The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-30
THE FORCE BILL ISSUE.
AN EXPLANATION OF THE INIQUI-
TOUs MEASURE.

Thereby Assisting the Republicans.
From the Neto York Times.
We demand that any citizen of the United
States shall be allowed to cast one free and
unrestricted ballot in all public elections
and that such ballot shall be counted and
returned as cast; that such laws shall be
enacted and enforced as will secure to every
citizen, be he rich or poor, native or foreign
born, white or black, this sovereign right
guaranteed by the constitution. The free
and honest popular ballot, the just and
equal representation Of all the people, as
we'll as their just and equal protection I'M
der the laws, are the foundation of our re-
publican institutions, and the party will
never relax it's efforts until the integrity of
the ballot an d the purity Of elections shall
be fully guaranteed and protected in every
state. We denounce the continued in
human outrages perpstrated upon Ameri-
can citi zens for political reasons in certain
southern states of the union.-PLdnk 4,
Platform of Republican National Conven-
tiOn Of 1892.
Here is the declaration Of the Republican
party Of its intention to pass force bill as
soon as it is able to do it. That is the meaning
of the 81 Id talk about purity of elections
the sanct ity of the ballot, and the inviola-
billty OF the constitution. Give the Re-
publican party control again of the two
houses of congress and continue Mr.. Har-
rison as the chief executive of the nation,
and its first move will be to set up that
system devised by Mr.. Lodge and Mr. Hoar
for the purL ose OF giving the Republican
party a second lease of life, an unbreakable
hold upon the federal government.
There is vast amount of regret at large
In the Republican party to-day growing
out Of the failure Of the Fifty-first congress
to enact its force bill. What handy bit
OF machinery would be in existence for the
benefit of Mr.. Harrison and his friends if the
programme Of the last congress had been
carried out as it was originally made up.
Section of the republican platf orm was
born of a determination, concurred in by
about all OF the leaders of the party, not to
waste another chance to fasten the party's
grip upon the country. Whoever fancies
that this section is only a mass of glittering
generalities, repeating the substance of
previous declarations out of force of habit,
is wide of the mark. These words: "And
the party will never relax its efforts until
the integrity OF the ballot and the purity OF
elections shall be fully guaranteed and pro-
tected in every state" convey to the intelli-
gent reader the information that the parti-
san returning board scheme is as much alive
to-day as 1t was in 1890 and 1891
There is, indeed, striking similarity be-
tween the language Of section and the
language in which the title to the amended
force bill was framed. AN act to prevent
force and fraud in, and to insure lawful and
peaceful conduct Of elections" was the way
that Mr.. Hoar put it, and just as under this
innocent title was concealed a scheme of
fraud and violence, designed, not to insure
lawful conduct OF elections, but to provide
unscrupulous politicians the means of steal-
ing congressman, SO, hidden in the velvety
phrases of section is the declared purpose
which gives the lie to all the professions of
patriotism and of devotion to pure politics.
The shadow of a new force bill is over the
country; the returning board is one Of the
issues of the campaign.
What is the purpose of the Republican
party as to the supervision Of federal cleo
tions. 1t is not to be learned by inquiry of
its leaders as they go about the country
addressing political meetings. Even Mr..
Lodge, In 1890, deliberately assured audi
ence after audience that the bill simply I'M
dertook to apply all over the country law
that was already upon the statute books
affecting large cities. This was a gross
misrepresentation. There has never been a
law of the United States providing for any
part of the country thing like the Lodge
no similarity between the existing law re-
lating to supervisors Of elections and the
force bill of 1S90-'9l. To those who assert
the contrary the best answer is the bill it.
self.
The first force bill was presented in the
House by Mr.. Lodge, and as 1t had the
approval Of the GEAR" it passed the House
and was sent to the Senate. The Senate
would not pass the Lodge bill as it came
from the House. Such a storm OF indigna-
ton had burst out against the bill that it
was decided that something must be done
to quiet the opposition. Mr.. Hoar undertook
to do the job, and In the course of time he
reported to the Senate a bill which was
declared to be much milder than the old
Lodge bill. The New York Tribune said
editorially that important amendments"
had been made, which, it was believed,
would ''obviate many honest objections
and it was actually represented on all hands
that the House bill as a thoroughly in
offensive affair, little more, In fact. than a
declaration that it would be nice thing to
have pure elections. and that really good
people should make it their business, once
in while at least, to frown upon corrup-
ton at the polls and intimidation and false
counting of votes.
All this was said with the purpose Of de-
ceiviug the people, few Of whom had seen
the bill or were likely to see it. There was
not a word Of truth in It, The Senate bill
was in substance the exact duplicate Of the
House bill. 1t undertook to do everything
that the House bill aimed at; it provided
the same means for carrying its sections into
effect that were provided in the case of the
House bill. The Senate bill was shorter
than the House bill, and was perhaps less
brutally worded, but that said no other diff
ference between the two measures could be
pointed out.
The central idea In each bill was TO estab-
lish a partisan returning board, backed by
federal authority, in localities where the
republicans were In the minority, the bust
ness of which should be to steal congress
men and 80 keep the Republican party in
power. 1t was proposed to carry the super
vision of congressional elections consideras
bly, beyond simple observation. Men were
to be stationed In the polling precincts DUR
Ing registration and election with blank
books, under instructions to take note of all
instances of bribery, fraud and intimida-
ton, and report whatever wrong things
they might see to certain higher officers, but
that was nothing In comparison with the
work that certain other officers were 20 do,
officers created by the bill.
These latter officers were to be board Of
review, empowered to issue certificates OF
election to whatever candidates they might
choose to favor, regardless Of what the peo-
pie had said at the polls. These officers
were to make second count OF the votes