Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-07-09
Outrageous LEGISLATION.

To see how fast the Republicans are con-
verting our government into that which is
worse than monarchy, and how they
are trampling upon the liberty and rights
of the people, it is only necessary to remem-
Der that whereas heretofore even the Pres
ident had no right to call out federal troops
even when characterization ran riot in the
States, unless upon the application of the
proper authorities of the States, under the
provisions of the Federal Election bill,
which passed the House last Wednesday by
a majority of six, not the President, but
hostile and embittered partisan supervisors
of election have the right, at their option,
to summon the soldiers of the army and
navy of the United States TO overawe Free
men at the polls. Bayonets, not ballots,
are to determine the elections.
"Can such things be, and overcome us
like summers cloud, without exciting our
special wonder?" Shall the American PEG
pleople be slaves or freemen2 Can they
witness such action without having their
virtuous indignation aroused to an intense
and iirepressible degree ? No friend of lib
erty can endorse such action-they would
''rather be dog and bay the moon than so
base Roman"
1t is to be hoped that it will prove a
boomerang to the Republican party, and
that s'the evil inventions will return to
plague the inventor" In an article refer
ring to this bill, the Richmond Times says:
ssInf1uences similar to those prevailing
in the lower House may induce the Senate
to pass the bill, though at present writing
this seems improbable. Should it pass the
Senate there is not a doubt the occupant of
the White House will sign it, unless he de-
parts from the rule he has followed since
he was made President by the Dudleys,
Quays and Wanam akers. But should it
become law and be sustained by the Su-
preme Court it would never be effective.
American freemen are not yet ready for
imperialism, however carefully the Radical
party has endeavored to promulgate the
doctrines of an absolute monarchy. Any
measure, as the force bill, calculated to
make it impossible to dislodge a party
when once in power, and designed to SUBJ
stitute force and fraud for the proper ex-
preston of the will of the people at the bal
lot, is worse than imperialism. White men
will never submit to espionage of their bal
lot and coercion of their privileges,
Whatever may be the outcome, Republi-
canism has rung its death knell. Public
indignation has been aroused already at the
daredevil dragooning of such measure
through the body known as the popular
branch of the government of people once
free.
The people are still looking to Democra-
cy to preserve the institutions of this coun-
try, and the people North and South will
see to it that a coalition bearing tho name
of the Republican party shall cease, as
soon as constitutional methods will permit,
to have opportunity to undermine the con-
stitutional guarantees Of freedom for Amer
| leans.
Now the line has been sharply drawn,
and the question for the intelligent voter in
the coming elections to ask is. shall we
stand with traitors or with friends and
guardians Of liberty. Every intelligent vo-
ter's reply will be against the traitor"