Brookings register. (Brookings, S.D.) 1890-1894, 1892-10-07
GROVER DID IT,
HE OFFICIALLY USED FORCE BILL
TACTICS TO REFLECT HIMSELF.
A Discovery Which Takes Away the Last
Issue of the DemOcracy-An Official Or
der by Cleveland for the Use of Force
Biu Methods to Re-elect Himself.
lSpecial Correspondence.l !

Democratic campaign issue" has been
destroyed. And this, too, by Mr. Cleve-
land himself.
The 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
rency issue was destroyed by members
of it's 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
wretched person with 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
event Of the week. 1t was as much Of
bombshell 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 nf
them has been knocked out, and that.
too, by Democrats. But the most dis
tressing 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 he 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 extend 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 10000 inhabitants or more in
elections for congressman or other United
| States officials. The recent discovery,
which has created such panic in Dem
ocratic circles and taken away the last
| vestige of an tissue" was the fact that
President Grover Cleveland, on the ap
proach of the election of 1888, when he
was candidate for reelection for the
presidency, issued to Attorney General
Pan Electric" Garland, under date of
Oct. 5, 1888, the following order:
DEAR Sm--You are hereby requested to take
| general charge and direction Of the execution
| Of the statutes of the United States touching
tho appointments of supervisors of elections
| and special deputy marshals, and the perform
| ance Of their duties and their compensation
| SO far as these subjects are by the constitution
| and laws under the supervision and control
| of the executive branch of the government.
| Yours truly. GROVER CLEVELAND
Immediately afterward this letter was
sent by Attorney General Garland to
| United States marshals:
| SiR-In pursuance OF a letter OF the 5th inst.
| from tho president, directing the attorney
| general to take charge Of the appointment
| Of special deputy marshals, the performance
| or tnelr duties anu tnelr COmpensallSn, TO-
gether with the compensation OF supervisors"
at the congressional election in November
| next, your attention is directed to the pro-
visions of titles "a and 26 chapter Z, title 20 of
| the Revised Statutes. Under sections 2,G22
| and 2,0A Revised Statutes you have power to
! keep the peace, protect supervisors preserve
| order, prevent frauds and enforce the law IL
| towns of 10000 inhabitan and upward. You
| should make yourself familiar with the stat
| utes referred to and see that they are under
| stood by your deputies, who should be discreet
| men, impressed with the 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
| tions Of law you are directed to consult the
| attorney Of the United States for your dis
| trict for needed information and advice. 1t is
| assumed that the duties can be performed
| without infringing upon the rights of any
| citizen in a 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 marshals will receive
| compensation for more than five days service,
and they should be so informed. Within
| this time all can be done, it is thought, tina;
| ought to be. You need vigilant men, who are
conscientious workers, and no others.
1t Is thus shown from otnclaI 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 objecting. The
80 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