Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-07-31
THE LODGE FORCE BILL
The Deeadence of the RepubHean Party
HINDER Its Prt2ent Ieadarxhtn


The Dee.dsnce of the Republican Party
Under Its Preaent Leadership.
1t is generally admitted. even by Re-
publicans, that the Presidents course
has not strengthened his party. But it
is still more evident to every intelli-
gent observer that the course of the Re-
publican Congress has deeply injured
| the party. The passage OF the pension
bill involves An outlay of the public
money which is incalculable. 1t is .
surrender to the fear of losing q mer-
cenary vote, and is defended under
transparently hypocritical pretenses.
The good sense of the country measures
at their exact value the protestations
by demagogues of their patriotic graft
tude. while the true feeling of the
American volunteer is expressed by
brave veterans like Senator Hawley and
President Andrews. The passage by
the House of the Mckinley bill. which,
in the face of a surplus, raises the aver
age rate of customs duties, has pro-
duced what looks now like serious
breach in the party. Mr.. Blaine's let
ter and sthe reports of his frank COM
ments upon the bill express not only the
views OF great body of Republicans,
is not classified by party name.
But more disturbing to the public
mind than either the pension or the
tariff policy of the dominant party is
the National election bill, which, both
in itself and in the extraordinary limi-
tation of debate upon it, is a startline
measure, which, the more it is under
stood, can not Fail to arouse profound
NIL 1io nd dicfr t.
cure result which can not be attained
by the enforcement OF any law, the Re-
publican party proposes to overthrow
lean system OF Government-the local
control OF elections. The destruction
of thae cardinal condition of eur Gov
eminent would be an esil much more
| radical snd alarming than the suppress
sion OF the vote which the measure
processes to aim to correct. The bill
commits the result OF Congressional
electioBs in any district where a feH
persons request it to bodS large or
small OF partisan agents and to per-
manent returning board, appointed by
a central authority, in whose honesty
Snd impactiality the public confidence
Gill be necessarily much less than in
the present election agencies, while the
local contentment and acquiescence in
the result, which are considerations of
vital Importance to the tranquil work
ing OF any election system, will be
| wholly wanting. Opposition to this
extraordinary measure is not, as Re-
| publican speakers and the Republiean
press allege, indicative of disposition
! to tolerate suppression OF the colored
vote, OR the wholesale buying OF white
voters in blocks of FIVE. Such opposis
ton rests upon the ground that what
| ever tae extent of the evil. the remedf
proposed is q much greater evil
The bill changes essentially the pres
ent lev providing for National super-
visore OF electior, esten6ins il to e
point which supersedes altogether She
State control of Congressional elections.
The State election officers, indeed, ere
nominally recognized, but Shey are sub
| ordinated en- tirely to the United States
officers. The result would b that the
cleo ton OF mem bers of Congress in NeG
York, for instance, upon the request OF
o few persons in every district, would
be controlled not by officers selected By
the people, but by agents appointed by
National authority The States under
| the circumstances might naturally de-
cline to take any official part in such
elections, and the blow at the very root
Of our system Of local self-govefnnsnt
would he disastrous. If TO these acts Of
the dominant party be added thu gf0ss
violation OF executive pledges OF reform
in the civil service. and the party acqui-
escence in the silence of Quay, the
chairman Of the National Republican
Committee, nndeferiminal charges eery
generally believed, which, If untrue, he
| could disprove &c once. amid general
satisfaction and to the immense beneflt
Of his party, with the ardent support Of
tho free silver bill By the extreme
Western Repub1icaH6 . party record is
| offered to the coGstry which has neces-
ssrily radically weakened it among
| those whose support 10 in itself the best
reliance OF . party, and leaves it in the
position OF . party conscious Of the loss
of its moral hold upon the country, aad
desperately resolved By audscious
| straining OF the fornS - Lew TO retain
the power which 10 passing a~ay.
Those who recall the splendid days and
deeds of the youth and prime q the Re-
publican party can lot soe the spectacle
which it NOW presents without remea-
befinR Couture's p0weSfaI and pathetic
picture OF 1.-THE Decadence Of the Rc-
mans. "-Harper's weekly {lnal
RESULTS OF 1sssGOSsa.