Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-08-07
THEN AND NOW.

line BANNER is not a peSslmlSt IN
belief. But while it does not be-
heve that the world generally
is growing worse, if there is any
body who doesn't believe in the po-
litical rottenness and decadence in
the United States of the party which
is at present in power, he has only
to read the utterances of some of the
most prominent men in that party
fifteen years ago and to-day with re-
ference to the same proposed sub
ject of legislation-the Infamous
fraud and force bill-and contrast
them. Fifteen years ago, according
to the National Democrat, which is
one of the most sagacious, best
edited and best posted authorities
among the democratic press, when
the recentness of the war and the
excitement of reconstruction offered
some excuse for proposed force bills,
Honest John" Sherman opposed
federal interference in Louisiana
with all his might, saying that he be
lieved that congress had better at
tend to its ordinary legitimate bust,
ness, leaving matters in Louisiana to
right themselves. The late Hon.
Frederick I. Frelinghuysen, United
States Senator from New Jersey and
afterwards secretary of state in
President Arthur's cabinet, is quoted
as having said at that time: "If
there are frauds in elections or usur-
pations in Office, let the remedy be
found in the courts of the states, OF
by means of impeachment, or by the
frequently-occurring popular cleo.
tons. We had better adhere to the
constitution and do as it says, which
is, that we shall guarantee to the
states a republican form of govern
ment." On January IL, 1875, at a
mass meeting held at the Cooper
Institute, New York, Hon. VIM. NJ.
Evarts, present senior senator from
that state, said: "We want men to
vote, and when their chosen officers
meet, and when, without violence
and without demonstrations of in
surrection, they undertake to con-
duct and effect political government,
no soldiery can interfere with them.
These are two very firm lines of
limitations which, preserved, will
protect the magnificent system of
our government, or a people of 49,
100000 as now, and of S100,0OO,OOO
as hereafter, and that the sole inter
vention of the federal power within
the province of state authority shall
be to suppress violence, and that
even this Office it shall not assume
except when invited by the supreme
authority of the state, and supreme
authority as named in the federal
constitution is the legislature of the
state" These are but samples of
patriotic utterances of republican
congressman. Senator Dawes and
Senator Hoar and other republican
senators and representatives who
are in congress now, are on record
as vigorously opposed to the force
bill, and the language used by them
was quite as creditable and sounded
as patriotic as the language quoted.
But that was fifteen years ago.
There is no patriotism honor Oh
principle scarcely left in the repub.
lican party. 1t is asserted that
Senator Paddock of Nebraska and
Senator Aldrich of Rhode Island will
oppose the pending bill because they
think it would injure Northern bust
ness men. But with all the others
King Caucus rules and the republi-
can patriots in the Senate have
dwindled into partisan creatures over
whom the influence of Autocrat
Reed extends beyond the halls of
the house Of representatives. There
is nothing politically too base and
partisan for the republican party to
stoop to. It would eagerly dam it.
self for all eternity for the sake of a
brief temporal supremacy.
A GANG of about sixteen men are