, 1875-02-27
THE FORCE DILL.

The ll0uSo OF Representatives c1nnustou
two whole days in coutest to got wllat is
known rs tho Forco bill before the HotrBe.
The Republicans number two-thirtls Of tho
House, md yet for twonty-oight consecutive
hours woro ,lnablo to obtain tho attendance
Of majority OF tho House. Tho Democrats
refusing to voto, tho Houso was helpless until
sufficient number Of Republicans woro
whipped in to attendance. Tho reason was
an obvious one. There wua n largo body OF
tho best Republicans in the House who
doubted tho proprioty or necessity Of tho bill,
mud who woro opposed to it. With all duo
respect to the minority Of tho Republican
CAUCUS, We question tho wisdom Of enacting
any such law at this timo or at my other
time. The bill makes it felony against the
United states for two or moro persons to tin
tcrfcre" with the duo 'cxecution Of tho laws
is a sweeping definition Of felony, which
felony III to 10 punished with imprisonment
for ten years and tino Of s10,0u0. Anotl-
or section Furnishes conspiracy to overthrow
6tato Government, or does "actunlJy over
throw such Government, with tino Of
only $4,000 md two years In jail. Another
| section declares that no person now author-
izel to voto ahall ever DO deprived Of such
right. The wearing of arms on eloction~day
Is made prosnmptive ovidonso Of intimidation,
| md intimidation Of voters III made orimo.
It also provides for putting MI State o1ootions
! under the personal supervision Of United
States officers Ono Of The main provisions,
and insisted upon most strenuosis!y by Gen.
| DuT1En and liH kind Of politicians, il m au-
thority to tho President, upou his own mo-
tion, without any application from state
Government, to declaro that rebellion o1ista
in such 6tate, and to suspend tho ha1kas cor
f,us and tako military possession Of the Gov.
crnmont md administer it !!
When thiH bill was before the cAucus It WIS
bitterly opposed by largo number OF the bost
and ablest Of tho Republicans. Con. GARFIELD
especially opposed it on tho gron,.d Of Its
extraordinary and dangerous provisions. lie
sail TINT in 1871 Congress- under special cir.
cumstauccs authorized tho President to sla.
pend the ha5tas corpus and employ the mill
tary in certain Southern States, hut Congress
WIS particular enough to provide TINT h.it
authority SHOULD ncoso np 1n0stthx b<s}iTd the
Presidential election. This bill, however, II
unlimited. It onnblos tho President to slls
pond tho ha1sas corpus, nud to tahs military
possession Of State during the presiaentin
election Of 1870, and tho country cannot fas
to regard md trent tho enactment Of such +
Inv as pointing to third term" The Of
foot OF such law upon tho public
mind Aa considered would be 1iRatrol1
To tho Republican party. Thus spoke
GA,YE1D. 1lr. Speakur 1irAKE also op
posed the hill. 1Ia said TINT The
bill proposed to glvo to the President the
power to suspend the Aa1as corpus in anG
telle possession OF tho reconstructed States
and he waa unwilling to yota for tho oxercis,
Of a power III other States which he wonle
not bo willing to hayo exercised in Maine
It would be no defense Of such law TINT i
applied or might apply only to certain States
tito law, IT proper at all, should be app!icabl'
to all tho States,
Tho Constitution authorizes tho President
upon the application Of the Governor or Log
islature, to employ tho military to suppress
ins,,rrootion In any State. Is not that powc
oil that ia required? Why should tho Preai
tlout have authority to take military possea
sion Of any State, npon hts own motion, do
pose tho Stnto Government, aud hays all th,
elections and St1to affairs conducted unilo
! tho supervision Of military oillcer2
This bill is demanded by tho earpet.bag
gera and other adgenturers who hayo use'
the Republican party for their own sol3sl
, nod corrupt snd4, aud who hars hsan IL