Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-15
ANOTHER FORCE BILL.

Now that the Republicans are assured
that they will be in power in ali branch
es of tho Federal Government after
March 4. 1892 they are talking about
passing a force bill. The recent race
riots in the Carolinas furnish them
with all the excuse they wish. Nor does
Il matter with them that those dis
turbances were provoked by the negroes
themselves. or, perhaps, we would better
say, by those negroes who suffered
themselves .to be guided by incendiary
whites.
We had expected this news. Mr. Hanna
and Mr.. Reed have long been itching TO
discipline the South They would have
done it years ago If they had had the
power. That they will do it now we
cannot doubt-unless there is such a de-
velopment of public opinion in the North
and West as Will convince them that to
go into the force-bill business again will
mean the defeat of their candidate for
the presidency in 1900. There is evidence
that the intelligent and conservative
businessmen Of the North are opposed
10 Federal interference with the affairs
Of the South. Wen they know that no.
hing Congress could do would make the
people of the South submissive to negro
domination.
1t is expected that the standing army
Of the United States will be enlarged
until IT numbers 100000 men, but even
that great host will be inadequate TO
the needs of the Republican party If it
be expected that part of its duty will
be the bulldozing of the whites of the
Southern States,
We presume that the scheme Of Hanna
and Reed will be boosted" by the Presi-
dent In his next message to Congress.
Doubtless he will also refer to the Virden
Qll.) riot, so as to give an air of impair
TALLY TO his presentation OF the subject.
Then, we suppose, there will be several
committees of investigation appointed by
the House. Then. after the plot has been
fully worked up it will be left to the new
Congress TO pass such laws as the ad-
ministration may favor.
That this is the present tentative pro-
gramme Of our enemies we have no sort
of doubt. That they would like to exc
cute 1t we take for granted; but the time
may come when they will have 10 con-
slider how such reactionary legislation
would affect the presidential election.
Doesn't this country realize that the
enfranchisement of the freedman was
the blunder Of the century? Doesn't 1t
know that il would be far better to elimi-
nate the negro from politics altogether
than to attempt to set him up in power
by Federal force?
The northern people have been learning
slowly, but they have been learning sure
~, we think, that the South would bet
ter be left alone to deal with the race
issue. The time for force bills has
passed. We have new conditions TO deal
with. We shall have TO administer the
law TO millions of people of the dark
races. and IL would be absurd for these
United States TO pretend TO believe that
they are as intelligent and as capable of
self-government as white men are.
Some OF our contemporaries declare
they cannot believe President Mckinley
will lend himsen to any scheme looking
TO force-bill legislation. We do not look
at the matter that way. Affable and
suaye as Mr.. Mckinley is. he is charge
able with doing vast deal towards ex-
citing race prejudice In the South. His
administration has been distinguished for
the number OF negroes put into office.
Some of these appointees are as obnox-
ious In the communities In which they
reside as Il IL possible for men 10 be.
Others are VIGOROUSLY incompetent. In
All Of these appointments the President