Arizona weekly citizen., 1890-09-13
THE FORCE BILL"

congress becomes a law or not, IS neither here nor there. Some timid ones may prevent its passage, but the truth which this bill represents right of every American citizen, whatso ever previous nationality, condition of birth or complexion to cast hIs ballot unintimidated, untrampled and un- bulldozed- exists just the same. There comes no denlal from the south that outrages do exist, but the plea is given that. white rule' must be maintained. They say that ''niggah" rule will not be tolerated.; and if necessary that a few negroes shall die to maintain alive the Southern predudices, well, like the old saying of Popes, Whatsoever is is right"
 But the question naturally arises. If the South can go gunning for the 'niggah" in order to make the vote of South sOlidly democratic, what is the matter with the New YerB democrats shillalying few Irish and the Ohio dem ocrats cracking the skulls of few pre- hibitionists with beer bottles in order to bring the majorities up all around? Why can't congress substitute for their force" bill with its bristling bayonets, and bayOnets throw the average demo crat into a chill since the sixties, law which will enable the republicans to murder a few Mormons who are making themselves obnoxious by giving democratic majorities: 1T the law l. not to be enforced in one section of the country because it antago nizes some of the peculiar prejudices and customs of that section would there not be provisions to provide for ana re spect the prejudices of all sections?
 The south is honest in one way in its feeling against the negro. The Southern man could not feel different if he chose He imbibes his views from generations of slayeholding people. They were be- queathed to him as a birthright and nourlshed him in the milk from bis black mammy's breast. But the south erner is not honest when he refuses to allow the negro free ballot and al the same time insists upon using him as a basis for congressional representation and presidential vote. The argument that this is simply politics" is not good one. The negro question is a moral one as well as political, and if the south would enlist the sympathy of their northern brethren they must not adopt the methods of tine fakir as bull-duzer. Henry ". Grady, the great apostle of new reign in the south, once said that his section was the innocent victim of @ political crime brought on by other gen era tions. The punishment can alone be borne by the south because physically, politicall morally or spirit
 ually wrong, or even error, brings it's own punishment as the heavens and the earth exist. If man scar his hand by branding iron, bY accident or choice, he must endure the pain till it heal IT deeply religious person violates tenet of bis faith, conscience must suffer. If nation commit a political error or crime the retriJution is just as sure to follow. The South may be the victim of the follies of its ancestors, but the laws of lhe Universe are mmutable and fixed as the northern star, and the punishment has fallen unto the second and third gen erations.
 In what ve say of the south, wespeaA without sectional feeling, fer We have reason to respect and highly regard the southern people They are brave; they are generous; they are hostpitable; they are cultured, and we believe they are loy- al. But their bravery; their generosity; their hospitality; their loyalty, does nc; permit them to take liberties which others cannot, and on the contrary 1t ought to make them the last people on the face of the earth who would tamper with liberty and prosecute a race depend ent to great extent on their mercy for their freedom and their lives.
 We are aware that the federal bill if passed will arouse some feeling in the south. But that Is not the fault of the bill. That feeling should be dead. It will likewise meet with determined op- position in New York and other large centres of population where such an en- actment will prevent plundering the bal | lot box. The more the need of its en- forcement. It is sad commentary on the intelligence and virtue of the Amer ican people that the ballot, which is the fountain head from which all liberties spring, is publicly stra1gled and that the great American magna-charta is to be murdered before the eyes of its | f-so I-