Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-07-17

The Lodge Force Bill.
Prof. John Fiske, Of Harvard college,
one OF the clearest and most profound
of living thinkers, says, In his Ameri-
can Political Ideas Harper 4 Brothers,
s1ee5), "Stated broadly 30 as 10 acquire
soomewhat Of the force of universal
proposition, the principle Of federalism
~ just this that the people Of state
shall have full and entire control of their
own domestic affairs, which directly
concern them only, and which they will
naturally manage with more intelli-
ecnce and more zeal than any distant
governing body could possibly exercise |;
\ but that ~ regards matters Of common
concern between group Of states, . de-
clsion shall In every case be reached,
not by brutal warfare or by weary d.
& *plomacy, but by the systematic legisla-
ton of central government which
represents both the states and the people,
and whose decisions can always be en-
\ forced II necessary by the combined
physical power of NIL the states. This
principle In various practical applica-
lions, is.so familiar to Americans to-day
that we seldom pause to admire IL, any
more than i've stop to admire the air we
breathe or,&he sun which gives us light
a9dAhe. Yet believe that If no other
political result than this could to-day Ike
pointed out as coming from the coloni-
zation of America by Englishmen, we
should still be justified In regarding
that event as one of the most important
In the history of mankind. For OBJ
{ vio.isly the principle of federation, as
thus broadly stated, contains within
Itself the seeds of permanent peace he
tween nations and to this glorious end
believe II will come In the fulness of
\ time"
To this glorious end, to perpetuate this
\ principle, to preserve the Just equilib.
sium between state aud national govern.
mehts--resisting the aggressions OF
!, secti0nalism on the one hand and cen.
! tralization on the other-this has been
1t 10 and ever will be the mission of the
Democratic party. For while maintain.
3 ing the just rights of the states 1t has
ever resisted their claims to sovereignty
+ and while fully admitting all the powers
5 granted by the constitution TO the
general government, II has ever with.
stool the demagogues who would
augment these powers out of sectional
jealousy, or to gain transient partisan
tziumph.
The Republican party, on the con.
tsAry, was born Of sectional animosity
and even at this late day many of its
3 leaders seem to possess an instipctis &c
lar that happy, united and prosperous
nation which Is weary of past strife can.
mot long continue 10 endure its existence,
s unless 1t can once more revive the dead
and buried bitterness of the reconstruc-
tton era, In order to hide from the too
CLOSE scrutiny Of the people its number
be1 sins OF omission and of commission.
The Democracy Is therefore called
upon once more to resist a measure
which has been carefully framed osten-
sibly to secure honest elections (God
save the mark y, but in reality to raise
up the ghost of internecine strife, by
creating in the interests of the Republi-
can party a horde of useless government
Ofiicials armed with extraordinary
powers and given with devilish inge-
nulty exactly those peculiar privileges
which will prove most CALLING to the
people among whom they will be sent.
This would be true even were the chief
supervisor and his deputies men of discre-
tion, tact and good breeding, but when
We consider the class of Republican
ward politicians, FOUNDERS and strikers
who, for the most part, will receive
these appointments, and further, that
only the Southern section of the Repub-
hcan party will be instructed to petition
Tor these supervisors, we see mt once the
result contemplated by the trainers OF
this infamous bill. None better knows
the consequence Of turning loose upon a
proud and sensitive people host of
offensive and ill-mannered partisans
armed with the most irritating powers.
Once more the bloedy shirt will be
waved, once more all the bitterness of
the past will be conjured from the
grave.
For fourteen years the South has en-
joyed peace, plenty and prosperity. The
two races and the two political parties
have dwelt together in harmony. The
political outrages of the old Garnet bag
days have ceased. The progress made
BY the New South attracts immigra-
ton and capital even from New Eng
land, while 1t challenges the admira-
tion Of the whole country. Shall all this
be checked and perhaps indefinitely re-
tarded at the beck and will of political
demagogues +?
Let all honest citizens at the coming
election stamp with the seal of indig-
nant condemnation the political party
which tolerates among its trusted leaders
men who are endeavoring again to All
the land with the buried animosities
ofthe past.