The bill was the most brutal proposition ever introduced into the Congress of the United States by a responsible committee, and it would

The brutality of
the measure.

The two points in the bill which the conservative Republicans were unable to accept were, first, the establishment of martial law for an

The opposition
of conservative
Republicans to
the bill.

Mr. Blaine's
proposed
changes in
the bill.

There is no doubt that all this, while reflecting the good moral feeling of Mr. Blaine, was bad political science and was the very

Criticism of
Mr. Blaine's
propositions.

Mr. Stevens acted correctly, from the point of view of political science and constitutional interpretation, when he declined to accept

Mr. Stevens's
refusal to accept
Mr. Blaine's
amendment.