Worcester daily spy., 1872-08-13
wORCES TER .
TUESDAY. AUGUST 1a. 1919.
About the @.FOrce Law,' Parties, Poll
tics. WarmoIhites, etc, in Louisiana.

About the 4sForce I.aw,-' Parties, Poli-
dies. w arm Oihites. etc., in Louisiana
Not many people have overlooked the fierce
denunciations bestowed, by leading democrats,
upon the laws enacted by congress to prevent
frauds at elections and restrain kukluX out
RACES. These laws, they say, interfere with
"iocaI sell-goyernment," and show dangerous
tendency to "centralism What local self
government has to do with Offences against the
national constitution, is not easy to see; but it
is these offences, and these only, which are
dealt with by the laws enacted against kukluX-
ism. The laws concerning elections relate only
to the voting for president and congressmen,-
elections which congress has constitutional
authority to regulate. They have been de
nounced simply because they interfere with the
kuklux control of the ballot-boxes 1t is curl
Gus and instructive to notice that some of the
stiffest southern democrats are now turning TO
these laws for protection against frauds. This
is the case in Louisiana, where there is . dread
of the fraudulent practices which may be at
tempted by Gov. Warmoth, whose rascality is
notorious.
Some of the Louisiana democrats have sought
an alliance with Warmoth, and he is not back
ward to act with them, provided they will ac-
cept his terms He is Greeleyite, and will be-
come the EXTREMIST of democrats provided they
will make him governor or United States sena-
tor The chief argument for making an al
lance with him is explained by the New Or
leans Picayune as follows: "They say the
Kellogg Grant ticket cannot be defeated with
ont the assistance of Warmoth, and this as
sistance must be the use in their favor of his
control over registration, voting, and election
returns" Knowing his unscrupulous charac-
ter, they are confident that, if they lend him
their support he will control, manage, and
manipulate the elections" in their favor, if not,
he will do it against them. The Picayune,
which spurns this policy, and will have nothing
to do with Warmoth, points out, that, "by the
United States law, Warmoth is entirely
shorn of his power d" to perpetrate such
frauds. That law gives the democrats sure
defense against him, and makes it unnecessary
TO purchase the aid of his scoundrelsm. The
Picayune sees no evil in the law, but, on the
contrary, a great deal of good. 1t publishes
full synopsis of it, with an introduction, from
which we take the following:
"The law is intended to securea fair election
of representatives and delegates TO the congress
of the United States; but its provisions are
such as, if honestly carried out, viii efectually
preclude frauds in registration and election, in
reference to all candidates for state, parocha,
or municipal offices, t0hoSe names appear on the
same ballots as those Of the candidates for cOR-
greSS. The precautions which it contemplateS
are well worthy of the careful consideration of
all of our citizens who are desirous of redeem
ING the state from misrule in manner con-
sistent with her honor and dignity.
" For the convenience of our readers, we pre-
sent the following synopsis OF the law in as con-
densed and briei form as possible, with the as
surance that all essential provisions are included
therein and that il can be relied on as a guide
for their future action in defense of the public
aoeal."
And f9is excellent law which intends nothing
More than "to secure a fair election" which the
Pi3ayune describes as an effective defense
against Warmoth frauds, and which, it says,
should be relied on as guide 'in defense OF
the public veal, is the same law which parti-
zan passion has called "the force bill" and ca
Illuminated in every possible way. 1t is an eX-
cellent law and has no power to do anything
more than secure fair election. There never
was a more honest law, and we are glad TO
know that the Picayune finds it exceedingly
useful. Several facts come out in the discus
sion of this attempted fusion of the Greeley
democrats and the Warmothites, which it is
useful to know.
l. The New York Greeleyites OF all sorts are
very eager to have this fusion effected Their
latest movement is represented by an agent sent
from New York, DR.. Cottman, who, it is said,
appears there "as spokesman of the Tammany
ties and liberal committees of New York" The
Picayune don't think lie will succeed, and
makes this statement in regard to him: "Some
twenty months ago, he appeared as the earnest
advocate of the election OF either Sweeny or
Tweed to the presidency; this was before the
power Of Tammany was broken"
?. Another of these facts is, that the "liberal
(or Greeley republicans 'of Louisiana are very
few in number and very worthless in character
They would be utterly contemplate as polti-
cal force, if Warmoth, their leader, were not
governor of the state. The Picayune says of
them: "here in Louisiana we have no liberal re.
publican party worthy of the name, and those
who compose it are men whose personal conduct
excludes them from the society of respectable
men," On the other hand the regular repub-
licans are united, and they have an excellent
ticket, which seems likely to be elected