The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-31
That "IniquItous" Force Bill.


Under the Force Bill a chief
supervisor of election isappoint-
ed for every Federal judicial
district by the Republican Judge
thereof. You have no doubt of
the politics and character of
the men that will be appointed
and appointed for life. Under it
the supervisors may appoint an
unlimited number of Deputy u.
S. Marshals at S. a day. Under
it the same court appoints the
subordinate supervisors, three
at each election precinct-two
of the three being Republicans
and the third somebody else.
The supervisors attend to the
registration, challenge voters,
keep independent poll lists, and
make a house to house canvass
of their district. The Board of
Canvassers is appointed by the
U. s. Circuit Court. These can
vassers count the vote, DECLARE
WHO'S ELECTED and send their
certificate 70 the Clerk of the
House OF Representatives, and
he is required by the law to put
the names of THE MEN THEY GER
TIFY, on the rolls of the House.
no matter whom the State of
ficers may certify are elected.
In brief it takes the election
wholly out of the hands of the
people and puts it into the hands
of the Republican Judges of the
U. s. Courts and the Republi-
cans they may appoint as sup
ervlsors and marshals. If the
army of marshals is not suffici-
ent to carry into execution this
law, it provides in Section SO
that each and every section of
the Civil Rights section of the
act of 1870, is to "apply to this
act with like force and effect as
If this act was specially men.
toned or referred to therein.
Sec. 1899 of the Civil Rights
section authorizes the President
of the United States "or such
person as he may empower, to
employ such part of the land or
naval forces of the United
States" ''as shall be necessary
to prevent the violation, and en-
force the due execution of the
provisions Of this section. /"
There you have 1.-THE Repub-
lican Federal authorities back
ed by Federal bayonets are to
conduct your elections, count
the vote and declare the result,
and their declaration is by law
required to be accepted as the
result. All the points of the
bill are carefully guarded. From
the time the Federal officer in.
vades the home of the voter to
spot" his politics, to the mo.
ment that the Federal bullet is
fired into the body of the citi-
zen so imprudent as to protest,
all is done in "due form Of law. "
Is it very surprising that Mr..
Teller should, while we yet live,
in a free country and have a
free ballot, have declared this
to be the "most infamous bill
that ever crossed the threshold
Of the Senate"
Will the Republican party
pass this bin and put it into eff
feet If they are successful i'm
this election? Thirteen years
ago the Republican party found
themselves in possession of both
Houses of the 10th Congress
aud of the entire power of the
government and attempted to
pass a similar law. The deter
mined resistance of the Demo-
cratic members of the House
under the lead of the lamented
Samuel j. Randall of Pennsyl-
vania, and the refusal of aIr.
Blaine, who was Speaker, to
adopt revolutionary methods,
saved the South then. Ii was o
fight full Of yindictiyeness and
hate on the part Of the Republi.