The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-27
fuckers REPEAL BILL.

In his efforts to advance the interests
of combined capital President Cleveland
is having no end of trouble with the
Democratic menagerie. 1t was cleverly
| laid plan to hold out conciliatory policy
to the Republicans to insure the passage
of the repeal bill, but their united sup
| port being insufficient he had the more
difficult task Of holding votes enough
from his own party 10 insure majority.
By the dual use of the party lash and
the patronage in his hands the feat was
accomplished-;he only thing remaining
| to be done was to vote. Pending
the discussion, the animals be-
| coming restless in their new
relation began to cavort and howl
and growl-the keeper being Temporal
rily engaged in domestic duties. now the
leopard of the south had the indiscreiion
to show his spots in the person of Repre-
sentative Tucker of Virginia. lie too
had repeal bill, but of a different or
der; being none other than repeal of
the federal election law. Whether this
son of the sunny south inadvertently
sprung this fatal measure at such an
inopportune time, or with the intent to
free himself and his party from the COM
promising attitude in which the presi-
dent had placed them, may never be
known, but it has certainly corked up
further action on the silver rep"al bill as
effectually as cannon shot in the senate
chamber.
At least two we'll known facts are
made prominent by the roduction of
this bill: the president IS not in accord
with his party in his leanings toward
single standard, and the dogma of state
rights is ANYTHING but dead issue in
the south. In proof OF the first it is even
suspected now that converts of the
VOORHEES, stripe are louder in their pub
lie endorsement of the repeal bill than
in private councils, while majority are
outspoken in their hostility toward it.
But, above all, it shows that the old fire
eating spirit still dominates the south,
and that all the south requires to put the
seal of state sovereignty above national
authority is numbers. So intent
upon this policy are they that early in
an extra session, called for purpose
entirely foreign to this class of legisla-
ton, the south comes forward at the
very initiatory of the first Democratic
congress with a measure which is little
less than revolutionary bill providing
that the federal congress shall surrender
to the ward and the township the
authority for controlling and deciding
upon the election of its own members.
There is nothing in his public utterances
indicating that the president is not with
his party in support of this bill, and,
while Republicans are favorable to a
repeal of the purchase clause of the Sher-
man law, they are nnder no obligation
TO aid measure intended solely to de-
termine the character of our national
congress for all time to- come; especially
since it places it in the hands of the
solid south. 1t is folly to close our eyes
to the significance of this bill. Even
granting that its provisions may result
in no Larm in the near future, the re-
moving of all restraints would hardly be
the safe policy.
The simple truths of history forbid it.
The present law is regarded equitable
and just by three-fourths of the voters
of the country. The only objection
urged in favor Of its repeal is its ineffi-
cheney.
II all laws are to be repealed which
are not enforced to the letter, we would
have none This law works no hardship
to the honest voter. If it provides that
every legal vote may be cast, and count
ed as cast, it cannot be enforced too
rgidly; but it is significant that the OPP
position comes from the south, and from
a party which once declared in its plat
forms that the war for the preservation
of the Union was a failure.