Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-05-17
A Grievous Danger.
Nashville Banner.

Nashville Banner.
AT no time in the history of our
country has it been threatened with
graver danger of Capitalization of
power than at the present time. The
determination upon the part of Re-
publican leaders in Congress to take
the Federal elections entirely from
under the management of the States
is one of the most omnibus and dire
full threats that have ever been made
against the spirit and structure of our
republican institutions. There can
be but one meaning to movement
which is pOrtentous of all evil, and
that is determination to partisanize
the Government by the centraliza-
ton ofall power in Federal par
tisan administration. The purpose
can only be to place the Federal cleo
ton machinery in the hands of the
party in power with view of manip-
ulating and using this machinery to
maintain the centralizing Republican
party in power.
All the talk about ignoring the
states in Federal elections in order to
preserve the purity of the bollot is
nonsense. The surest way to make
the ballot corrupt is to put the cleo
tiOns entirely under the control of
the Federal machine. Such policy
would not only foster corruption and
oppression by the administration
combination, bat it would encourage
antogonisms in the states and reck-
lessness of opposition to the methods
adopted.
The truth is, the suggestion of a
Federal election code which will
place the elections entirely in the
hands Of Federal authority is direct
insult to the State governments. 1t
is as much as to say the State cannot
be trusted, and this is to say that the
people cannot be trusted to manage
their own affairs. 1t is to depart ra-
ideally from the foundation princi-
pies upon which this Government
was based, one Of which is a supreme
confidence in the people to govern
themselves. The passage of the force
election laws advocated by leading
Republican partisans would be di-
rect blow at the principle of home
government as was instituted in the
independent States which formed the
Union.
When the Federal Administration
assumed arbitrary and despotic pow
er during the period of reconstruc-
ton, just after the war, there was
amidst all of the wrong and tyrany
of that dreadful time an abiding faith
that after while of decentralization
there would be return to constitu-
tional and time-honored methods,
and that affairs would eventually re.
sumo the normal status in accordance
with the theories of the founders Of
our Government. But the present
threat of Capitalization and despotism
precludeS the idea of mere temporary
abuse of power. Ruler Reed and his
cO-wOrkerS have in view a perpetu
ity Of Federal control, from which
there may be no hope of relief shor
of revolution. If they can perpetu
ate one party in power by CONTROL
ing and manipulating the elections
with PARTISAN machinery, the lovers
OF constitutional government will bt
helpless, until the ruling party
breaks down with its own cOrrup.
ton.
The present method of electins
Congressman has been handed doWr
to us by the fathers and should b.
retained. There is graver danger il
the proposition to change this meth
ed than appears on its face. 1t is in
sspred not by broad patriotism, bu
10Y narrow partisanism which i.
warped and prejudced and which
would overthrow the principles anC
traditions of our Government to gail
a party advantage.
"Tired All the Time"