Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1892-10-15
THE FORCE BILL.
INVOKED ITS AID TO-
REFLECT HIMSELF PRESIDENT.
History fretn Official Kecords- An Order
from President Cleveland Requiring
Election of Four Years Ago.
Special Correspondence.l

| inc Use OF feree EiIl Methods In the
Election of Four Years Ago.
Special Cerrespondence.l
W AsHINGToN, Oct. 3.-The most strik-
ing development of the week has
beels=a discovery with reference to the
attitude of President Cleveland on I, ,e
election laws. 1t Is Il curious fact HAT
the so called force bill about whiclp
the Democrats are how complaining 20
loudly is little more than an extensions
TO all parts Of t1te. country of the present
| United States election laws These laws,
which authorized United St:ites marsllals
and Supervisors to prevent frauds anl
! disorder at rhe polls III tie election of
| Qnlteti States officials, have been i, force
for years. They apply in detail, how,
/ ever, only 10 cities OF 10000 inllabi~ ults;
OK more. The force bill so call III Is;
little mere than all extension of these.
EnWs to- the small towns and country dis,
trlcts when it is asked t.r by the citizen ).
| Of those sections.
The discovery that President Cl4ve-
land authorized and required the en-.
! forcement of thi., law when he w Is a.
candlda1e for reelection for the p'e,i-
dency has been IL sad blow, to the Demo-
Gratis. 1t has taken away the only ISSUES
which they had left. Labor Commission
er Peck destroyed tho il free IT, de is ue.
by showing what the Mckinley tariff
had done for labor il New York. D,lno-
Gratis lnnumerable have denounced their
free banking issue, and now this 1ne;;ly
man with memory has destroyed their
last lsSue-the SO called force lil,-I,->
showing that their own candidate an
thorized and required its use while pres
ldent i'll the campaign in which his own,
reelection was at stake.
The documents which this student of
the official history OF Clevelund's 5 admin
lstration brought to the surface are the
following order by President Cleveland
to Attorney General Garland and the,
order issued by Mr.. Garlanl
DEAR STR You are hereby requested to take.
general charge and direction of the execution,
of the statutes of the United States touching
the 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 constitutions
and laws under the supervision and control
of the executive branch of the government.
Yours truly, GROVER CLEVELAND.
Immediately ly ;tfterward this letter was,
sent by Attorney General Garland to-
United States narshals:
SIR In pursuance of letter of the 5th inst
from the president, directing the attorney
general to lake charge of the appointment
OF special deputy marshals, the performance
oi their duties and their compensation, to-
get her with the compensation of supervisors" ;"
at the congressional election in November
next. your attention is directed to the pro-
!Aain !AainnS ST 1t Il std 1tes },3d nave -p}wGr t
keep he peace. protect supervisors, preserve,
order, prevent frauds and enforce the law i'll
towns of 2O.taM inhabitants and upward. You.
should make yourself familiar with the STAT
u1es referred to and see that they under
stood by your deputies, who should be discreet
men, Impressed with the Importance Of an
honest franchise.
The manner Of discllar..ins these duties by
yourself and your deputies is largely left its
your discretion. In matters involving ques-
tl0nS of law You are directed tn consult tine
attorney of the United States for your dis
lrict for needed information and advice. 1t ie
assumed that the duties can be performed
without infringing upon the rights of any
citizen in a manner that shall he firm and at
the same time free from any unnecessary dis
play OF authority. 1t is not expected that
supervisors and deputy m;rshaLs will receive
compensation for more han tive days service
and they should be so informed. Within this
time all can be done, it is thought, that ought
to he. You need vigilant men, who are con-
sclentous workers, and no others.
in this connection perhaps it will be
we'll to inquire Il little more at length as
to what the so called force bill really
=,
knows that it was little more than a1n
extension to all the people who want it
of the laws for the prevention Of fraud
through government aid, which are now
enforced Ill the great cities at all con-
gressional and presidential elections-
These laws have proved themselves over
and over again wise and judicious. 1t
is conceded on all hands that they have
greatly reduced frauds and crime at the
polls and in the matter Of registration.
i'll great cities. And thinking people
who are hearing the cry against tie
force biil are inquiring what it is that
this privilege should not be given to-
people in the small towns and country
districts if thi J "a sire it.
What did the free bill really propose
to do?
First-To extend to the people Of the
whole countr,,, desiring it the privilege
Of utilizing the laws already in exist
ence for the preveisl;-s;l Of fraud through
properly author'z".| government officials
clothed with po,,.t lor that purpose.
Secona-It made false registration or
interference witls registration a crime
Third-lt made bribery at elections a
crime for the yiver OF the taker-
Fourth-It required the ballot boxes
to be- placed i'll such position as to be
easily accessible and easily distinguished
the one from the other.
Fifth-It made the rejection of legal
votes or the acceptance Of illegal ones q
crime. or the placing of illegal ballots in
boxes or the unlawful removal of legal
ballots from them crime. It made
ballot box stealing OF destruction or any
neglect of duty by officers of the election
crime.
That was the sum total of the provi~
sions of the so called force bill. Prac-
tically all Of them were included in the
law which President Cleveland ordered
his subordinates to enforce.
It is now serious question what the
Democrats will find as an issue. Com-
missioner Peck destroyed their low tariff
issue by his report showing the remark
able prosperity under the Mckinley laws
the free banking issue has proved SO ul-
1s,pular that it has been abandoned, and
,nuw with the force bill issue destroyed