Birmingham state herald., 1896-10-10
MCKINLEY AND THE FORGE BILL.

Of all the nefarious attempts of the republican party against self-govern- ment and home rule, only the abominable reconstruction acts approach in enormity the infamous Lodge force bill of 1890.
 This detestable measure was intended to perpetuate the grasp of the republican party on the federal government. Had it become law, there never would have been thereafter a free or fair election by the people in the United States until that party had been expelled by force or revolution from it's usurped and despotic power
 What connection had Mckinley with that bill and it's passage through the house of representatives? Here are the facts:
 There was such opposition to this atro- cious assault upon freedom of elections, even in Boss Reeds notorious billion dol lar congress. in which Mckinley was his partys leader on the floor-and that even among republican members-that those who were trying to push it through could not hope to pass 1t, without the adoption of a gag rule, to stifle debate and cut off amendment. Such rule could be reached only by the action of the house committee on rules. That commit tee consisted of Boss Reed, Cannon of H. linois, and Mckinley, republicans, and Blount and McMillin, democrats. The last two opposed and the first two fa- vored the gag Mckinley broke the tie, and voted in favor of it. and did all he could to push it and the force bill through the house. If any one in the country is responsible more than all others for the most infamous bill that ever came before congress, that person is William Mo- Kinley, Jr who has the effrontery now to talk about a reunited country, and re- stored good feeling between the sections of it.
 That bill if enacted into law, would have placed federal troops and officials in charge of our elections, in defiance of state laws, and would have been a. vir- tual subversion of free government in the United States. Our people are under obligations which can never be measured nor cancelled to the democratic minority in the senate, aided by the free silver senators, Teller, Jones, Stewart and others for the defeat in that body of this execrable attempt upon the freedom of elections, and the sovereignty of the states and of the people.
 In 1892, it was this enormity, more, per- haps, than anything else, which caused the people to hurl it's authors and the party responsible for it from power in every branch of the government. Tn many parts of the land it was regarded and treated-and properly too-as the over shadowing issue of the campaign
 This is not the only occasion on which ,,,J1 loe, c1,n jS nf fnI, the freedom of elections, and his partial ity to the use of military force to control them. Time and again, and as late as 1879, he resisted and voted against the prohibition of the use of federal troops at the polls, except to repel armed enc mics of the United States. In fact this fondness for the use of arbitrary power and brute force is about the only thing, except his robber tariff, in which he has been uniformly consistent.
 As there is sin incapable of pardon by even infinite mercy, so in politics there are crimes which never can be condoned or forgiven by those who love their coun- try, it's people and their liberties. The man who for any purposes whatever would ensave his countrymen and place upon their necks the yoke of despotic, arbitrary power, not only does not merit rewards and honors at their hands, but should have their heaviest and most un- relenting condemnation. He is unfit to be trusted with any authority or power, and could have his full deserts only by being forced to wear the shackles he sought to rivet on his fellow men. We hear talk of Mckinley democrats" The name repeated in the internal re- gions might well excite the mockings and derisive scoffs and scorn of spartate spirits, writhing amid adamantive chains and penal fires"
 CORN AND COAL.