Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-20
what Is the Force Bmp

III the tOrce Oil SnOuiu uecOuo INV WV
result of it's operation would necessarily be
TO change the form of government framed
by our fathers and to transform this pre-
cious legacy into q grand. central, CONSOLE
dated despotism. Lake the rule in ScHEL-
Lxr's case, and like the decision in the Dart.
mouth College case. the force bill would in
time assume proportions and develop fea-
lures which human foresight had not been
able to bring before the minds of the origi-
majors of that vicious measure. 1t il hard
10 realize that even the Republican leaders
would Intentionally pull down the pillars
of the temple of liberty.
And vet It would eeem that anybody and
everybody ought to be able to understand
that TO appoint for life Federal supervisors
of congressional elections and clothe them
with the power which they are to have un-
der the proposed law would be TO place
them where they would be able to substi-
tute their own viii for the wishes OF the
voters, and this they would do without
feeling any sense of responsibility to the
people whom they would thus betray.
Take New York, for example, where for
many years JOIN /. DAVENPORT has been
engaged in the nefarious work which has
eliminated in the force bill. This min
ion OF the most INSCRIPTIONS OF Federal
officials would under the new Law himself
become "a bigger man than old GRANT" 1t
is surprising that even the most vindictiye
Of the malignants cannot see that in at
tempting TO stihe the voice OF the people
Of the South they are attempting to stitie
the voice OF their own section-of their
own friends and neighbors--of all the peo-
pie Of the whole country.
Again, the advocates of the force bill
lose sight of the fact that the times change
and men change with them. In many
parts of the country--notably in the North
west-there have already been such
changes in the issues upon which the
voters are divided az to indicate that in
the near future the Republican party may
be defunct. Mr.. INGALLS, must see this
change in the light thrown upon the sub
jeot by events which have occurred In his
own State. But even without any ex-
ample before us we all know that parties
must in time run their course and be sue
ceeded by new ones. Surely the Republi-
can party ought now to be numbered
among these dead parties. And yet the
force bill is intended for no nobler or bet
ter purpose than to perpetuate the
rule Of that which Is the worst
party that ever cursed this country.
The one object Of that bill is TO impart
new lite t1 this detestable organization.
In order To this end the Federal judges are
TO be converted into psrtisans and tools OF
the JOHNNY DAyRsPoRrs, and the process OF
thS United States courts to be prostituted
to the dirty work of the scum of the earth
in the cities and the most ignorant and un-
principled partisans in the rural districts.
Men without character will set the wheels
of the Federal Government in motion to
do the bidding of knsves and scoundrels,
and good men will yield to despair, and,
ceasing to try to cure an incurable disease.
will turn over the whole conduct OF the
State as we'll as the National Government
to the scalawags and vagabonds whom the
cankers of long war (from 1861 to the
present day. have made as numerous In
this once happy land as we're the locusts in
Egypt IN PHABAoH's day.
That the Republicans do not intend to
allow men of bad character to be re-
fused appointments under the force bill
is abundantly proved by the fact that the
Senate bill provides, as Senator KESNA
said in his fine speech upon this subject,
that anybody may be appointed that
is, the requirement Of good character is
omitted from the Senate bill.
Again, the new supervisors ere all to be
under the control of the chief supervisors.
That means that the vilest of Republican
partisans shall be the chief supervisors,
and under them shall be trucking knaves
willing and anxious to execute their
orders.
These are few OF the features Of the bill
which the Republican United States Sem
ate hiss framed in the interest of party of
malignant sectionalists.