Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-04-20
tn. FORCE BILL.
Mr. Clcr lands 20. iifon Stated by Hon
HIM l.. Wdson, Of Vest Virginia.


In regard t. ex President Cleveland sat
,itude toward the Force Bill. Hon VIM L.
Wilson, of West Virginia. has written let
ter to Mr Randolph Harrison. of Lynch
burg. Va in which he says:
"Thrre are doubtless scores of prominent
Democrats. North and Sou'h. who world
va, rrv and fni ANYTHING in mint that
they had said about the T 'rce Bill simply
because there was no opportunity or occa-
i n for such written or r-pr rried n'ieranc'
To accuse such men of lukewarm"e- e-S wonld
b., both uniu-t and untrue Every Dem
crat insrinc yeIv aud ardenly opposed the
hill, and so expressed himself constantly
during it, pendency and to attribute indIi-
ference to Mr.. Clevclan' is not only 10 ov'
erlook his entire public record. hut to ar
~ TO him rule that would be applied TO
no one else
81 have seen quotations from him, how
ever. that even by such rule overwhelm
the charge. The occasion you refer 20 was
the famous Thurman banquet at Columbus,
Ohio, November lS 1890, in the presence
fnenrlv Il thousand representative Demo-
Gratis -at by Mr.. Cleveland at the table,
and hav, ia nv possession the rOies from
which he spoke, in his own handwriting
I recall with exceeding vividne-s the en-
pbasis of tone and of manner with which he
alluded To the Lodge Bill. True. 1t was
not in the liz of his remarks, which were
i'm ridicule of the claim n cheap coat mskeS
CHEAP man. etc Ia d el ration contained
in one of Najrr McKinley's rr #
sneeches.) bu' his exact language am able
to ouo,e from the lul report of his speech
a, it appeared in the pap'r" next dav' ana
subsequently in the printed souvenir vol
ume. He denounced the Lodge Bill AZ a
contrivance TO p' rpciuate Partsan suprem
acy hy outrageous interference with the sui
frage'
"This. you will observe. WAS hetween the
long and short sessions of The last Congress,
after the bill had passed the House and be
lore the great struggle on il in the nate
| f. il almost Illuminating Ia me ~ a south
prner that any southern IN n should try ia
nuke c,pital in such way atain| such Il
y mocrntic TX President. whose whole ad
ninis,ration wa. 80 fair ahd cordial 20 the
South"
Mr.. Cleveland also denounced tht F"rc'
b n ON anoiher occnsion l. was at "a han
quet given in Philnd,lrhia by the Y"'iul
Mems Dem cra.ic A ,oclatiou nn January
8 1891. Mr.. Cleveland responded to tho
tnas The Principles of rrue ID mo r"cy
Thp, are enduring because they are r'ph
aud invinci BE because they are just. IL
peakiug OF the federal elections bill th' I
pending in the Untel States Senate NJ
y y. land says:
"NAenoe see ,ur oil cal ,dvi-aries .
pou The pas age of federal law, wnh 'h'
carcely drni,d pur, use of perpe ualin.
partisan ,up macy, Wi c. ma rs th'
ats with Il C ion machinery designed Il
Dfomot,. lederai interference with IA RI ht
+ the people in the locahtie- concer"td
,-errdiling their honesty and fairness "n'
Justly arou>ing heir jr,l"u-v Of crntrallz@'
nnwer. We will slubb"rnlN r-,i> such i n
,erouS and revolutionary sche ne IN obrd'
nee To our pledge 'or II >upH"rt at th'
t,te governments in all ,heir rights.