deputy marshals.


The Marshal Of every Judicial district is required
| TO appoint deputy marshaIs. The law does not
| seem to limit their number in any way-in any
city of twenty thousand inhabitants or the


petition of ten citizens-and these deputy marshals


shall assist the supervisors in their duties and have
| the power of summary arrest without process


during the whole period Of registration and voting


either at the places wherc these operations are con-
| Quoted or elsewhere.


These deputy marshals paid s5 per day for their
services not to exceed ten days. and supervisors in


cities receive the pay. The chief supervisor is


rewarded by fees.


It will be remembered that the Office Of United
States Marshal is always political Office. the reward


of partisan services; that the deputy marshals for
election purposes therefore TO be partisans


and that. In fact the law authorizes the party in
power in every city OF 10000 inhabitants to
appoint any number of its followers deputy mar.
shals and pay them $50 apiece out of the public
treasury for their partisan services. II is not an ex-
travagant statement the part Of the democrats,
therefore. say that this deputy marshal law en-
ablcs the party in power to pay its canvssscrs very
handsomely out of the general taxes.


On the whole the Supervisor law seems TO be q
very small matter for either party TO get up great
excitement The supervisors have under tho
law very comprehensive but very i'll defined powers.
II both should agree they could probably de-
feat any election at all. but being of oppo-
site political parties, they are not likely
to agree and there is no provision made for their
disagreement except that the House Of Representa-
tves shall decide between them. Sections 5522 and
5,523 Of the Revised Statutes provide for
the punishment of anyone who shall interfere
with them either by threats or action. who
refuses to answer any inquiry made by them or give
false answer but even these criminal statutes do
not do more than enable quarrelsomc supervisor.
who has predetermined TO mako trouble for


his party's advantage. to accomplish this purpose
and annoy tho voters. In fact tho whole