Speech #510163403

I must come to the inquiry. how is it proposed by a great Massachusetts Senator and his colleague in the House. who are no better qualified by personal knowledge and experience to deal with the difficult subject they undertake to master than members of the Canadian Parliament. and not as favorably disposed towards local selfgovernmenthow is it that the Senate is asked to prescribe by law how ignorance and vice in negro suffrage can be made to assert themselves over intelligence and morality in white suffrage in the Southern States. where the negro voters dominate numerically? The bill to carry out this purpose reported to the Senate by its Committee on Privileges and Elections. of which I am a member. and the bill from the House are the same in substance and effect. The first section is a sweeping provision giving to Federal "supervisors." who are made "election officers of the United States.I "the supervision of elections of members of Congress." and charging them "with the enforcement of the national election laws and with the prevention of frauds and irregularities in naturalization." There are to be chief supervisors and subordinate supervisors appointed by the judge of the circuit court or district court on the petition of one hundred voters. and in some cases of fifty voters. who state "that there is danger that without supervision the election of a member of Congress in their district will not be fair and free." On such an allegation by such voters the district is condemned to the operation of all the provisions of the bill if it becomes a law. Any male citizen of the United States of good character who can read and write and is a voter living in the district can apply to be appointed a supervisor. and three supervisors can be appointed for every precinct in every district in every State condemned to the operation of the Federal election laws. The supervisors assigned to duty by the chief receive compensation for so many days of service at the rate of $5 per day.