The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-07
The President.s Latter.

The Presidents Letter.
About the only interest that attaches TO
the Presidents letter Of acceptance grows
out Of what he says with regard to the force
| bill. It is very well known that the repub-
licans would like to get rid Of the force bill
issue. 1t is popular with the extreme re-
publicans, but not with moderate repub-
licans nor with the independent voters The
republican leaders are seeking to hold all Of
their own members ia line, to win the in
dependent voters and to make converts from
the other parties. The force bill issue is not
helpful to the Republican party, and that is
why the republican campaign managers
would like to push it into the background.
1t is probable that the President would not
have mentioned it II he had dared to ignore
it. 1t is leading plank in the republican
platform, however, and If the President
had not referred to it in his letter it would
have been said that his party had been com
PEELED TO abandon It,
The President deals with it very gently.
He endeavors to make it as palatable as
possible. He tries to make it appear that 1t
is entirely different from what the country
thinks it is He refers to the charges made
by the Kolbites in Alabama as supporting
the position occupied by the Republican
party and says that in bis next message to
congress he shall urge "the appointment OF
a uen-partisan commission to consider the
subject OF appointments and elections in
their relation to the choice OF federal Of
ficers.n
The force bill does not mean what the
President would have the country believe it
does He says it means "a free ballot and a
fair COUNT What it really means is the
establishment Of political machinery for the
counting Of the black vote in the south for
the Republican party.
The Republican party would never have
favored such a thing as the force bill II it
did not believe it could be made
she means OF keeping itself in power by
means Of the black vote. Let the Demo-
cratic party gain control OF the presidency
and both houses of congress at the approach
ing election and no republican will
raise bis voice in favor of the force bill.
The reason is that the Republican party
doesn't want force bill unless it can have
the appointment Of the officials for which it
provides. With those officials It would be in
q position to control the result OF the cleo
tons.
The Presidents talk about absolutely free
and fair elections is only talk. No party is
asking for any other kind OF elections But
who ever heard Of the Republican party re-
fusing to accept the result Of unfair cleo
tons or hesitating TO resort to fraud or
force when the opportunity was presented
TO strengthen itself in power, or to gain its
end9 Was Hayes elected Presidentl Let
Wells and Anderson, who controlled the
Louisiana returning board in 1875 answer
In the Fifty-hrst congress were not dozen
or more democratic representatives de-
prived of their seats, without sufficient evil
dence that they were not entitled to them,
in order that the Republican party might
have good working msjorityl
The President may talk about the desire
OF his party for fair and free elections, but
with such a record as his party has it will
be difficult TO make any but his blind par
tisans believe he is sincere
His references to the charges OF fraud
made by the Kolbites in Alabama is with
that they would charge fraud, il they we're
beaten, and if there were returning boards
aud the decision Of the boards were against
them, they would declare the boards were
corrupt.
The democrats are nd less anxious than
the republicans for honest elections, but
they are not likely to favor a measure that
could be, and doubtless would be, used to
defeat the will Of the people. The force
bill in republican hands would be an instru-
ment for keeping that party in power and
for putting political power in the hands of
the blacks wherever the blacks are in the
majority. Its true character is so well un>
derstood that it will be to the interest of the
Republican party to say as little about it as
possible.