Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-05-06
THE FORCE BILL.
Harrison Wants It Incorporated in
the Minneapolis Platform.

An interesting topic of discussion al
this time is the probable action the
Republican National Convention will
take in regard to the force bill. The
Lodge bill passed the lower house at
the first session of the Fifty-irst Con-
gress after one of the liveliest battles
OF that session. The Senate postponed
action until the second session of that
Congress. This practically committed
the Republican party to the measure.
The election in November of that year
was perfect landslide and the Demo-
Gratis carried the lower house of Con-
gress by an overwhelming majority.
The Republicans are still figuring on
the causes of their defeat that fall.
Of course, the Mckinley tariff bill has
been attributed as the real cause, but
there are some who maintained at
that time and many who still insist
that the committal of the Republican
party on the force bill was one of the
great reasons why the party suffered
such a tremendous defeat. The fol.
lowing winter the Senate took up the
force bill for consideration, and the
fight in that branch during the follow
ing two or three months was one of
the most sanguinary of recent con.
crosses. Present Harrison was one of
the most ardent supporters of the
force bill and used every means at the
command OF the administration to Sc
cure its passage in the Senate. 1t is
an established fact that the admins.
tration whip was used with a great
deal OF vigor to drive into line certain
Republican Senators who did not favor
the passage of bill so stringent in it's
provisions as was the bill then under
consideration. The combined force of
the administration and Of the stalwart
Senators failed to secure the passage
OF the bill because all the force at
their command was not sufficient to
whip into line independent members
OF the Republican side, and by the
manipulations of Senator German and
his lieutenants ON the Democratic side,
with the aid of the Republican objec-
tors, the bill was defeated.
Senator Washburn of Minnesota
was one of the men who refused to
vote to secure the passage OF this bill
and he has since been under the ban
OF the President and there has been
an open rupture between himself and
MIR. Harrison ever since that time.
There were other Republican Senators
who refused to support the Force bill
that have since never been able to, or,
perhaps. have never tried to appease
the anger of the present chief execu-
tive because OF their vote and opposi-
ton to the measure that he was 80
much interested in.
1t is claimed that President Harri-
son has secured majority of the Re-
publican delegations from the South
in the interest of his denomination
on the strength that the national elec-
ton law will be one of the paramount
issues in the present campaign. 1t
is also claimed that if the President
secures a denomination he and his
friends will insist that clause be in
corporated in the national platform
committing the party to do all in its
power to secure the passage of an elec-
tion law fully as stringent as that
which passed the lower House in the
Fifty-frst Congress. There are many
prominent Republicans throughout
the country, however, who do not be.
lieve that it would be policy to com.
NIT the party on any such lines, and
the outcome will probably result in q
disagreement at the National Con.
vention at Minneapolis. If President
Harrison is renominated, it is likely
that some clause OF this kind will be
made prominent in the platform that
he will stand upon this year. Yet it
is considered extremely doubtful if the
Republicans of this country are in
favor of such law as this.