St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-09
THE ELECTION BILL.

Since the National Alliance, al its SEES
sion in Florida, has so nationally and
unanimously protested against the sec
.ionaliSm and harmful tendencies of
the federal election scheme as presented
i'll congress, the ready pens of the adj
miniStration seryitorS are dipped in
gall, and the Alliance is pictured as the
Democratic party in thin disguise, mis-
leading guIleless Republicans by its
wiles and deceptive cloakingS. An at
tack on the effort to put congressional
elections under federal control touches
the thin spot in the Republican cuticle.
No abatement appears in the purpose to
push the measure through congress. In
the daze of the stunning defeat there
was disposition to credit part of the
disaster to this measure and let it
pass out of sight without further
attempts at rcSuScitatiou. But the
Republicans have apparently regained
something of their old spirit
so far as to gather about the monster with
all-embracing arms. 1t is one of the
most irrational phases of politics for the
Republicans to persist in trying TO pass
a measure so distinctly and emphat-
ically repudiated by the people. The
increased strength of the Democrats
in the South is mainly due to this
scheme of the Republicans, and it was.
next to the tariff, the agent of their dis
aster in the North. The persistence
with which the president and the ma
jOrity of the Republican senators adj
here TO the thing can hardly be other
than the faulty of narrow partisanShip.
The only possibility of advantage TO
them as a party though its opera
ton is in the two or three states that
have majority of blacks. But the
white vote would be a unit. and that it
would prevail in those states is as GER
tain as that it has in the past. The white
Republicans i'll the South are opposed
TO the methods of the bill. In the late
campaign they took ground against it
generally, and still the party attitude at
Washington made it impossible for
them to hold their ground. In Tennes-
see the party has had hope, and been
dangerously near success. Mr.. BAN
TER. their candidate for governor, made
a stirring campaign, and had better
prospect than usual. He denounced
tue force bill in the most vigorous terms,
and endeavored to Gissipate the charge
that it was leading Republican meas
ure, but the facts were too evident.
The ticket was showed under an indig
nant storm of ballots. In one of the
latest speeches of this candidate he
stated that the act would create greater
evils than those it was designed to re-
lieve, and that no campaign could be
carried on in the South under it. In
many Of the states the more intelli-
gent colored Republicans took ground
against the bill. II. then, it could not
aid the Southern Republicans. where
is the practical politics in its enact
ment? There is no claim that it could
be of advantage out of the states where
the illiterate colored vote is large. 1t is
hardly credible that even the beheStS of
the party caucus. which Senator BLAIR
regards as the highest authority. shall
lead all the Republican senators to the
support of policy so clearly antago-
nistic to the popular will. None can
doubt that the voting last month was
largely directed at this measure. 1t is
one of the infelicities of the congress
Sional arrangement that repudiated
congress can still go on in its defiance
of the popular expression. The repre-
sentative spirit should rise above the
partisan. The Republicans can make
the campaign of 1892 an easy one for the
Democrats by enacting this force bill.