Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-08-14

One political iniquity is sure to beget
another and greater in the efforts of
partisans to protect themselves against
the consequences of their acts. Out of
wanton crime against the just rights of
representation has grown the Davenport
Lodge Force bill. AT the opening of the
present session of Congress the Repub-
lican leaders resolved to eject sufficient
number of Democratic members to Sc
cure reliable working majority in the
House. To this end the Committee
on Elections was packed by Speaker
Reed with INSCRIPTIONS partisan at
torneys, ready to commit any iniquity
against the rights of representation and
able to invent plausible pretexts for the
wrong. Upon one pretense or another
ten Democratic members, most of them
chosen by large majorities, have been
elected from their seats, and more would
follow if any occasion should be thought
to exist for increasing the Republican
force in the House.
Up to the time when this policy of
wholesale decapitation of Representa-
tives was carried out the Lodge and
Rowell Election bills were treated with
indifference and neglect by the majority
of the Republican members. But in the
fear of retaliation, should the Democrats
obtain a majority in the next House, a
bill combining Coercion with Corruption
was deemed party necessity. Then it
was that Jno. l. Davenport was summon
ed to Washington to aid Representative
Lodge in preparing the details of meas
ure for depriving the people of the i'm
memorial right of conducting their own
elections.
The Committee on Elections has fur
nished more than one iniquitous pre-
cedent which could be employed by a
Democratic majority in the next House
to plague the inventors. This motive
of fear, more than any other, i'm
PEELED the Republican leaders of the
House to secure machinery for use in
Federal elections, which is so contrived
as to encourage the systematic corruption
of elections and the coercion of voters.
The supervisors, deputy marshals and
Returning Boards can be used to promote
fraud in the interest of the dominant
party in one district, and to oppress its
opponents in another. In its practical
working this tremendous enginery of |
Federal power would enable its operators
to control the elections for Congress in |
some portions of the country by fraud
and in others by force with the same
impunity.
That the fear of vengeance on the part
of the Republican leaders for their out
RACES upon the right of representation
is groundless is shown by the modera-
ton and impartiality with which Demo-
cratic Houses have decided contested
elections. Though the temptation to
employ Republican precedents for parti-
san retaliation has been strong, the
Democrats have manfully and patriot
ically resisted it. In some instances
they have strained a point in favor of
their political opponents, so as to avoid
the appearance of INJECTING a wrong
upon the sacred principles of repre-
But the Republican leaders
in the House could not give the Demo-
Gratis credit for higher political motives
than their own, and they resolved to put
themselves by this Force bill beyond the
reach of the vengeance of their oppo-
nents or of the power of public opinion.
Fortunately the Senate of the United !
States is inspired neither by the motives
of fear nor the impulses of personal am
bition which have actuated the Repub-
lican leaders of the House in passing this
measure. The only argument that could
be effectively addressed to the Republi-
can majority of the Senate would be
that the bill would enable their political
associates in close election to maintain
control of the House. Under ordinary
circumstances such an appeal to the par
tisan mind would be decisive. But it
must now be plain to every Senator who
is not blinded by party zeal that this bill
is tirebrand that would spread dissen-
sion and strife throughout the land;
while at the same time it would be likely
to fall in the accomplishment of its parti-
san object.-RecOrd.