New-York tribune., 1872-06-10
THE FORCE BILL.

| The FURCE DILID'
! 1t will not be the fault of the Senate IL tle
closing days of this session are not coVereu
with disgrace We have often during the iasV
six months had occasion to refer 10 the rapiuly
increasing demoralization of the so-calied
Timer House. By the influence of causes un-
necessary at this time to specify, the Senate
has been constantly losing, ever since the war,
all the prestige it possessed IN earlier days,
and within the last year or two the degenera-
tion has been so swift as to attract the atten-
ton of the least observing. There are men
still remaining in the Senate who in character
and ability are equal to any of those who
have dignifed its past history. But they have,
through no fault of their own, lost the pre-
dominance which is their due. In the minds of
all intelligent and rejecting persons, the Sen
ators who best represent the traditions of high
character and of craftsmanship which are as
sociated with the name are Trumbull and
Sumner and Schurz; but the men who lead
the Senate in policy and in legislation are
such as Pomeroy and COnkling and Morton,
whose rule of action is the will of the Admin
istratiOn, and whose only spasms of inde-
pendence are when their own interests appear
to conflict with those of the President. 1t is
under the leadership of such men that every
vote which the present Administration has
needed to accomplish its political purposes, to
| shield its unworthy or dishonest officials, to
insure its own peTpetuatiOn in power has been
rushed through under a pressure which rather
! resembles the tactics of Ward meeting than
| the deliberations of the most pretentious legis-
lative body in the world.
| 1t is doubtful, however whether even this
| Senate ever made so complete an exhibition
of its mingled servility and turbulence as in
the session of the night from Friday to Sat
urday. The discussion, if that could be called
a discussion which consisted on one side of
unavailing protests and on the other of inso-
lent violence, was in relation to Mr.. KellOgg's
amendment to the Appropriation bill by which
the operation of the Force bill, providing for
Executive control of elections, is extended
over the whole country, putting into the
hands of the President a virtually unrestricted
command of the polls. The Chair was Occu-
pied in turn by Senator Anthony and Senator
| POmerOy, men differing widely in courtesy
and breeding, but alike in obeying blindly the
| dictates of the caucus Their decisions invaria-
| bly favored the violent and reckless majority.
Anthony decided this most incongruOus amend
ment to be in order, and POmeTOy, when his
time came, Overruled every motion which was
calculated TO delay or prevent its passage
| There was no discussion, no pretense of any.
| Mr.. Morton, Mr. Edmunds, and, we regret to
say, Mr.. Sherman, impatiently lectured the mi
nority for making such a row about a trife -
| this in relation to a measure second TO none
passed this year in Importance. Mr. COnkling,
| with that fatuous confidence in his own Opin
| ion and contempt of that of others which
mark him, said the majority was responsible
| for all the legislation of the Senate. He evil
IDENTITY thought that those who differed from
him had no more right to vote than idiots
and maniacs. The minority exhausted all the
arsenal of parliamentary tactics to delay action
on this pernicious measure; but the stolid
phalanx of the retainers of Grant held firm,
and passed it on Saturday morning.
In the House of Representatives, as has fire.
quently happened during the session, the
Executive whip failed to force the members
TO register the decree of the Household SEN
ators. The minority made bold and resOlute
stand against the amendment. The House re-
fused to concur in the Senate amendments,
and appointed Conference Committee on the
subject, Immediately afterward adjOurning to
s o'clock Monday morning. The majority of
the Senate Committee, Cole and Edmunds,
were among the most ferOciOus advocates of
the measure. 1t was thought that Gen. Gar
field of the House Committee was man of
too much candor' and self-respeCt to induce
him to strike hands with the Grant men to
consummate this thing. But our dispatches
this morning indicate that the Committee has
agreed upon an apparent compromise which is
really surrender on the part of the
! House. The Objectionable features of the bill,
by which the President can station an agent
at every polling-place in the country, still
remain. We shall see to-day whether this
transaction will be accepted by both Houses.
An extra session is so dreaded by the average
American legislator that the temptation to
adopt this discreditable dodge will be very
great. But, whatever the result, the Senate
has seriously injured its own character in the
attempt, and the Administration has shown
once more the disregard of law, the coarse
and violent desire for ampler powers which
have recently been so conspicuous IN all Its
acts, and which have excited the anxiety and
the indignation of all sincere believers in gen
uine republicanism.
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