The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-11-11
nEalEHTIll IIsI0lY.


nhc Only Pressdens Who was ever Re-
eesct<d After . Reslrcmcnt.
The Democratic landslide OF 1922
which placed Grover Cleveland for
the second time In the presidential
chair followed the fAilure OF the most
seuDendous efforts ever made by ANY
persy 70 perpstuats itself In power.
WAea the Republicans came back In
- shetr own after the end OF the first
Cleveland administration. they left
~ sssas unturnsd. 90 Tar as legisla-
sisa was concerned. to make their
power absolute and to prevent tho
poes1beiiU Of another Democr attic
prool1ent.
rs arss thing the Republicans did
under the Harrison administra ton
was 20 admit six states to the Union,
thinking thereby TO assure their par
~ Of twelve additional Republican
senator's and twenty additional votes
IN the electoral college. The house
Of rspisssstasivss IVES Republican by
. very narrow margin. Democratic
nsnbsrs we're unssassd by wholesale
- gfvs their places to Republican
eeAtsstants. without regard to the
merits q their ciaims.
1Asa followed the attempt to enact
the Force bin. IL authors and pro-
pensnts called Il the Federal Election
bill. but II was % odious to the ma
jorsty cf The people OF both parties
that the name applied by the Demo-
erats stuck to II the longest. This bill
provided that all elections for federal
onces. that IN. representatives and
presidential electors should be under
the direct control of the federal gov
ernment- That meant carpet bag
returning boards in the south. sup
ported by bayonets Of federal soldiers
and pistols OF federal deputy marshals
and . solid south" which would have
been soiidly Republican. The fact
that the negroes were not permitted
70 vote freely. or that their votes were
not counted. was the principal argu-
ment used for the bill. and the only
asgument which gave the cause a
shadow Of justification.
4 Tho Force bill was passed by the
house and went to Republican sem
ate. There the absolute freedom OF
unlimited debate gave the Democrats
chance to night the majority. The
Republican senator's from the far
West were not heartily In sympathy
with the Force bill advocates. The
western Republicans had long since
ceased to wave the bloody shirt" In
campaigns. and the westeruers had
not known tho bitterness OF armed
conflict The Democrats had caucus
after caucus and decided upon their
plans with the greatest care. II was
matter OF life and death to them.
and they knew It.
Southern senators OF the old "'rebel
brigadier" type-men OF culture and
poiish---werc assigned. man for man.
60 pay court 20 the rough diamonds
OF the West who were their colleagues
on the otner side OF that chasm mark
ed by the center aisle OF the senate
chamber. The talk went on unceas-
ingly for days and nights. The whole
country was discussing the probability
Of the senate adopting cloture rule
TO limit debate.
Finally. about . O'clock one morn
ING. Senator Daniel. OF Virginia. left
his crutches In the cloak room and
shufned on the floor Senator Vest
OF Missouri. was speaking He had
been speaking for hours and hours
and hours Daniel whispered to him:
Its all right. we have enough votes
60 beat H. Senator Stanford. OF Cali
fornia. IL with US" LET me finish
my speech" said Vest. And ne went
on to put proper rhetorical and ora
torical finish on the speech that was
meant for nothing but to gain time.
The Force bill was dead. Its advocates
knew u and did not press for a vote.
In that night the Democrats were
aided and abetted by two eastern Re-
pubiicans. and their victory was due
In great part to Matthew 8. Quay and
Don Cameron. senator's from the rock
ribbed Republican state OF Pennsyl-
vanis. Quay was to figure greatly in
the coming events. He had elected
Harrison over great difficulties. and
he naturally supposed that he was to
be rewarded for his efforts In the
manner that politicians are ever re-
warded. He found to his surprise that
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