San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-08-04
THERE Is NO FORCE BILL.

force bill that, according to these GEN.
sors, is called for in the platform of
the republican party. 1t is useless to
reiterate that there is no demand for
force bill in the platform adopted at
Minneapolis, for it Is not the truth
that these democratic papers are seek
ing, otherwise they would not assert
what they must know to be false.
This hue and cry over an imaginary
force bill is for effect In the present
campaign. 1t is done to evoke sec
tionsl feeling and keep intact the
ranks of the solid south; and, also to
throw dust In the eyes of the voters
aud prevent their considering the
real issue of the campaign, which Is
the tariff. That the platform of the
republican party does not demand the
enactment of force bill, as that term
is understood in the discussions of the
day, is as plain as the democratic de-
termination to deceive. That plat
form says:
1--WE demand that every citizen of
the United States shall be allowed to
cast one tree and unrestricted ballot
in all public elections aud 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, just and equal repre-
sentation of ali people as well as their
Just and equal protection under the
laws are the foundation OF our repub-
lican institutions and the party will
never relax its efforts until the integ-
rity of the ballot and its purity be
fully guaranteed and protected in
every state"
This is the declaration of the repub-
lican party. If this declaration is Of
fensive to the democracy then they
stand accused, by their own act and
word, OF hostility to free and honest
popular ballot in all public elections:
They stand convicted of antagonism
to correct count of such ballot and
to return of it as thus cast and
counted: They stand condemned
before the bar of q just Judgment Of
the crime of violating the constitu-
ton, in that they oppose the enact.
ment and enforcement of laws that
will secure to every citizen the sover-
eign right guaranteed by the consti-
tuition. 1t this is not so, then there is
no meaning in their denunciation OF
what they term force bill. The
republican party is to be judged by
its declarations and its deeds. By it's
deeds it defeated the attempt of some
of its members to place the federal
elections under the control of federal
authority, leaving it TO the states to
see that the rights of citizens were
not abrogated, and thus declared
against what is accepted as the "force
bill" By it's declarations the republic
can party pronounces in favor OF
such laws as will insure to
every citizen under the constitution
his guaranteed rights. If the dem
ocratic party is in favor of depriving
the citizen of these rights it is in or.
der for it to say so. The republican
party is not afraid of its record. Re.
publicans are in favor of free ballot
and an honest count and square
return of that ballot; tn ey are in favor
of protection, reciprocity, homes
money and the long end of the lever
to the American citizen. They are
fighting this campaign on thes Q
issues, and confidently expect de-
clsion in their favor when the great
American people make up their yer
dict this fall. 1t is understo tina
on the tariff question, and perhaps
on some others, the democrats take
issue with the republicans, but i
has not hitherto been accepted tina
the democracy also take issue with
the republicans in their demand TO
an honest ballot and fair count.
the democrats do thus take issu
with the republicans let them do i
openly and not covertly, and the re
publicans will meet them on thi
issue also and wax them out of thei
boots. The grand old party of idea
is also the party that demands 70
every citizen his rights under tn
constitution.
WATsON's charges against tn
"A ap,onra rio mo N, hara ~ oNnnraaa ..