Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-08-01
Word. .! Patriotism
ACCOMPANIED BY A STRONG REIN
FORCEMENf OF COMMON SENSE.

of the Force Bill that we have seen from a
representative man Of the South, is contain
ed in the following letter of Senator Butler
of South Carolina, written last week:
''The provisions of the bill have been so gen
orally discussed by the press that they ought
to be quite we'll understood by those who read
the newspapers, and it will, therefore, not be
necessary to enter into detail to explain them,
l may say, however, in passing that more
revolutionary and dangerous measure has
never before received the sanction of major.
ity in either branch of the United States Con
gress. 1t is withOut.a parallel even in the ex-
citing period of reconstruction, when the par
ty in power did not scruple to camp outside
the constitution, and carry measures of legis-
extreme radical in those days ever dreamed of
proposing scheme half SO revolutionary as
this, OF SO subversive of the principles OF our
republican form of government.
"But the point OF special inquiry lust now
is, What will be the fate Of the bill in the SEN
ate, the House having passed it at the dOmi-
neering dictatiOn of an INSCRIPTIONS partisan
Speaker into whose hands the rules of ma
jority have placed absolute power-a power
exercised to Stif1e the minority, shut off legit-
innate and necessary discussion, and defeat
the ends of representative government? There
has never been anything approaching the tyr
rany and absOlutism OF this one-man power
in the House since constitutional government
ular government. OF course can only speak
conjecturally of the fate of the bill in the SEN
ate. The republicans have a majority in that
body, but at present there Is no rule by which
the gag can be applied to the minority, no
limit to debate, and trust no attempt will
be made to frame one. | violate no confidence
when l say that large number of republican
Senators do not approve of the proposed
change in the election laws, and I shall be
very grievously and greatly disappointed if
they yield their independent private judy
ments to the behests of the conspirators Of
their party in their efforts against the liber-
ties OF the American people, for in my judg-
ment it is a deliberately planned conspiracy
on the part of desperate partisans to retain
power at any expense. do not venture too
far or indulge in extravaganza when say if
they succeed it will be the beginning of the
end of constitutional government in this coun-
that should despair Of the continuance Of
popular institutions if the American people
do not rebuke this desperate invasion Of their
Liberties by desperate men when they have an
opportunity to do so at the polls. 1 cannot
bring myself to believe they will permit such
a fragrant violation of the principles of home
rule and local Self-gQvernment, nor am will
ing to insult their Intelligence and patriotism
by assuming they do not see through the pre-
text and motives of those engaged in it.
FRAUDS and intimidation in elections in the
South have been seized upon and exaggerated
as a justification for this assault ON the rights
and liberties of the people. If all they say in
this regard is true-and it is not true; if cleo
them-and they are not; if the negro vote at
the South is suppressed to the extent they
claim-and it is not; this bill will only inten-
sify- the evil and postpone indefinitely the
correction OF whatever errors exist What
ever of truth there may be in these wholesale
charges againstthe South, and l think I could
demonstrate, if the proper limits of this COM
munication would permit, that in most in
stances they are not true, and in others great
ly exaggerated; but whatever of truth there
may be in any of them, it cannot and will
not be denied that the suffrage is shamefully
suppressed and corrupted in many parts of the
North by the undisguised use Of money and
intimidation. So that these at least are not
the people to taunt us at the South with sup
pressing votes
Federal election laws will not correct the
evils in either section or in either party The
public opinion in each section, in each of the
States, in all of the States, alone can correct
them. The laws are ample now to protect the
ballot. Congress might pass an act every
week of its existence amending and adding to
present statutes, and they would be as ineffec-
tual as existing laws until sound, healthy
public sentiment condemns evil practices in
elections, until the public conscience revolts
against them. So that neither section or party
can with propriety charge the other with
election frauds. They exist everywhere in
our political system to less or greater ex-
tons and all parties. rising up and putting
upon them the seal Of popular condemnation.
Acts of Congress will not do it. They have
been tried and failed.
"My observation and experience with rep
rcsentative men leads me to the conclusion
that this is the prevailing opinion among them
in both parties, and it is due to large number
of the members of the republican party with
whom am thrown to say they do not sympa-
thize with the present scheme of what is known
as the Lodge bill to control federal elections
They are as patriotic and devoted to the prin-
ciples of home rule and local self government
as anybody; but, unfortunately for them and
the country, their party organization is under
the control of political junta as unscrupu-
lous and revolutionary as any that ever DOM
mated the commune OF France. This desper-
ate junta, desperate in its anxiety and efforts
to preserve party power, desperate in its pur-
pose to retain control of the enormous reve-
nues of the public treasury, to be used as
corruption fund in electiOnS-they have swept
the conservative men of their party in the
maelstrom OF revolutionary proceedings in
'augurated for the objects above stated.
'By such methods, by the merciless appli-
cation OF the party lash and the inscriptions
and tyrannical use OF the gag in debate and
violation of parliamentary right and law
they have carried their measures through the
House. It remains to be seen whether their
now being vigorously made will prove effec
tual in that body. am encouraged to hope
and believe they will not.
81 know that large number of republican
Senators do not approve OF this election bill,
and believe they will have the courage of
their convictions. In this 1 may be disap-
pointed. but of one thing the country may rest
assured, the democratic minority of the Senate
will exhaust every right and resource known
under the constitution and parliamentary law
and usage to defeat this Ubiquitous and revo-
lutionary scheme. II they fail, there is but
one move left, viz: an appeal to the country.
If in this they fail, we shall, as | have said
elsewhere, see the beginning of the end of
home rule and local government in this coun-
try We shall see the establishment of Alex
ander Hamilton ideal form of government
a strong, centralized, corrupt power at the
seat of government; magnifying, paternaliz-
ing the national authority; minimizing, par
alyzing and ultimately destroying the power
ferson's idea OF popular government, popular
rights and State autonomy supplanted by
Hamilton's contempt for popular government
and the Inauguration OF hts British system,
his model OF human government.
"These are very deliberate convictions,
formed after a calm survey of the situation
l may be mistaken. sincerely trust that
am, l have always repOsed implicit conf
dence in the patriotism OF the great body of
the American people; in their love of liberty,
of home rule OF constitutional government; In
whether that despOtiSm and oppression is rep
resented by kings or favored classes or unre-
strained irrepressible majOrities; but the in
roads of accumulated wealth which is build
ing up in our country and ENGRAVING upon our
institutions a powerful plutocracy, the aggres.
siveness of corporate power, do not encourage |
hope tn the hearts Of those who believe In