December session it was taken up for consideration, but after a
few days of debate a motion to lay it aside was carried by the
Democrats with the assistance of enough Republicans to give them
a majority. This was the end of force bills, and during President
Cleveland's second term the few remaining statutes giving
authority for federal interference in such matters was repealed
under the lead of Senator Hill of New York. With the passage of
this act, the Republican party leaders for the first time
abandoned all purpose of attempting to secure by national
legislation the political privileges of the negroes. This
determination was announced is the Senate by Mr. Hoar and was
assented to by Senator Chandler of New Hampshire, who had been a
zealous champion of federal action. According to Mr. Hoar, "no
Republican has dissented from it."

The facts upon which the force bill was based were so notorious
and the bill itself was so moderate in its character that the
general indifference of the public seemed to betray moral
insensibility and emotional torpor. Much could be said in favor
of the bill. This latest assertion of national authority in
federal elections involved no new principle. In legalistic
complexion the proposed measure was of the same character as
previous legislation dealing with this subject, instances of
which are the Act of 1842, requiring the election of members of
the House by districts, and the Act of 1866, regulating the
election of United States Senators. Fraudulent returns in
congressional elections have always been a notorious evil, and
the partisan way in which they are passed upon is still a gross
blemish upon the constitutional system of the United States, and
one which is likely never to be removed until the principle of