The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-19
military invasion OF England or her
provinces is preposterous
THE REPUBLICAN POSITION ON
ELECTORAL REFORM.

AicsiueHt ndTIisOH anu ELECTORAL ne
form has elected comment from some
OF its contemporaries. The article opened
with the statement that mo President
of the United States was ever so earnest
and persistent in his recommendations
to Congress for legislation to secure a
free and fair ballot as was President
Harrison" and supported the statement
with quotations from each one of his an
nual messages in which he invoked the
earnest attention of Congress to the SUBJ
ject- The article closed with a quotation
from an address recently issued by the
Southern Ballot Rights League, OF Ala
bama. urging its members and the peo-
pie of the State generally to work, ir-
respective Of party. for fair and honest
elections as the only safeguard of true
republican government The spirit of
the article was commended, and 1t was
suggested that perhaps this movement
in the South might be in some measure
due to General Harrisons earnest pre-
sentation of the subject while President.
The Washington Post expresses sur
prise at the appearance Of such an article
in General Harrison's home organ" 1t
says the defeat of the force bill and the
repeal of federal election laws have been
generally accepted as a settlement of
one of the disturbing issues in American
politics, and it cannot understand why
an attempt should be made to revive the
issue by bringing out General Harrisons
record on the question. The Detroit
Free Press. which also refers to the
Journal .'ex-President Harrison's
home organ" treats the article in ques-
ton in much more partisan and un-
fair spirit. 1t charges the Journal with
trying to make the force bill live
ISSUE and says lit claims for it's cam
didate the most persistent advocacy of
federal invasion of honest elections"
This is not true. General Harrison has
never advocated federal invasion of
State elections" and the Journal has
not attributed any such advocacy to
him. 1t simply called attention to the
fact that while President he had repeat
edly and earnestly urged the necessity
of reform in this matter, and that now
public sentiment throughout the entire
country was moving up to his position.
1t is the fortune or misfortune of the
Journal to be continually referred to as
General HARRISON home organ" This
does him and the paper injustice. The
Journal does not assume to express
General Harrison's personal views on
public questions. and he is in no way
responsible for the views it does ex-
press. The only tie between them is the
consistent advocacy of Republican prin-
ciples and the standing together on the
Republican national platform. The last
national convention declared as follows:
We demand that every citizen of the
United States shall be allowed to cast one
elections, and that such ballot shall be
counted and returned as cast; that such
secure to every citizen, be he rich or poor,
native or foreign born, white or black, this
sovereign right guaranteed by the Consti-
tuition. The free and honest popular paiiot,
the Just and equal representation OF all the
people. as well as their just and equal pro-
lection under the laws. are the foundation
Of our republican institutions, and the
party will never relax it's efforts until the
integrity of the ballot and the purity of
elections shall be fully guaranteed in every
State.
That is the Republican platform until
another shall be adopted. The Journal
stands on it, and it assumes that Gen.
eral Harrison does. If there is person
in the United States who does not, he is
not Republican. The resolution
quoted does not declare in favor of any
particular legislation. nor of federal
legislation of any kind. 1t declares in
favor of an end which may be fully Sc
cured by State legislation, and, a
matter of fact. many States are making
steady progress in that direction. The
Journal is inclined to believe that under
the circumstances the repeal of the So
called but unjustly called 'force bill'
was judcious, and it is not in favor at
this time OF re-enacting the law or re-
viving the issue further than may be
done by prosecuting an educational
campaign and persistently urging the
paramount duty and vital necessity of
securing fair and honest elections. The
South seems to be making some progress
in the right direction, and as long as it
shall continue to do so. even slowly, 1T
is probably best not to take the risk Of
arresting the movement by experimental
or irritating legislation. The Journal
does not know General Harrison's per-
sonal views on this particular phase of
the electoral question, and does not as
sumo to reflect them. The original edi-
torial herein referred to was simply in
tended to show that while President he
had been a consistent, outspoken and
unwavering advocate of fair and honest
elections, and,it has no reason TO believe
that he has moved at all from that posi-