Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1890-10-09
Force Against Freedom.

IL mas Deen Ine pOllcy OF tne he'
publican press in Western states op.
posed to federal coercion in state
elections to assert that the Force bill
has been finally disposed of, that It's
postponement means its death, and
that it will never be taken up again.
Senator Vests disclosure of the
agreement under which the bill was
postponed shows how false Is this
pretense. ''The agreement was
made" he SAID, in his ST. Louis
speech, "but, mark you, on this con-
dltion:
"Mr. Hoar, of Massachusetts,, who
claims to be the father of the force
bill in the senate, exacted of his col
leagues in the Republican caucus
that an agreement in writing should
be signed by them, or a majority of
them, to the effect that On the first
Monday in December the force bill
should be taken up and pressed to
final disposition in exclusion of ev-
cry other bill or resolution upon the
calepdaC, Forty-four Republican
senator's, majority of the Republi-
can caucus, signed that agreement,
and to-day the people of the United
States are confronted with that agree
ment, and, unless they interfere with
their sovereign votes at the coming
November election, with the certain
ty that this force blll, with all its
enormity, will be placed upon the
statute books as the law of the land"
This is the first full statement Of
the agreement under which the Re-
pubIicans postponed the force bill.
Mr.. Hoar demanded and received
the signatures of forty-four of them
to a pledge that, from the very open
ing of the second session, the bill
should be pressed to passage.
The present intention is undoubt-
edly to refuse to recognize the ma
jority, to put ingalls, in the chair,
thrust aside the constitutional re-
quirement of roll call, allow the floor
only TO Republicans, and pass the
bill for use in controlling the gener-
al elections of 1892.
Unless the country speaks with de-
cisive effect IN November, popular
government in the United States will
end at the opening Of the polls in
1892. From on and after the date
of the passage of the force bill ma
jorities in the electoral college and
in congress will be made up in secret
caucuses of Washington politicians,
from whose decisions there will be no
appeal. With an army of mercena-
ries, employed by them and paid
from the treasury, to carry out their
orders, as supervisors, returning
boards and deputy marshals in armed
possession of the polls, any presi-
dent who pleases may re-elect him
self, any partisan majority in con-
gress may perpetuate itself. Moth
ing will remain of the free govern
ment of equal states and free
people. The money of the combined
corporatIons of the Northeast will
have hold on the government,
against which no majority of the
people can prevail in elections.
The creatures of the plutocracy will
sit in the white house and in con-
gress; :he will of the pluiocracy VIII
be registered in laws which "Sind on
men backs burdens too heavy TO be
borne" II this power of lncorpo-
rated money is so all-pervading, so
audacious now, what limit could be
set 10 its audacity when the reform
atory force of the people had been
taken from them, when the control
of the ballot had beeu usurped, and
power to loose and to bind given to
few office-holding politicians in the
District of Columbia, removed from
the people, with the army at their
call, and no responsibility to any
power except that of their own fac
tion?
The people have the power Of
Samson. Will they suffer their