The record-union., 1892-11-07
TIRE CRY OF ..FoRcE BILL"

At this last moment of the campaign
we hear of fresh burst of Democratic
oratory upon the stump about .the sin
famous force bill" There never was such
q measure proposed. A bill was advanced
elections in which United States officers
are to be chosen, to prevent, first, frauds
upon the ballot; second. to prevent the
intimidation and exclusion of voters.
Now there is not in that measure, which
is charged upon the Republican party as
as an attempt at tyranny, a single thing
interfering with the free-will choice of
any honest voter. No peaceable man, no
voter honestly casting his ballot, could
possibly be impeded by that measure if it
were law to-day.
1t is simply a proposition that every
man shall have one vote who is by law
qualified; that he shall have perfect free
dom to cast it; that it shall be honestly
counted. As nothing is dearer to the
American than the expression of his SOW
ereign will, so nothing is more necessary,
related to an election, than insurance of
fair play.
1t is notorious that there are frauds in
elections; that in some sections entire
bodies of voters are prevented by intim-
idation from coming to the polls, and that
such of the rejected class as manage to
reach the ballot-box are defeated by
manipulation of the box and the ballots.
The Federal Government, so far as its Of
ficers to be chosen are concerned, it is
proposed shall do precisely what every
State Government may do and permits
every political party to do-watch the
polls to prevent wrong, and watch the
count to checkmate cheating.
Now to accomplish this for Federal
elections law was proposed, and should
have prevailed, making false registra-
ton an offense; making unlawful inter-
ference with registration a crime; max
ing manipulation of poll and tally lists a
crime; making the offer or the taking of
bribe to vote, or to refrain from voting
q crime. In addition, the bill required
that in all elections in which Federal
officers were concerned, the ballot box
should be kept in plain view, such view
that all officers of election could see it.;
that rejection of legal votes should be an
offense; reception OF illegal votes crime.
Fraudulent substitution of ballots, stuff
ing the box, changing results, false can
vass of votes, willful neglect of duty by
an election officer, false swearing relative
to Congressional elections, and stealing
the lot-box-all were made crimes.
That was the bill, with the further pro-
vision that the Government should have
at the polls its representatives, not to
overawe, not to interrupt honest pro-
ceedings, but to arrest when crime was
committed in their presence, to see to it
that voters were not excluded, that suffers
were not voted, the ballot-boxes not doc
tored, and that the count was honestly
made.
That was what the Democracy styles "a
force bill," and nothing more can be
made out of it than this, that it was a just
plan to prevent fraud and insure the
right of every legal voter to vote for
United States Legislators.
Yet such a measure is what the De-
mocracy terms force bill," in the at
tempt to make a repugnant word do
political duty for partisan ends.
For many years there has been Federal
watch kept over Congressional elections.
and there has been concerning it no COM
plant whatever, until such supervision
promised to break up the system by
which Congressional elections in the solid
South are jockeyed. Then came the cry
of ''force bill." and hot appeals to class
prejudice and to ignorance. Whatever
such silly appeals may effect now, the
time will come, and must come soon,
when the demand of the whole people
will be for some measure looking in the
direction OF the ends reached and con-
served by the so-called force bill"