New-York tribune., 1875-03-10
WHO KILLED TIE FORCE BILLf

There is something almOst maJcstio III '"o
calmness with which the organs OF the Ad-
ministration assume the credit OF the deieat
of the Force bill in the late Congress. In
New Hampshire and Connecticut. where the
passage of the bill would have had damag-
ing effect upon the party in the elections, the
feeling of relief experienced by the Admins
tratiOn politicians when it was known that the
bill could not pass broke out In q gush OF
concentrations upon the fact that the Oppo-
sition had been deprived of 80 much political
capital Whenever now anything Is SAID
about the Force BILL tbe supporters Of s4e
| Administration turn upon their opponents
with, "Oh, yes; you wanted it passed, so that
"you could make capital out of it 1; but the Re-
"publlcan majority defeated it, as all OF US
supposed they would when il came to the
"pinch, and you are disappointed at it," And
some of them really talk about It as though
| it was specially infamous thing undertaken
by the Opposition to bring the Administration
into disrcpute, and nothing but the superior
virtue and intelligence OF the party in power
saved the country from it.
| The Chicago Tribune says "the adjournment
"of Congress without action on the Force bill
in the Senate is Democratic defeat as com
| "plete and disastrous to their hopes as the
defeat of November was to the Republicans )"
that the Democrats wanted the bill passed,
and their disappointment at its failure Is OF the
kecnest description. There is q marvellous cool
| ness about these assertions, but the climax IL
reached when it proceeds to show how the bill
"met its death by suffocation in the Senate
"There were a few crazy Republicans headed
| fl,a mai
"whO wanted it passed, and who were ready
"to Join hands with the Democrats in raising
90 commOtOn and having another war; but
" the bill was never even seriously considered
" in the Senate. If it had ever come to a
vote in that body, it would have met with
"a more disastrous defeat than Wards
Arkansas carpet-bag bill did in the House,
The few crazy Republicans headed by Ben
"Butletn comprised, as is toerably well
known. majority of the House. The num-
Der Of sane Republicans who opposed 1t may
almost be counted on the fingers. The reason
why "the bill was never even seriously con-
" sidercd in the Senate ," was simply because
the Democrats who, according to this author
| ity, wanted the bill passed." opposed it at
| every stage, and announced their determna-
ton to occupy the last twenty-four or forty
eight hours of the session with speeches
rather than allow the vote to be taken. Had
it been taken, no one acquainted with the
facts had any doubt what the result would
be. All the Administration leaders III the Sen
ate favored its passage, and every effort was
made to get 1t up for the purpose OF passing
It. This was and is notorious. Nothing pre-
vented the cOnsummatiOn OF the purpose OF
! the " crazy headed Republicans except the
determination of the Opposition to resist 1t ut
every stage and by all means available. But
with all these facts before it, and within the
knowledge too of its readers-fOr its own files
contained m-AdministratiOn organs are
calmly charging the design of passing the bill
upon the Democrats, and claiming for the Re
Dublicans the credit of suffocating it in the
| Senate.
| 1t is very much as though the youthful pur-
sucr of the surrcptitious apple, swinging his
legs from lower limb where he had passed
the night under the surveillance of short
nosed dog, should address to the proprietor of
the orchard this indignant remOnstrance
oh, you re a nice man, you are. Hung out
L" your apples 80 as to get me in here and set
your dog on to ne, didn't youP But
know you. | did MT want any of your APP
"ples. havn't got darned apple Would MT
"pick one if | stayed here week. But
lust know what I'll do with you. I'll go
home and tell my father you've kept me up
all night, and I'll have you taken up for not
having Il muzzle on your dog"