The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-10-11
NI1]Ilf| Eaalr
GROVER DID TT.
ne OFFICIALLY USED FORCE BILL
TACTICS TO REFLECT HIMSELF.

DlE OFFICIALLY USED FORCE BILL
TACTICS TO REFLECT HIMSELF.
Discovery wN;S4 xx&eS away the Last
1ssas Of tho Demooraoy-An Oiucial Or
der by Cleveland for tho Use Of Force
MN Methods to Re-eleot Himself
Especial Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Oct. S.-Another Dem
oczAtic idol has fallen. Another
Democratic campaign issue" has been
Destroyed. And this, too, by Mr.. Cleve-
land himself.
Tbs Democratic party has certainly
been unfortunate in its issues in this
campaign. Its tariff issue was destroyed
BY . member Of its own party-Labor
Commissioner Peck. Its wildcat cur
Eency issue WAS destroyed by members
Of its own party innumerable, who de-
nounce it unsparingly. And now its
last and only remaining issue, the force
bill, has been destroyed by Mr.. Cleve-
land himself.
1t came about in this way. Some
wTetched person with a good memory,
who had listened with amusement and
amazement to the plantive walls Of the
Democracy about the force bill, suddenly
remembered that Mr.. Cleveland, while
president and candidate for re-elec-
ton, not only authorized, but absolutely
ordered for his own benefit, the enforce
ment of the very force bill features of
the then existing law, about which Dem
ocrats are now so much agitated.
This discovery has been the political
svent Of the week. 1t was as much Of
. bombsheu in the Democratic camp as
was the Peck report few weeks ago.
1t takes away the last leg the Democrats
had to stand on. The three issues upon
which they were making or attempting
to make their fight in this campaign
were free trade, free banks, free frauds
at the polls. Curiously every one If
them has been knocked out, and that,
TOO. by Democrats But the most dis
tress,ng thing is that the obstruction Of
the last one Of these issues left to the
party should have come about through
an official act of the party's own candi
date while ne occupied the White House
And this he did with the purpose of re-
electing himself president of the United
States
The facts are these, and they are very
Interesting: The SO called force bill
simply proposed to exter d to small towns
and country districts of the United
States the law which has been in force
for years through which United States
marshals and supervisors of elections,
enforce order and prevent fraud in any
city of 20,OOC inhabitants or more in
SELECTIONS for cong FRESHMEN or other United
States officials The recent discovery,
which has created such a panic in Dem
pxatic circles and taken away the last
Vestige of an Issue" was tho fact that
President Grover Cleveland, on the ap-
preach Of the election of 1888, when he
was . candidate for reelection for the
Presidency, issued to Attorney General
APan Electric" Garland, under date Of
Oct s. 1885, the following order:
DEAR Sm-Yoa are hereby requested to take
general charge and direction of the execution
II tho statutes of the United States touching
the appointments Of supervisors Of elections
nd special deputy narshals, and the perform
nDce of their duties and their compensation
- far these subjects are by the constitution
and Lawn under the supervision and control
uf tho executive branch Of the government.
Yours truly, GROVER CLEVELAND.
Immediately afterward this letter was
cent by Attorney General Garland to
United States marshals:
Ean-In pursuance of a letter of the 5th inst.
from the president, directing tho attorney
general to take charge of the appointment
Of special deputy marshaA the performance
Of ther duties and their compensation. to-
Eether with the compensation of supervisors"
ut the congressional election In November
nen. your attention is directed to the pro-
Sisnns OF titles "a and q, chapter Z, title 20 of
Sha Revised Statutes. Under sections 2Gs2
end 2.Gc4 Revised Statutes you have power to
Keep the peace, protect supervisors. preserve
erder, prevent frauds and enforce the law in
towns Of &c ,Ooc inhabitants and upward. You
Uhonld make yourself familiar with the st at
utes referred to and see that they are under
stood by your deputies. who should be discreet
men, impressed with tho Importance of an
honest franchise
The manner of discharging these duties by
yourself and your Deputies is largely left TO
your discretion In matters involving ques-
kions of law you are directed TO consult the
attorney of the United States for your dis
trict for needed information and advice. II is
assumed that the duties can be performed
without infringing upon tho rights of any
citizen in manner that shall be firm, and at
the same time free from any unnecessary dis
play Of authority. 1t is not expected that
supervisors and deputy marshais will receive
compensation for more than five days service,
and they should be SO informed. Within
this time all can be done il is thought, tha;
Dught to be- You need vigilsnt men. who are
conscientious workers, and no others.
1t is thus shown from official records
that Mr.. Cleveland, while president, or
dered his subordinates to use, in the
election in which he was himself can
didate, the very Laws to which his party
Is now so strenuously Directing. The
30 called force bill. about which Demo
Gratis are bowling, was the very essence
Of the act which Mr.. Cleveland ordered
his subordinates to enforce for his won
reelection. This is all there is to the
force bill bugaboo. 1t was simply pro-
posed law providing for an extension to
country districts, on the petition of citi-
xens. of the law already in force in the
cities of 20,0Ge inhabitants or more.
What did the force bill really pro-
pose to do? 1t proposed to extend TO the
country districts, where fraud is now
matter OF common occurrence, practic-
ally the same law which Mr. Cleve-
land ordered enforced. 1t proposed to
make false registration or interference
with registration a crime; 1t made
keeping false poll lists crime; it made
olection brides and ballot box st1hing a