Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-08-02
THE FORCE BILL.
General Master Workman Pow
derly's Opinion Of 1t.
On the Whole His Comments
Are Unfavorable.

IlIy-COnstructed - His Ideas OF the
Democratic Party in the South and the
Republican Party In the North His
Advice to the Voters.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 2. 2.-General Mas
ter Workman T. V. Powderly, i'll q let
ter in The Journal of the Knights of
Labor, gives the force bill going over.
He starts out by saying that "a very
appropriate title for the bill would be
"A law to place the control of its own
election in the hands of the United
States congress, and to prevent the peo-
pie from interfering too much in that
little matter"
The letter then proceeds:
"The proposed law covers seventy-slx
pages of the regulation congressional
| file. with about $50 words to the page
1t is 80 complicated, so cumbrous and
| illy-constructed a piece Of machinery
that it is very doubtful if its parent
could successfully manage it and eX-
plain what it would be able to perform.
| Snorn of verbiage the intent of that law
is to perpetuate the existence nf-ehe
party in power and enahl1 IL W heeP - "
| close watch over the election OF all olil-
cars .s web as congressman.
I aypnv should a special law be enacted
90 rao,1late the election of congress
M? Whom do they represent that
I they should insist on manipulating the
| election machinery in their own inter
ests? A congressman does not repre-
sent the United States IN the house of
epresentatives-he represents number
of citizens comprising certain terri
| tory in certain state, and the people
| of that state should have the right to
scrutinize and regulate the election of
| the man or men who will represent
them in congress"
In describing the provisions of the
bill, Mr.. Powderly interiects these com
ments:
Section of that law is in direct vio-
lation of the contract by which the sew
| eral states are bound to the United
States, and is most unwarrantable in
reference in the legislation of the sis
terhood of states.
"If the citizens of the United States
value their independence they will
promptly resent such tampering with
their right to make state, territorial and
municipal laws to suit themselves. If
the government of the United States
shall have the right to supervise the
election of its own officers, and take
that right out of the hands of the peO-
pie, who are supposed to be represented,
of what use is it to support the govern
ment of the separate states and terrific
ries Where does congress get the au-
tholity to annul q state, territorial or
municipal law?
1T is told by its friends that the law is
to operate in the south, and that its pas
sage will enable the people of that sec
ton to guard against bulldozing and in
timidation. There is more intimidation
contained in four lines Of that law than
in all the southern outrages that have
taken place since the war. 1t is claimed
that tins law enable the colored citizens
to vote free from intimidation and in
fiuence.
THAT may be true of the outside OF
the polling place, but it simply transfers
the intimidation and influence to the in
side of the polling booth. Why not act
the part of men and'say that the col
ored men are not fit to have vote foi
that is what they mean! If there Is d
body of men i'll this land who do no
know enough to do their own voting, il
|
ballots with their lives at the polls, thel
that body of men is not the kind to bt
privileged to vote for those who make
laws for others.
THE Democratic party does its bes
to intimidate the colored citizens of tn
south, and they give rs reason that i
they did not do so they would be subjec
to negro rule down there, or, as they pu
it. ignorant rule. In the north thu
employers of labor intimidate the work
men in the interests of the Republican
party, but that party cannot lay clam
to so respectable an excuse as to desll'
TO avoid ignorant rule, for the work
men of the NORTH have Hever imposes
ignorant rule wIffIGre ..they elected thei
own representatives.
Our laws should not be framed il
such way as to recognize ignorance o
illiteracy, for to recognize illiteracy i
to operpetuate it. Every law should ain
nj the abolition of illiteracy, and, i'll
stead of making laws to guard the un
educated man at the polls, we shOult
make laws to guard the republic agains
illiteracy by obliging all voters to know
how to read and write before voting.
"A law that would fix on a certai
day, in the future, ON which all citizen
! would be required to know how to rea
! and write before voting, and whlcI
would not interfere with those who ar,
voters at the present time, and who ar
not so educated, would go furthe
toward regulating the election of con
gressmen, i'll an honest way, than tn
piece of machinery now on the table o
the United States senate.
The adoption Of the Australian eleC
ton law would solve the difficulty s
far as an honest count and an unlniiu
enced election is concerned, but | lea
that that is not the aim or intent of tn
promotes of the proposed law; IN lac
| believe that if we had not agitated 5
vigorously, and so successfully, in fave
of the adoption of the Australian law
there would be no fear of an honest ele
tion. and as a consequence no necessit
for the supervision Of congressioni
watch. dogs.
He SAYS in contingency the electio
= of a congressman is left to "a sort I
Louisiana lottery scheme by which
second ballot may be avoided" "a gam
of blind mans buff substituted for a
honest election.
Then he proceeds.
"A more dishonest piece of legislatiO
does not exist than that. 1t does n
record the will of the majority, it do
not aim at justice, and it certainly do
not express the sense of those who vote
in earnest.
THAT law passed the house of repr
- sentatives without the advice or consel
- of the people of the United States
was hastily passed and without due CO
le sideration. 1t should be reconsider,
ID and published 10 the world, go til