The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-07-16
THE FORCE BILL AS AN
ISSUE.

campaign. 1t has been made a plank
IN the platform of the great parties,
and has found an echo even in the
Third Party Convention held last week
in Cincinnati.
The two great parties have locked
horns Oh the issue. The Republican
party stands s9uarely planted on its
platform in favor of the Force Bill,
in favor of federal interference in and
of federal control of elections. 1t
strikes out boldly for the establish
ment CT its most distinctive party prln-
ciple, that principle which forms the
. very keystone of its superstructure-
the principle of Capitalization. 1t
| seeks to blot ont state lines and real
over the ruins of State governments
one vast paternal government, with it's
centre in Washington City, from which
will radiate hordes of minions and
subalterns to Cypress the people in
every nook and corner of the land.
The Republican candidate for the
Presidency stands firmly on and is in
full sympathy with the Force Bill plank
in the Republican platform. He has
already done his best to have this OBJ
noxious measure adopted by the last
Congress, and there can be not the
! slightest doubt that in case of Republic
a success in the coming election, the
Force Bill will have n~inety-nine chan
ces out Of a hundred of becoming law.
Republican success will be interpreted
by interested politicians as al indorse-
ment by the people of this measure
which is made so palpablya an issue.
On the other hand, the Democratic
party has set itself firmly against the
measure. In its platform it denoun-
ces the Force Bill in the most unmeas-
ured terms, and styles it undemocratic
and subversive of our Republican. in
situations. 1t r~eiterates the doctrine
of the reserved rights of the States
and pronounces itself in favor of the
perpetuation of that doctrine. 1t pro-
claims itself against paternalism and
Capitalization and in favor of home
rule. In a word, it stands for the
good old-fashioned government of
the people, for the people and by the
people" as established by our FORE
fathers
Democratic success will therefore
mean the death blow to the Force Bill
to federal interference in elections it
will mean more ; it will mean a forci-
BILE set back to the principle of centra-
lization and paternalism which now
threatens our government, and give a
new impetus to home rule ideas of
government.
This is the issue between the two
parties, as clearly defined in their res.
pective platforms. What the onse.
quences of the adoption of either side
of that issue will be, hardly needs por-
trayal at our hands, for both sides have
already been tried, ard the people
have had personal experience in the
matter. Adopt the Republican view
of the situation, and you invite all the
horrors, tyranny and oppression of
the reconstruction times ; you will
bring yoal selves under the yoke of a |
political slavery out of which o NAV
not emerge except through the gate Of
bloody revolution you will strike
down state lines and make home rule.
SO dear to every liberty-loving Ameri-
can, a thing of the past, to be remem.
bered only to be regretted.
Is there a nan in the sunny South
land who wants to return to the tyr |
amy and oppression of the days Of re-
construction I
We opine not ana yet there be
some who foolishly talk of operating
with the National Republican Party In
the coming campaign. They will have
nothing to do with the State Republic
can party 4; that would be disreputable;
but you sometimes hear a man claim
to be a State Democrat and a National
Republican. thus confessing himself to
be, SO to speak, a species of political
hermaphrodite.
Let these sO-called State Demncrats