Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-02-19
MEASURES OF THE PARTY.

MEASURES OF THE PARTY.
The Designs of Unscrupulous Republics
Leaders.
The six Republican Senators who
voted with the Democrats to abandon
the effort to abridge discussion so that
the force bill might be passed were
| wiser in their generation and for their
party than the thirty-three Republicans
who rallied around Mr.. Hoar As one
of the six dissidentS has pointed out to
the Senate, the effect OF the force bin
upon the opinion OF the country has al
ready been decidedly unfaTorable to
the Republican party. and the enact
uent of that measure would cost the
party still dearer in public diSapproba-
ton. The hope of the advocates Of the
measure is the faith in mechanical as
opposed to moral force in politics
That is to say, it was expected by them
| that the unscrupulous use OF the FEEDER
al power in behalf OF the Republican
party would gain more seats in Con-
gress than would be lost by the revolt
of intelligent voters The expectation
| is familiar enough It is one in which
professional politicians are especially
apt to indulge because the machinery
OF politics is before their eyes, whereas
the springs of political action in the
minds of the voters are hidden from
| them In quiet times and when the
popular interest in politics is not great,
organization and habit prevail 1t is
when measure really excites public in
| tereSt that the politicians are at 3 loss
and that the people are apt to take
| things into their own hands Such an
occasion was presented in Pennsylvania
last autumn when Quay thought that
his undisputed control of the party
machinery, together with the great and
usually trustworthy Republican major
| ity in the State, would justify him in
putting in nomination a candidate who
was known only as ''Ouay's man" The
result was a distinct notification that
the good Republicans" of Pennsylvan-
la were not good enough Republicans
| to stand Quay or his works His can
didate was defeated and he himself so
deeply diScredited that his cunning and
his boldness are by no means an equiva
lent to his party for the damage done
to it by retaining such a man as the
chairman of its National committee
Perhaps the Force bill would have
gone for an ordinary party measure but
for the discussion that has already been
the press This discussion his had the
effect of leading the people to consider
the measure, and the result OF their
consideration has been such that the
enactment of the force bill would pro-
duce revolt against the party only
less than that produced by the enact
ment of the Mckinley bill. It would
be less because the Mckinley bill
| s'cOmeS home to business and
bosoms of men, and also of women.
| more directly than any piece of
legislation that has been enacted for a
quarter of century The enactment
of the Mckinley bill was its enforce
me MT. and its disastrous effect could not
be stopped or checked by any power
after it had received the Presidents sig
| nature. In this the force bill differs
from it widely, since the effect of the
force bill would depend very largely
upon the spirit in which it might be exc
cuted- If it were executed in the spirit
| in which it was conceived, If the Pres
ide OF made an inscriptions use of the
power with which it clothed him, it
would be felt as even more an outrage
anil a calamity than the Mckinley bill
| itself. There is no reason to doubt
that if Mr.. Harrison could compass a
|
ers with entire unscrupulousness.
Whether he would or not, the American
people are by no means disposed to hold
| their individualrights and liberties at the
pleasure of any man, or to allow bill
to go upon the statute books that con-
fers upon any man powers so liable to
abuse and powers that were granted for
the express purpose of being abused.
Probably it may be assumed that this
second postponement of the force bill
| for, of course, the attempt at closure is
merely an adjunct to the force bills
| the end of that measure. It's postpone
ment to the silver bill, which was dis
posed Of with unexpected rapidity, was
by no means so conclusive. The appor-
ticnment bill must necessarily give
rise to protracted debate, and it is a
party measure of the first importance.
Nobody imagines that the next Con-
gress will pass any such measure of re-
aFportionment as is before the present
Congress The bill may be expected to
occupy nearly all the remainder of the
session In any case, it is not to be
supposed that the six Republican Sem
ators by whose votes the closure resolu-
ton was postponed to the apportion-
ment bill would vote either for that
|
sage of which it is intended to facili-
tate. Some of them are distinctly COM
mitted against both measures, and the
votes of the others amount to a COM
initial. 1t may be worth while for the
revivers of the sectional issue to note
that these votes, excepting that of
Quay's colleague, MI. Cameron, were
cast by Senators from the extreme
West and Northwest This is one of
many indications that the people of
those sections have grown very weary
of the present policy and of the present
leaders of the Republican party.-N-
Y. Times.
THE PEOPLES VERDICT.
Figures That Show Which Side Has the
Majority.
The Republicans in Congress claim
to be contending for the right of the
majority to rule. In fact, they are re-
sisting majority rule and endeavoring