Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-22
THE FoRCE-BILL ISSUE.

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Can the Intelligenccr reconcile its two
attitudes? 1t says in one breath there
is no Force bill in prospect, that no
Republican wants it and then tries to
show why every good Republican lodnts
t.! o. Consistency, thou art no relation
of Col. HART
The Intelligeneer knows aud will not dis
pute that every Republican representa-
tive in the Fifty-frst Congress, which
was overwhelmingly Republican, voted
for the Force bill, with the exception of
three, while every Democrat in that
Congress voted against it.
1t was defeated in the Senate, where
the Republican majority was small, only
by the alertness and interchangeable eff
forts Of the Democrats, who resorted to
every parliamentary device to kill the
BILL The infamous Force bill is not now
law only because Of the superior par
liamentary skill and energy of Senators
GORMAN and FAULKNER, who conduct
ed the fight against it.
The IntelliGcncer knows this. Its
readers know it, because it is a matter
Of recenJ record.
The IntelIiJeleer will not say that it
believes that if the Republicans have a
sufficient majority in the next Congress
that the Force Dill would not be passed,
nor that President HARRISON, if re-
elected, would not sign it.
The national Republican convention
favored it unanimously and the plat
form adopted by that convention en-
dorses it. President HARRISON in his
letter accepting the Republican nomi-
nation endorsed it and the IatelIigellcer,
itself, as we have stated, in its issue of
yesterday contained an editorial article
of over a column in length defending and
approving the provisions of the Force bin,
and last night its editor made q stump
speech in favor Of it.
What, then, in the name Of reason,
does the InteJligeacer mean by saying
there is no Force bill issue in this cam
paign! 1t knows that if the Republi-
cans are successful at the coming cleo
ton the Force bill will be placed on our
statute books.
In defending the bill the IGtelItgencer
says:
If Democratic speakers felt that they
could afford 20 be fair about this terrible
force Dill they would take trouble to
give at least the principal provisions OF the
bill, for this would show fairly its scope
and spirit. First Of all the bill related TO
the election of members Of the House Of
Representatives, and TO no other thing;
and 10 related to all the members from all
the States, north, south, east and west. 1t
did not interfere with the election Of State
officers or the election OF Presidential cleo
tors.
The IateUtgencer ought to know that
this is false from beginning to end and
that while its editor was writing it Col.
FELLOWS was giving the exact provis-
ions Of the Force bill from the stage of
the Grand Opera House. And the IN
tclIigcnccr, If it has read the bill, itself, in
diligently, knows that it is not true that
the provisions Of the measure would
effect only congressional elections, be-
cause il gives the federal supervisors
with the United States Army back Of
them complete control Of eUerU election
at ,rbich q Federal officer Is to be chosen.
Every voter, no matter 1Chether he
rotcs for the Congressman and Presiden-
tiaL electors on his ticket or not, if he
votes at that election, his vote is subject
to the will Of these federal supervisors.
And who are these federal supervis-
ors TO be? They are TO be appointed by
the party in power at Washington,
and are to hold Office for life.
There are to be three super
visors in every voting precinct-tlco
of one party aud one of another,
the majority Of this board to control alb
soluteIy the election, the chairman, or
challenger, selected to have the United
States troops at his call and service to
enforce whatever decision he may
make. and from his decision the voter
whose ballot may be refused has no ap-
peal to any one but federal judge APP
pointed by the same party that ap-
pointed the supervisors-he has no re-
dress in the city or the State courts.
No tyrannical monarchy in the world
ever contemplated such law.
Yet this infamous measure is defend
ed by the Republican press, and en-
dorsed by the national Republican con-
vention and by President HARRISON,
who has been and is its foremost advo-
cate.
And no man in his right senses be-
lieves that II the Republican party is
successful in the coming election it will
not make this outrageous measure
law.
A PROMINENT citizen, a Republican
by the way, asked Captain DovENER
the other day why he didn't challenge
Mr.. PENDLEToN to a joint debate. The
genial Captain responded, according to
the aforesaid citizens statement, "Well,
you see it's this way: If were to en-
gage in a joint discussion with Mr..
PENDLETON I would so everlastingly
tear him to pieces that it would make