The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-06-25
HALT!
fhilade.phia TImss.

The Federal election bill forced
through the party caucus OF the
House on Monday evening last, is SC
nonstrous in its revolutionary feat
ures that Speaker REED and his fell
low conspirators in the attempt to
maintain political power by violence,
feared to allow the Republican Con.
gressmen TO see its provisions until
the caucus was ready 10 ply the lash.
The bill is modified only in its
least offensive features, while all the
revolutionary provisions OF both the
bills presented are retained. It's, in
brief, a bill to enable an lrresponsl-
BILE partisan Board Of Federal Cam
vasssrs, not answerable to the people
of a State or their laws, to declare
who is elected to Congress in each
district of the State, and the Clerk
Of the House is required to place
only the names Of persons so certi-
fed on the roll Of the House for
the organization Of the body, under
penalty of fine or imprisonment.
The House once organized under
this revolutionary method, there
could be no redress, no matter how
sweeping the violence of the fraud;
and the fact that the authors of this
bill have seated contestants who were
beaten four to one at their home
elections, proves the purpose of
Speaker REED and his fellow revclu-
tionists TO steal the next House from
the people. They know that they
will lose it; they mean to steal the
power that the people refuse them
This bill is preceded by a judicial
bill authorizing the appointment of
many new Federal Judges, so that
the source of the Election Super
visors shall be surely partisan; and
every Congressional district of each
State Is to be registered, practically
counted and certified by a partisan
Federal Board, whose decision shall
be absolutely final in compelling the
Clerk ofthe House TO accept the re-
turn.
More than FIVE millions of voters
will be yoiceless in either making
these election returns or in convict
ing or furnishing the burglaryof the
ballot. In the South it is to be a re-
turn to the carpet-bag Returning
Boards of 1873, which brought con-
suming shame upon the Republic
and ended Republican power ineyery
Southern State, and in the North it
Is to hand over to the DUDLEYs and
DAvESPoRIs the absolute manufac-
ture of certificates sf election for
Congressman. Ii is simply bald,
reckless, wicked revolution, and
none can mistake its meaning.
When the Boubon Democrats
were convulsing the nation with
their death throes by the Lecomp-
ton revolutionary politscal methods,
Of which the new Federal election
bill is the legitimate spawn, they
were content TO attempt the theft OF
aState by violence and fraud; but
Speaker REED and his Jacobin fol-
lowers now adopt the old Lecompton
methods Of the Democrats, which
cost them nearly q generation Of de-
feats, ard Haunt the crime in the
face Of every State in Union.
But there were brave Democrats
in the Lecompton days TO revolt and
declare the truth to the people
Where are Douglases, the HAIRLESS
the Hickmans, the Montgomerys
the Haskins OF the Republican party
Of 10 day? Are there none manly
enough 10 call the halt and enforce
obedience TO the command? One
brave man could do it; but thus fan
not Que Of all the Republicans Of the
House has won the title OF statesman
and patriot; not one. S'&
Above all, let Pennsylvanians cal
. halt in this fearful wrong. Nc
Philadelphia Congressman can vot.
for such q measure withoutswelline
the adverse tide now visible con,
fronting him, and sven Pennsyl.
vania. with her boosted $1,000 Re
publican majority, will revolt against
such ignoble and violent leadership
The halt must be called in Congress
or the people will call j. in cycIoni,
voicein every section Of the country