The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-01
Ravonets Not the Remedy.


The President is beginning to find out
that public sentiment does not sustain him
in authorizing the use of force in carrying
out the orders of the federal court for the
northern district Of Florida. The ex-
treme republican papers have very Ii tile to
say in support of his course in this matter,
and the independent and democratic papers
condemn it in the strongest terms Some
of the moderate republican papers hint
pretty strongly that he has made mis-
take, and that if he desires to do what
is fair he will make q more thorough in
vestigation Of the condition of affairs in
Florida before proceeding further in the
aggressive course which he has adopted.
Tie Washington Post. for instance. has
this to say: There is a bare possibility
that the people of Florida have been
wronged in this matter. They have
borne themselves for many years like
good and loyal citizens. Their state
has encouraged northern immigra-
ton. has wonderfully prospered. has
always treated the colored people kindly,
has stood as well as any other state
on its own excellent merits. 1t seems in
credible, therefore, that the inhabitants of
four counties, or any considerable number
of citizens of any county in Florida, should
have risen in organized resistance to the
federal judicial authorities and placed re-
beliious Instructions in their way. If such
he the case, there must have been some
provocation more than ordinary and which
has been studiously concealed from the de-
partment of JUSTICE
The Post is right in suggesting that the
President should find ont if the cause of the
trouble is not partisan court bent on per-
scouting the people rather than determi-
nation of the people not to respect the
orders Of the court under any circumstances.
The President has given attention, perhaps,
to only side of the case-at least he has
believed fully what the republican officials
in Florida have told him. If he
has heard what those who
represent the other side have TO say he has
not given their statements the consideration
to which they are entitled. The time has
come when he must do that. Public opinion
demands that he shall. The fact that the
leaders of his party are accustomed to be-
lieve all they hear against the southern peo-
pie does not justify him in doing so. He is
the chief executive, and it is his duty to hear
all sides of case before taking any action
with regard to it.
There is no doubt that the district court
for the Northern district of Florida is a
partisan one, aud there does not seem to be
any ground for doubling that there has
been, and is, a clearly defined purpose to
indict and convict a large number of demo-
Gratis of alleged political offenses. Whether
this purpose is in harmony with a scheme
to carry Florida for the Republican party
in 1892 is a question that cannot be satisfac-
torily answered, but it looks very much as
If there were such purpose and such a
scheme. If there is such a schema the Pres
ident cannot afford to be a party to it.
The federal judge of whom complaint is
made is from Senator Quay's state, and it
is not improbable that Mr.. Quay had him
appointed. month or so ago Mr.. Quay
spent several weeks in Florida. He is chair
man of the national republican committee,
and it may be that the President was in
fiuenced by him to issue the outrageous
force order. Whether Mr.. Quay had any
thing to do with the order or not the Presi-
dent is bound to give the people of Florida
non-partisan court-a court in which they
can feel that justice will be done all who
come before it-before threatening them
with the bayonet for not respecting the
orders of the court.