Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-04
THE FORCE BILL TO THE REAR.


The Hoar-Lodge element of the Re-
publican party is very much disgruntled
Just now. One of the most peculiar de-
velopments of the modern Republican
party is that the most extreme repre-
sentatives of that organization would,
in the old days, have been known as the
Miss Nancys of the party OF Seward,
Lincoln, Chase, Ben Wade and Thad
Stevens. If Mr.. Hoar had been intro
duced to either OF the latter gentlemen
they would have pushed him aside with
an impatient "Pish!' If Mr.. Henry
Cabot Lodge had been presented to
Thad Stevens, of happy Republican
memory, that splenetic, ascetic, sciatic,
rheumatic and asthmatic representative
of the extreme Republicans, of the days
when the Republican was an heroic
party, would probably have looked the
dilettanti exemplar of degenerate Mas
sachusetts over. and told him to 60 and
comb his locks to one side, ,-and not per-
sist in initiating woman by parting
them in the middle. The radical ele-
ment OF the Republican party today
represents the weakest and most imbe-
cile members of that historical organ
ization, as it appeared fifteen or twenty
years ago. The men who gave signiti-
canoe and purpose to the party of Lin
coin would disdain to say show d 'ye do"
to these degenerate, artificial radicals.
1t is pleasant to know that the United
States is to be released, at once and
forever. from the interminable logoma-
chies, the dissensions and the inter-
ruption OF development in all sections Of
the union, which would have followed
from the success OF the intrigue, gener-
ated in Massachusetts,. and ramifying
throughout the old Republican states,
that would have followed upon the sue
cess OF the elections bill. In any event,
the plans of its promoters would have
been baffled by the sound sense and
sober second thought of the American
people; but there would have been la
mentable disorder, riot and bloodshed,
as incidents Of the un-republican-un-
democratic programme, that would thus
have been temporarily engrafted on the
American system. Nothing, since
the close of the war, is more
auspicious Of prosperity and we'll
being than the defeat of the
force bill. 1t shows that the republic
of the United States is true to its tladi-
tions, and that the attempt to engraft
the arbitrary principle upon our govern
ment has failed as signally as it would
have failed in the old, honest colonial
days. There is much to crafty the
American people in such an outcome of
a conspiracy against republican institu-
tions. There may have been at times
conjunctures in which the despotic prin-
ciple has seemed to outweigh our repub-
lican instincts. Such an instance was
embodied in the impeachment OF Andrew
Johnson. To a European, standing as a
spectator, it would have seemed then
that the American republic was about
to be succeeded by dictatorship or an
Nevertheless, such men as
Trumbull, Fessenden and others, Re-
publican senators of the United States,
saved the nation from disgrace and the
republic from disaster. Away back in
1867 an earlier and equally dangerous
force bill menaced the people of
the United States. The danger was
averted by the patriotic action of
Republican statesmen cooperating with
Democrats. In 1880 the scheme for a
third term for General Grant-and no
more dangerous presentation Of the alb
solutist idea ever occurred in American
history than was embodied in that in
teresting conspiracy-leaped into promi-
nence, and safety was again assured
through the patriotic action of Republi-
cans.
Thus, while most of the dangers
which have menaced the American re-
public have emanated from the Republi-
can party. the safety of the republic has
been assured, at many critical conjunc-
lures, from patriotic initiative ema-
mating from that party. In no respect
has the presence and influence of a
guiding genius over the United States
been more assured than by the patriotic
action of a fraction of the at the time
dominant Republican party. Democrats
should never forget the noble service
which their political opponents have at
times rendered the nation in preserving
the institutions and the solidarity of q
republic which was doubtless designed
by Providence to be the model govern
ment OF the world.
Meanwhile, the Messrs. Hoar and
Lodge, and their associates, may 60 and
hang their harps on the willows.
Mr.. GEORGE HANSEN, the well known
civil engineer who was asked by Mayor