The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-25
The Force Bill Issue.

The political issue that will overshadow
all others, particularly in the south, before
the campaign is over, Is that of the force
bill. The importance Of 1t cannot be over
estimated. The New York Sun states it
clearly in an article published yesterday. a
synopsis Of which appears In our dispatches
| this morning.
1t was thought quite generally at the close
OF the last congress that the foroe bill issue
was virtually dead issue. Even leading
republicans took that view Of it, 1t would
have been dead issue If Mr.. Blaine had
been nominated by the republicans The
denomination of the President revived It,
and in the republican platform it is given
such prominence as to justify the conclu-
sion that one Of the chief purposes of the Re-
publican party is to place some Of the
southern states under black rule by means
of federal bayonets.
The Democratic party recognizes this pur-
pose OF the Republican party and fully
appreciates the necessity for preventing that
party from getting the power to carry ID
into effect. The very first issue dealt wish
In the democratic platform is the one re-
lating to the force bill. ave warn the peo-
ple." says the democratic platform, THAT
the policy Of federal control OF elections to
which the Republican party has committed
itself Is fraught with the greatest dangers,
scarcely less momentous than would result
from a resolution practically establishing
monarchy on the ruins Of a republic. IL
strikes at the north as well as the south and
Injuries the oolored citizen even more than
the white. 1t means horde Of deputy
marshals at every polling place armed with
federal authority, outrage Of the electoral
rights of the people in the several states,
subjugstion of the colored people in control
of the party in power and the reviving Of
race antagonisus now happily abated."
1t is impossible to picture the condition of
affairs in the south that would be brought
about by force bill A horde OF carpet
baggers would come from the north with
the view of getting into office by means of
the black vote. With republican agents in
control OF the ballot-boxes and federal
bayonets at the polls, they might accom-
plish their purpose, and corruption and
ignorance, instead Of integrity and intel
ligence, would be found In places of honor
and trust
W Hch INC peOpto Vi Jus sOubu
stand this forcs bill issue, which the repub~
licans have brought for ward so prominently,
will there be many Of them who will throw
away their votes on the third party-a party
that will not amount to anything In this
campaign aud that will disappear before
another national oampeignl Men who were
democrats, but who are now shouting for
Watson and Peek aud Post, do not fully
comprehend the danger by which
they are Threatened. The Issues
which the third party has raisei, II they can
be called issues, sink into Significance in
comparison with this force bill issue, be-
cause If the Republican party gets control
Of the ballot-boxes and is backed by United
States marshals aud federal bayonets the
development OF the south will be arrested
and capital and immigrants will be turned
away from her
And there is another thing southern men
who are affiliating with the third party
should look at carefully. 1t ia that the third
party itself is largely composed of men who
are not averse to force bill. The most of
them are residents of the northern states.
Southern men, therefore, should think twice
before giving encouragement to an organi-
cation that may so weaken the Democratic
party of the south as to give the south's
enemies a chance to do her incalculable
harm.