Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-06-02
l. ETTER FROM HON. T..
BARKSDALE.
The South and the Force Bill

The South and the Force Bill.
Editor Mississippi Leader:
| have observed that you have criti-
cised my statement that the Republi-
can party has not abandoned the Force
Bill, and that the solid South cannot
be dissolved at this time, without dis
regarding that measure as n menace
to her liberties and social order. |
will ask the use of small space in
your paper to show that | am fully
sustained in my view of the situation
by the highest authority.
You will admit that the Republican
party is powerful. vigilant and I'M
scrupulous organization; and that no
measure to which it commits itself in
earnest, can be treated lightly, if it
involves serious consequences to the
people whom it most concerns. If the
Force bill is a favOrite Republican
scheme it cannot be regarded other
wise than standing menance to the
South. We cannot deny it, unless
we are blind to palpable facts.
The Republican party had control
of the last House of Representatives,
and it passed the Force bill. 1t was
defeated in the Senate by close vote,
after a desperate contest by combi-
nation of the Democrats with half
dozen Republican Senators who pre-
ferred free silver coinage to the Force
bill.
When the present Congress assem-
bled, President Harrison. the accred-
tied head of the Republican party,
renewed the subject in his message
and strongly recommended the abom-
Unable measure.
Its agitation has not been continued
in the present Congress because the
Republicans are confronted by large
Democratic majority in the House.
But the Republican State Conven-
tions which have been held to appoint
delegates to the Presidential Conven-
tiOn, have adopted resolutions in ia
vor of the Force bill; and if the dele
gates respond to the spirit of their
constituencies they will embody it in
their National platform, and make it
a leading measure in the pending Con-
gressional and Presidential elections.
Time will soon determine whether /
am correct or not.
If am mindful of the danger of
this detestable scheme of sectional
agitators, | have only followed the
example of the National Council of
the Farmers Alliance and Industrial
Union, which passed a resolution de-
nouncing it in the Ocala meeting of
December, 1892. AndI have still
later example. In your paper it is
stated with an exultation which |
share, that the Alliance Democrats,
under the direction of President Polk,
controlled the late Democratic State
Convention of North Carolina, and
nominated Elias Carr, an Alliance
Democrat, for Governor. The Con-
vention recognized, as do, the dan-
ger of the Force bill by passing the
following resolution:
stWe denounce the iniquitous Force
bill, schich is not yet abandoned by the
Republieaa party, but is being urged
as party measure to be adopted as
soon as the Republicans regain con-
troll of the House of Representatives,
the purpose and effect of which meas
nre will be to re-establish o second
period of reconstruction in the South
ern States, to subvert the liberties OF
our people, and intlame anew race an
tagonisms and sectional animosities. ,
This resolution was adopted two