The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-06-08


Mr.. Thurman. We r going t.
get into the majority of Ohio if yor
. pass this bill, and then l know it viii
be put on to you if my suggestion bt
adopted.
THE ARMY AS AN ELECTIONEER-
ING ELEMENT.
Now, for fear that Judge Leavitt
i'll his gown, with his marshals and
hunkies, viii not be sufficient to exc
cute this law as he goes about through
the State of OHIO, here is another sec
ton a little more forcible:
Sec. II. Ind be ii further enacted,
That it 81 all be lawful for the Presi.
dent of the United States. orsuch per-
son as he may empower for that pur-
pose, to employ such part of the land
or naval forces of the United States,
or of the militia, as shall be deemed
necessary to prevent the violation and
enforce the due execution of this act.
The President may execute the cleo
ton laws of the states where there is
no domestic violence at all, no case
arising under the constitution for the
exercise of the military power of Uni
ted States by the President of the Uni
ted States ; 10 Instruction, no domes-
tic violence, but some danger of Il lit
tie cheating at the election; and then
to prevent the cheating at the elections
the President is to call out the military
force ; and he may not only command
them himself, but he may authorize
anybody else to do it-"such person
as he may empower for.that purpose"
He may give his power of attorney to
Governor Bullock, of Georgia, and
then Governor Bullock, of Georgia,
is to become the commander of the
military forces in Georgia, to go
around and see that there is no
cheating at the polls there! Sir,
where do you get your power under
the constitution to do any such thing
as that? Where do you get the pow
er under the constitution for the Presi-
dent of the United States 10 delegate
to me or to any other MAJ the power
to employ the land or naval forces in
my discretion-not in the discretion.
Of the President, but in my discretion
to prevent cheating ut the ballot
box, or cheating in registration, where
there is no violence, no instruction,
nothing to prevent the peaceful execu-
ton of the law .l o
THE WHOLE BILL AT WAR WITH
FREE INSTITUTIONS.
1 must say, Mr.. President, that 1
am lost in amazenent at this bill. [
say it without any afectation. [ am
Loot ~ n ,n-anNnnF 4hof cnoh n hill nc
this should be presented by such a
committee to the senate of the United
States. If;you need a law to enforce
the fifteenth amendment, if you have
a right to pass such a law before there
has beena any obstruction or interference
in the states, for the sake of decency
at least, pass a decent and reasonable
law, and not such q law as this.
Why, sir, everybody knows that in
England it is q punishable Ofense for
any troops to be within a mile of a
booth when an election is going
on. 1t is a punishable offense to have
the troops of the realm within a mile
of the place of voting; but under this
forsooth, we are to have the
of the United States, under the
of some attorney of the
President OF the United States, to see
that no voter is deprived of his right
to vote I say that such a thing as
that is wholly inconsistent with free
institutions and with q republican
of government. You are pnt-
the civil under military authority
n its most vital point, when, in the
very choice of your civil officers, ev-
erything is to be done under the SUI
oervision and liable to the interference
IF the military. Sir, 1 have seen the
line when every mar would have
been utterly. shocked at snch an idea,
hat you could surround the place of
election with troops of the. United
under the command of any
body to whom the President of the
States saw FIT to confide them
hat they might interfere; because if
hey are simply as q show they are OF
10 use at all, but only an injury, and
f they are to act, then they are to
Lct by somebody's command.
This bill does not provide that they
Ire to act upon the call or demand OF
my civil authority whatever. Upon
whose command then, are they toact?
Who is authorize them to interfere?
It can only be upon the command of
he military officer who commands
hem, or this.person holding the ofpow
II attorney from the President of the
States, and he cannot be every
He must, therefore second
lis officers. Here a lieutenant with
squad of troops at the ballot-box is
decide, this lieutenant of infantry,
Irtillery, or dragons is to decid when
lie shall interfere with an election of
he people that we used to call the
rec and sovereign people of the UNI.
ed States. Senators, if you can pass
such a bill, do if. If you a do it in
his country, and quietly and patient
y and approvingly, do it, then all L
nave to say is that this country is lost
% all sense of freedom, of liberty, and