The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1920-10-08
ALF TAYLOR AND
THE FORCE BILL

If there are any Democrats in Ten
nessee who are thinking of voting for
Col. Alf Taylor for Governor, they
should first get acquainted with his
record while serving as member of
Congress of 1890, when the infamous
f'Force Bill' was UP for considera-
tion before that body. They should
acquaint themselves with that gen.
tleman's opinion of the South and
his vote and acts while member OF
the Fifty-frst Congress.
The Federal Election Bill, COM
monty known in. the South as the
"Force BILL" provided for the elimi-
nation from the officials of the va
rious States all power to control the
elections held in them. 1t provided
that Chief Supervisor of Elections
should be appointed for every district
by the Judge of the United States
Circuit Court, and this Supervisor
should in turn appoint three super
visors to control the elections in ev-
cry precinct of the various States.
That these supervisors might be able
to enforce their demands, 1t was pro-
-vided that they should have guard
oil United States Deputy Marshals,
unlimited in number, to stand
around the polling places and see
that everything was carried on to
suit the whims of these Federal SUI
pervisors. These men also had the
power to go into the homes of the
people prior to election days and in
vestigate their registration, and II
foreigners, to ascertain whether they
had been properly naturalized, etc.
When the polls were ready to count,
these supervisors were empowered TO
count the ballots and certify the re-
suits to the Chief Supervisor, who IN
turn would certify the results to the
Chief Clerk of, the House of Repre-
SenJdllYe6 dls WdSHih6toh' WhO hAuos'
under penalty of fine and imprison-
ment, receive the results announced
by such supervisors, and must ig-
more any results certified to by any
Governor of any State, which did not
harmonize with the. certification Of
these supervisors. Its purpose was
to intimidate the Southern voter, aud
enable the Republican party by force
of arms to control the election oil
Southern Representatives in Con-
gress. 1t was to enable them to steal
the election of Congressman just as
they stole the electoral vote from
.Tilden and gave it to Hayes in thas
memorable contest.
Benton McMillin, then in Congress
from Tennessee, said 1t was the
most far-reaching and revolutionary
proposition ever. presented L is
Capitalization run mad" He also
pointed out that it would require the
services of about 100000 mer at a
cost to the Government at each elec-
tion of not less than S12,000.00O.
Representative Csleman, Republi-
can, of Louisiana, opposed the Dill as
being "a very expensive political
blunder, and sectional in its opera
tion."
Representative Ewart, Of North
Carolina, Republican. said. ut is
as damnable, illogical, inequitable
and vicious piece of legislation as
was ever attempted to be placed up
on the statute books of this country.
It is a sectional measure designed a.
most entirely for the South"
WHAT DID TAYLOR SAY?
Col. Taylor, then in Congress,
said: I'm the district represent,
ALTHOUGH IN THE SOUTH, fraud
and intimidation in elections are un-
known. Gentlemen on this side of
the House have shown the frequency
and enormity of these outrages;
have shown to what depths of degra-
dation and dishonor our boasted
elective system has been dragged;
have demonstrated the absolute ne
cessity for this law, and their argu-
ments stand unanswered to this good
hour, and their statements are un-
assailed.
HIS OPINION OF THE DEMOCRAT
&c PARTY.
"But the Democratic party, true to
its history, ever ready to array itself
against all measures of REFORM. T.
comes forward in solid phalanx to
oppose and attempt to defeat this
bill, . which is to punish ballot
box thieves, bGbe-givers, and bribe-
takers
TAYLOR SAYS IT WAS NOT
STRONG ENOUGH.
''It is not the bill some of us
wanted. Some of us wanted an even
stronger law, but we yielded and
accepted this bill. It may not ac-