The Portland daily press., 1890-12-05

law as 10 call IL lOIce Dill.
The application of the words "fOrce bilp'
in the course of American politics is an in
teresting study. Whenever any measure
has been brought forward to suppress the
lawlessness of a certain portion of the peo-
pie Of the United States, IL has been prompt
ly stygmatiZed as "fOrce bill" by those in
tereSted in its defeat When the South Car
Olina nullfiers und r the iead OF John q.
Calhoun were defyiDg the name and author
ity of the United States, the bill by which
Andrew Jackson began his preparation for
dealing with them, was at once decried as
"fOrce bill" 1t probably was a force bill:
but Andrew Jacks0n's determination as
shown In the bill was a potent factor in
causing the people OF South Carolina to be-
come more reasonable. Again, Ia 1875, when
the Republican party endeavOred to deal
with the forcible usurpations which rev0lu-
tionized the governments In a large number
of the Southern States, that bill was called
force bill )" as Andrew Jackson's bill had
been called a force bill" and probably for
the same reason. The American people dis
like the use of force, even for the curing of
great and Admitted evils, and the hue and
cry raised against the bill Of 1875 defeated it.
Having found that the term "fOTce bill''
worked well both in the days Of jackson and
of Grant, the Democrats have not been slow
to avail themselves Of 1t in fighting the fed
eral election bill. 1t matters not that the
term does not describe the bill, or that 1t
creates a false impression in mems minds,
The rOgues who felt the halter draw In the
days of jackson and Grant cried force" 10
good purpose, and the men who today are la
boring to secure further license for the
rogues who stuff ballot boxes and forge re-
turns are using the old slogan TO good pur-
pose.
The elections bill came up in the Senate
on Tuesday with considerable show Of spirit.
Senator Hoar accused Senator German Of
Maryland of making stump speech instead
of devoting himself to The question of pro-
cedure raised when the elections bin came
up; and it so surprised the Democratic
leader that he at once sat down with an in
dignant expression about the disregard Of
Senatorial courtesy" Then Senator Frye
and Senator Butler of South Carolina had
few words, which showed that fire will be
likely to fly on both sides before the debate
Is ended Afterwards these Senators we're
seen shaking hands and chatting together,
which means that personal hostilities are to
be kept out of the political battle as much as
possible.
In the House the members are watching
the Senate with interest, in the meantime at
tending to some important measure. In
the intervals of labor the members may be
seen congregating in the cloak rooms talking
over the recent elections. The Democrats
of course ascribe their victory to the alleged
fact that this country has made up its mind
to be Democratic heDcef0Ith. The Republi-
cans lay it almost entirely to the rise of
prices, which was attributed to the tariff
bill. There are some queer stories told OF
Democratic and Alliance tricks to prejudice
voters against the tariff. Some Of he
70 falI Of
In Congressman Peters's district. in Kansas,
the Farmers Alliance candidate was one
Jerry Simpson by name. The aforesaid
Jerry stumped the district telling the
farmers. far and wide how oppressive was
the tariff. "Why," said he. II myself have
been SO oppressed by this Mckinley bill
that cannot afford to wear stockings, and
can prove it to you" Thereupon he would
pull off his shoes before his audience aud
show them that he wore no stockings. jerry
was elected, probably the first man in the
United States to be elected to Congress be-
cause he had no stockings.
The Alliance swept the State of Kansas
like one of the prairie cyclones. Congress
man Perkins, one of the ablest Republicans
in the House, says campaign never seemed
to 60 off better than did his. He had splen-
did meetings all through his district, the
party workers were all intensely loyal and
enthusiastic for him, and there appeared to
be no serious detection. But when the eve
of election day came he found that he was
defeated.
This astonishing result Vas brought about
by the secret organization of the Alliance.
Through their various lodges the Alliance
organized as the old Know-Nothing party
organized. No persons outside knew what
was going on, but the organization for get
ting out the vote and welding it was per-
feet and all the more dangerous because it
was secret. When election day came the
Republicans found that they were fighting a
party disciplined and handled as they never
saw an opposition handled before. Even
the women came out to the polling places TO
use their influence.
While the Republican party of Kansas re-
ceived severe defeat at the hands of the Ar
lance, the Democratic party was almost en-
tirely wiped out 1t has hardly elected four
county officers in the whole state, and its
rank and file in the last election showed up
with fewer numt erS even than In the days
after the war.
The Democratic members tell one good
story of the recent campaign in the West
with deal of merrment, although the point
Of the joke is against their party. 1t seems
that In one of the Minnesota districts which
has heretofore been surely Republican and
in the election of 1888 was good for about
5000 Republican majority, the Democratic
candidate for Congress conceived the idea
that he might beat the Republican II be
could divide the Republican vote by means
of an Alliance candidate. So the Democrat
looked the district over and found mem-
Der of the Farmers Alliance who consented
TO enter the field for $1,000, which was just
about the sum required to pay off the mort
gage upon his farm. The Democrat paid the
money over and the Alliance candidate be
gan to steam away in the campaign The
plot seemed to be working with great sue
cess and the Democrats all over the! district
were chuckliDg at the prospective dlscom-
fiture Of the Republicans and their own In
evitable success. This state OF Democratic
happiness continued until the votes were
counted, when it was found that the Farm
ers' Alliance candidate had not only lifted
the mortgage on his farm, but had been
elected to Congress as WE'LL