President Cleveland a pious
thanksgiving for the defeat of this "wicked Bill."

Some worthy Republican Senators became alarmed. They thought,
with a good deal of reason, that it was better to allow existing
evils and conditions to be cured by time, and the returning
conscience and good sense of the people, rather than have
the strife, the result of which must be quite doubtful, which
the enactment and enforcement of this law, however moderate
and just, would inevitably create.

On reflection, I came myself to the conclusion that, while
the Bill was reasonable and there was no reasonable doubt
of the power of Congress to enact it, yet the attempt to pass
it, if it were to fail, would do the cause infinite mischief. It
would be an exhibition of impotence, always injurious to
a political party. It would drive back into the Democratic
Party many men who were afraid of negro domination; who looked
with great dislike on the assertion of National power over
elections, and whom other considerations would induce to act
with the Republicans. So I thought it was best to ascertain
carefully the prevailing opinion and see if we were likely
to get the Bill through, and, if we found that unlikely, not
to proceed far enough to have a debate in either House.

Accordingly I visited the House of Representatives, saw several
of my Massachusetts colleagues and some other leaders. They
agreed that, if I found that the Bill could not, in all probability,
pass the Senate, it should be arranged to lay it aside in
the House without making any serious movement for it there.
After that arrangement was made there was a Senate caucus.
I brought up the matter and moved the appointment of a Committee
to consider the whole question of legislation with reference
to the security of elections. A gentleman who had recently
become a Member of the Senate rose and quite angrily objected
to taking up the matter for consideration. He declared that
he would not consent to have the subject introduced in a
Republican caucus. The proceedings of such caucuses are
supposed to be kept from the public. But they are pretty
sure to leak out. I could not very well get up and say that
my reason for asking for a committee was to see whether the
law should be suppressed or not. So I did not urge my motion.
But I did the best I could.

Before reporting the Bill I saw every Republican Senator
and obtained his opinion upon it. I have in my possession
the or