San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-28
FEDERAL ELECTIONS BILL.

ers in the senate to go contrary to the
will of a great body of the republican
party, as expressed in newspaper
correspondence and editorials and in
the action of republican conventions,
cannot be warped into any yielding
of opinion to democratic opposition.
The facts will not bear out this inter-
probation. Democratic opposition
has met the attempt at national leg
islation by the republican party at
every step of its progress since the
session opened, but that opposition
has not turned the republican men,
bers of house and senate from pursu-
ing the even tenor of their republican
way. The practical killing of
the fedearl election bill. for this ses-
sion at at least, is owing to caus-
es entirely outside of democratic OPP
position to that measure. That bill
as originally introduced by Lodge, OF
Massachusetts, and Familiarity known
as the force bill, was born out of a
deep and universal detestation of the
frauds habitually and systematically
practiced in the southern states in
order to preserve unbroken the ranks
of solid democratic south. Under
the pressure Of this feeling the bill
was speedily passed by the house,
without due regard being had for its
effect upon those intended to be ben
Gifted by its passage, the colored vot-
ers of the south. The bill never was
regarded favorably by many of
those who voted for Its adoption,
being accepted as dernier resort
against fraud, intimidation and the
virtual suppression of the ballot in
large sections of the south. The uni
versal denunciation by the southern
press of the Atlanta Constitutions
boycott measure gave some ground
of hope to conservative republicans
that other and milder measures might
prevail, in lieu of the Lodge bill, to
effect a reformation in the south.
The bill, as it left the house, was
doomed from the hour that it reached
the senate. The character of the bill
was materially changed in the SEN
ate committee, and as reported
by them to the senate was
without the most Objectionable
features that it originally contained.
The consideration of the bill in SEN
ate would have materially changed
even the modified measure reported
by committee, had the senate taken
up the bill and put it on its passage.
This, however, the senate has not
done, considering it wiser to defer
the debate until more leisure can
be given to it than will be found in
the closing days Of a long session.
The whole question in the republic
can mind is one of expediency, not
of right or constitutionality. The
frauds upon the ballot continually
perpetrated In the south are not con-
doned or lost sight OF by the
republicans, but the conse-
quences to the colored peo-
pie of federal force at the polls,
to insure them free ballot and a fair
count, is securing calm and dispas-
sionate consideration. In flying from
the ills we wot of to those we wot not
of, 1t Is wise to forecast those Ills as
far as human wisdom can, and see if
the remedy be not likely to ipjure as
greatly as the disease. Certain it is,
that the republican members in con-
gress from the south Atlantic states,
who have opposed the passage of a
force bill, have been endorsed by their
constituents in the practical method
of denomination. The republi-
can conventions heretofore held
have not clamored for the passage
of the force bill, and the sentiment
of this state, the republican senti-
ment, will be found very seriously
divided on this subject. While the
present system of Acknowledgement
is fully known and freely denounced
as an unjust and Ubiquitous thing, it
is by no means certain that ballot
secured by federal bayonets would
improve the condition of the colored
voters of the south. This after all is