San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-06
THE X l.
A Prominent Southern Republican
Discusses the Issue.

hAN oNh1"Ob Oy lHO INCp'
ublican League club on Thursday
night to prominent republicans in at
tendance on the state convention.
Col. Jas. 2. Newcomb, president OF
the League club organization of Texas
responded to the toast The Force Bill.
We do not need the Force Bill in
Texas.
1--WE are not willing to return to the
experiences of the days of reconstruc-
ton.
While every fair and truthful man
will admit that there is justification for
some measure to correct the disgrace
full political fraud perpetrated in the
negro states by the white democracy,
yet the Lodge Bill or the senate
amended bill, if passed will fail TO
meet this emergency.
The bill sets forth one of the most
perfect and thoroughly fair and just
methods of securing a fair count ever
formulated into a law, and a similar
measure passed by u state legisla-
lures, to regulate elections, would
be of value in many states where
there is complaint of fraud. This
bill is really intended to apply to the
South and to the negro constituent
cies in the Southern states, but
as there can be no special
elections bill passed by con-
gress not applicable to all the states
alike, is would become a grave and
dangerous political issue in every
state in the union. The republican
party would be held responsible for
this law, and the very communities
where the law would be useless
would become the loudest in de-
nouncing the measure as intend
ed to establish negro supremacy
in the sOuth-not . being af-
fecte6 themselves their sympathies
for the southern white people
would be the more easily worked on,
while here, we would be thrown back
twenty years into the darkness of
reconstruction and the white man
who is a republican will be forced to
meeta political prejudice more trying
than then, and God knows that was
bitter enough.
The condition of things in some of
Southern states and communities
can not be remedied by force, even
Federal force, unless that force COM
pletely subverts the local overn
ment of the states in short, martial
law, backed by armed military force,
such as existed during reconstruc-
ton. Do we want to 60 backward as
aparty?
The Lodge Bill is an admission on
our part that the enfranchisement of
the negro was a mistake. When we
freed the negro we did a
great and noble act of humanity.
When we gave him the ballot we
armed him with the powerful weapon
of American citizensip, to defend his
freedom, his manhood and his citizen
ship, and we assumed that he was
able to WELD that weapon with equal
force with the white man.
Reconstruction left the states of the
south in our hands, by reason of the
colored vote, but the republican party
found that "bayonet" rule" could not
last and had to be abandoned because
of the outcry in the north-aban-
doned in the very same states where
today it is claimed a necessity
exists for q federal election law,
to restore the political power to the
black majority. The governments of
these states were permitted to be
seized by armed forces, by open vio-
lence and turned over TO the white
democracy oy President Grant, and
the seizure acguiesced in by the re-
publican party in the very zenith of
glory at a time when the congress of
the nation was filled with republican
giants, and that idol of the republic
sat in the executive chair.
The panfura of the OOVornDaan Of
the Southern states was permitted,
even when accomplished by blood
shed, by murder and open and defiant
fraud. 1t was permitted at a time
when if the Federal power had been
but mildly exercised the evil now
complained of would have been large
ly averted. Had President Grant
Odered General Anger to send a cor
porals guard to Austin when Cover
nor Davis was besieged inthe capitol by
a large force of white militia, gathered
there by Coke and his followers the
disgraceful scene of mob violence and
seizure of the state government by
force and in violation of the constitu-
ion of the state, would have been
prevented. Grant t~elegraphed, "for
peace sake, Governor, why not let
them have 1t now" Davis retired to
his home, and Coke, with a mob,
broke in the door OF the
executive office with an ak.
The secretary of state was mob
bed and a pistol put to his head.
The democracy was on top at the sug-
gestion of the republican party in
power at Washington. Arkansas
followed and Little Rock went into a
state of military siege. Coke sent