The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-12-30
Senator McPherson's Sp1en-
did Speech in Defense Of
Popular Institutions.
TIE FORCE BILL DENOUNCED.
Democratic New Jersey Held Up As
An Example to Coercive Re-
publican Bulldozers.
TRIBUTE TO GOVERNOR ALBEIT.


Mcpherson upon the Force bill has just
been published The speech was deiiv-
cred on Tuesday, of last week in the
&Senate Chamber. but no adequate report
of it has yet been printed in any news
uper. AS 1t is the ablest speech that
has been made against the Force Bill, and
one OF which Jerseymen have a right to
be proud, / make no apology to your
readers for sendi ng it in full even at this
day The Senator began by saying:-
I'm government like ours it is proper
to inquire whether the provisions of the
pending bill are authorized by the Con-
stitution; for the Legislature has no
power to make law contrary to the
Constitution. For the grant OF power
necessary to make and execute this pro-
posed legislation we are pointed to Arti-
Gle l., section 4, of the Constitution. The
propriety Of this provision seems TO rest
upon the plain proposition that every
government ought to contain in itself the
means of its own preservation. If State
should become disloyal and neglect to
make provision for the election of Repre-
sentatiyes to Congress. Congress has
power. to make the necessary regnla-
tiol ="
en- leaving the constitutional side of
the lestion he said that he opposed the
bill cause 1t was distrust OF the peo-
pie; Indictment against the whole peo-
pie ". bout regard TO party distinctions.
He al o opposed 1t because 1t was des-
potic and no government, he maintained,
could be a despotic and a free govern
ment at the same time. He opposed it
because 1t was LEGISLATION which ought to
perperunte the power of the Republican
party. Under the powers conferred by
rsnIx
an army of supervisors and deputy mar
shals to supervise the election of mem
bers of Congress, and to whom Is given
all needed power to render nugatory the
will Of the people at the polls. both in the
vote and in the count.
PARTISAN MEASURE.
Briefly, lie said. it was a partIzan meas
ure for partisan purpose. and then he
ran over its provisions. Continuing, he
said that 62, 600, 900 Of people surprising
all other civilizations In intelligence, IN
all the blessings OF progressive and pros
porous Industry, and in the sources or ad-
v&ncement aud happiness were thus to
lie made the plsything OF mean ambition,
the prey or II party which had become
anti-republican. perilously so; party
which held In its hands all the machinery
of this great Government. with all its
patronage; party audacious. unscrupu-
lous and terribly resolute.
Thwarted by other means the Repub-
lican party now tried coercion; reaction
airy aad ruthless methods were now pro-
posed by which the peoples will might
De nullified and when once accomplished
The end would be revolution.
The Senator then dwelt upon the ex-
penses which the bill would create IL it
became a law, and said that IL had been
estimated thas at each election at least
si0,000.0 900 in hard-earned tax money
drawn from the peoples pockets by tax
af no No lad fn nfn ha
visions OF the bill.
Political parties and orators might try
the issues, but the people by their votes
decided them, and as 1t was impossible to
deceive aud corrupt the whole people, tEe
faults of political parties were almost
sure to be reversed and corrected a. the
polls.
The vigilance Of the people was more
than ever important when considered in
the light of this bill 1t proposed revo-
lutionary step and whatever might have
been the purpose of its trainers it made
the agents of its execution, and not the
people, the virtual soverigns. When a
great political party sought to control
the vote at the ballot box throu gh hired
agents at the polls, then parti sanship
had done its worst and Republican gov
ernment was in danger. The political
party which fathered this bill had repu-
dated its founders and prove d recreant
to every living principle upon which 1t
was organized. The party which once
pointed with pride 10 Lincoln. Seward,
Sumner. a Chase, had become the play
thing of mean am bition that boasEeu to-
day of tyranny and corruption at the
polls as lis most trusted attribute.
Senator McPherso then asked why
any honest Repuoli can should support
the bill and commended the course OF
the Sc nators on that side of the chamber
who had dezed the caucus It was war
nf "a II M hQ nna oil daa and
of principle upon the other. 1t was
tyranny invading liberty, force summon
ing human rights 10 lay down their arms,
and because they would not, banding
subservient but unwilling majority to-
gether by caucus dictation to crush the
republic by disfranchising the people
whose viii it is to perpetuate and pre-
serve il.
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.
He then showed by amples from the
lives of Cesar. Napoleon and other his
toricai characters that liberty once sur
rendered is not easily regained.
Are we to continue to enjoy the bless
ings OF popular goyernulent?" the Senator
asked Are the people to have home
rule, local self-govesnment? Is the
democratic principle winch controls the
town meeting, wnere there is no corrup-
tion, where lne people elect their own
officers. TO continue TO flourish, or must
it give way 70 the spirit of Capitalization
which now seems TO dominate the Repub
lican partyi Tne people have drifted
into state OF acqniescenee until they
nave well nigh forgotten the essential
elements of their political power and
freedom. They have seen the central
government at Washington absorb power
after power. until now, wheu it is pro-
posed that it shall be supreme in every
thing. they are hardly surprised. They
have seen the virtues of popular govern
ment, and they aow behold the vices OF a
government by an oiigarchy of money
with wonderful compiaisance
ssBut this IS not all. To gain a longer
lease of power they seek to array again
tue passions of The North against the
South. They seem TO act as though the
war was not yet ended. No one will deny
that this bill IS intended TO break up the
solid south aud to break down Demo-
cratic majorities in tine North. Republi-
can misconduct in the South had made
the South solid and now the South is
blamed for being solid. and not only the
South, but the Democratic party North is
blamed by the Republican party. most
outrageously, for solid South Yet Re-
publicans have only themselves TO blame
for a solid South.
II can not feel that men who raise sec
tional issues and push them toi extremes