The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-10-01
THE FORCE BILL.
An Analysis by Senator Daniel. of vir-
Sinia.

An Analysis by Senator Daniel. Of Vir
Einia.
The force bill is revolution. With. its pas
sage free government will become a memory
and absolute despotsm a reality. If the
masses understood its menace thoroughly
they would be in revolt against its authors
and would drop all other questions to crush
it.
1t is the scheme of all the monopolists and
parasites that fatten upon government TO
perpetuate themselves and defeat all reforms.
While it was pending | met distinguished
distracted, troubled | said to him: What's
the matter? Something bothers you. ''Yes,
he said, 81 was thinking Of the crisis at hand
If that force bill passes it ruins free govern
ment; and it means that the sword will be
drawn IS nothing else will ever undo it. =
That is ny belief, and must be the belief
of those Who study the question. 1t will rot
be Instantly, but ultimately the very stones OF
Boston and New York will rise in mutiny,
and the sword will attempt to cut the bonds
that have been tied in folly. All the monop
lists want an absolute government. They
have no conception of or care for republic.
All they want is to be let alone while they
plumber the people; and armies, navies, mar
shals, deputies, supervisors, etc., they wish
for to keep ''all quiet in Warsaw The
force bill is monarchy. The President OF the
United States becomes by it the head of the
electoral board that passes on the election OF
his successor and upon the titles of members
of Congress to their seats. he can re-
elect himself as often as he chooses, and a
Congress to suit himself. Government is
thrown into bankruptcy and the President
becomes receiver.
The mechanism of the machine that does
this work is in brief as follows: The PresI-
dent appoints all the United States judges.
They hold office until death or superannu-
alton. The Circuit Judges appoint supervi-
sors of election. The supervisors supervise
every neutrality-suspicious. or final, and
everything connected Herewith, and with the
| Congressional elections. The powers OF
court are made the same in vacations as IN
term. The chief supervisors select the eligi-
Bile for appointment as supervisors; and
three are chosen for each voting precinct by
the Judge. There are over ffty-four thous-
and precincts, and this means over one hum
bred and sixty thousand officers.
The supervi sors make, certify and forward
all returns.
In cities of over one hundred thousand in
habtants they are to make house o-house
canvass; to scrutiniZe everything touching
votes, voters and elections from registration
to certiication.
There are minute provisions covering u
pages giving vast powers to the supervisors,
marshal boards, ETC., which can only be I'M
derstood by perusal. Suffice it as to the
supervisors that they are made the regulators
of the elections a, the 1900 precincts, with
an indefinite array of deputy marshals to as
sist them.
After the supervisors come the canvassing
board-one of three persons for each State
appointed by the circuit judge. They meet
like a court-have IA seal-and they declare
and certify the result of Congressi onal cleo
tons, and upon their certificate the Congress
man takes his seat.
Thus the constitutional provision that the
House must judge of the election return and
qualification of its members is evaded, side
tracked and practically abrogated. Once in
stalled on the certificates of the returning
boards, who can get them out, however gross
be the usurpation? No one but Cromwell
who drives them out. With the supervisors
come the deputy marshals, not single file but
in battalions. Their number is determined
by the chief supervisor and the marshal.
There may be one or thousand at each pre-
cincG. An army, larger than that of nearly
three million men mustered during the war,
may be mustered at the polls on conferences
between chief supervisors and marshals. The
marshals pay the supervisors and the deputy
marshals on their oaths of time of service.
The rumberless deputies get So day for
not exceeding eight days-that is, $40 apiece.
And so it is that every doubtful voter in the
United States may be bribed as deputy
marshal, and paid $40 out Of the United
States Treasury to assist in house to house
canvasses for voters. In short, the Treasury
is made a campaign wallet; an army with no
limit to number may be mashalled around
the polls; strikers with no limit to number
may be sent from house to house to gather
up the voters; all venal voters may be bribed;
the whole electorel machinery, from the re-
gistration of the voter to the seating of the
member of Congress, is put in the hands of the
President Of the United States, his appointees
and their b-appointees-and there is no.
where any power TO Interfere with their con-
spiracy, if they choose to continue themselves
forever. The returns of the election are
finally deposited, under the bill, in the Office
Of the Secretary of State-the Cabinet officer
of the President-his own appointee and sub
ordinate; and thus the President, having
created by himself, or through his creatures,
all the election machinery, becomes in his
own prime minister the custodian ofthe result.
The ring is complete. The clasp of the
handcuff that binds the people is locked
and the President holds the key.
If you doubt that the force bill means the
utter demolition of free government, the
Illustration of the autonomy of the States,
the overthrow of the House of Representa-
tiYes, the creation of the one man power,
the surrender Of the sword, the surrender OF
the purse, the surrender of all prerogatives
TO one political organization, and to its par
- - 4
doubt. Johnny Davenport,was its author; the
theoretical and visionary fanatic, the Hon.
Geo. L. Hoar, was its patron; the Reed
House of Congress passed it in the darkness
Of gag law; and in the Senate the solid Demo
craoy, led by German, with few noble, pat
riotic Republicans, scotched it.
It is not killed.
1t lifts its head and rattes again in the
Minneapolis platform of the Republicans,
and in the numerous official declarations OF
their partisan chief-Benjamin Harrison.
viii the people of the United States stand
still and let rattlesnake bite them when
they can see it cooled and can hear it rattle?
November will answer. 1t is month of
destiny. Should its answer he the fatal ap-
probation of the conspiracy which all mo-
nopolsts, parasites and public plunderers
desire. the history of our republic will need
but two words to complete it, andfhose words
are 1.-THE end. =
Democrats who fail to get
transfers or to get registered next
week, cannot vote in November.
The registers sit on Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs