Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-09-22
THURSDAY -. SEPTEMBER %. 1892.
The Force Ban in . New LIeht.


In commenting spon General sTryEs-
Hox's speech at Asheville, N. c.. we said
that no ADLER presentation OF the issues OF
the campaign had been made by any
speaker upon the stump anywhere. We
did not specify his strong points; but II IS
not too late to call attention 10 several
made BY him in enforcing his views upon
the people OF the Old North State.
First. II tho force bill should become
law not one single officer entrusted with its
execution would be an officer elected by
the people. From the judge who would
make the appointment Of chief supervisors
10 the lowest deputy-marshal every OFF,
cial woulo be an appointee-not one OF
them elected or appointed by an elected
officer. Every man Of them would be Sc
lected by officials not responsible to the
people. The people ought to be the source
OF all political power under tho Constitu-
ton il we wish TO perpetuate the form OF
government made for US and left to us by
our fathers. We must always recognize
and act upon this fact If we intend TO
cherish the admonitions OF the men
who gave TO us the best government the
world ever saw. But under the force
bill there would be no such thing as gov
eminent OF the people, by the people. for
the people. The tools Of the incumbents
of the Federal Offices OF high degree would
do for those incumbents the unpatriotic
work which would never have to be done
by anybody II the true principles of free
government were respected by the Repub-
licsns. Why. the people would disappear
from the scene altogether. And our State
governments would go down forever. IL,
as Mr.. LINCOLN said. the Union could not
exist halt slave and half free. neither can
our free institutions survive the destruc-
tion of the right of Che several States TO
control their own elections and their own
affairs Of every kind and degree. As Gen.
eral STEVENSON said, the force bill
"breathes destruction to the people" II
is totally destructive of local sslf-govern-
ment.
Second. The number of deputy mar
shals who might be appointed under the
force bill If 1t should become law would
be practically unlimited. II is hardly too
much to say that they might outnumber
the voters If In asserting their power the
INSCRIPTIONS tools of the Federal Govern
ment should take it into their heads to
overwhelm the voters by mere force of
numbers or by Offering Ave dollars day
10 the favored applicants for the place OF
deputy marshal.
Third. We may be sure that the Demo-
Gratis whom the Republicans would select
10 act as supervisors of elections would be
such Democrats as would be highly objec-
tionable to the real Democrats Of each
voting place The law might nominally
provide for supervisors to be taken from
each party, but the result would be the
same. The Federal Government cannot
lay its hands upon the voters-cannot even
30 much as touch them-without epdan-
gering the freedom OF elections.
Fourth. Under the monstrous pro-
visions Of the force BILL" says General
STEVENSON, "the Republican officials can
sport at will with the dearest rights of the
people," And his references to the IN
speakable wrongs committed upon the
people of South Carolina and other south
ern States, including Missouri, show that
these wrongs made deep impression upon
his mind at the time they were committed.
Nobody whose sympathies have not at
some time in the past been excited ia be-
half OF the outraged peor.o of the South
could speak as he speaks r3on these sub
iects