National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-13
PRESIDENT GRANT AND THE ARKANSAS
QUESTION

no such threat as the Herald charges. Mr..
Poland and his associates well knew that
the House of Representatives of the United
States would not put itself on record as
sustaining the Garland government, and
knowing this, they very adroitly avoided
the introduction of a resolution or other
matter that required any affirmative action
on the part of the House. What the Presi-
dent wants is that Congress itself shall de.
eide the question. The opinion of the
four members Of the committee who sign
the majority report is worth no more than
the opinion of any other four members
| Of the House. The action Of the commit
tee IL not the action of the House, much
less that of Congress, until both Houses
have, In some manner, indicated that the
report Of the committee embodies Its views,
Continuing, the Herald saysi "1f the
committee think the new constitution
land the Garland government aFe sup
"pofted by large majority Of tho people,
land are legally valid, what occasion Il
"theFe for Congress 10 take definite action,
Tor to net upon II at all 7" Suppose court
Ind appointed master 10 take certain ties,
| timHRy and make report thereon, would
the report Of the master have any force or
effect until II was affirmed or approved by
the eouEtY Would any one claim, except
the editor Of the Herald, that the finding Of
the master Is that Of the court without lgF-
Their actlonH What power, other than
Is conferred on master In chan,
Gerry, was the Arkansas committee
clothed with The President knew
what the opinion OF the committee
was when he sent his message to the Sen.
ate. What he now wants is the opinion OF
Congress. Under the provisions Of the act
Of February %, 1895, 1t is made lawful for
the President of the United States to sup
press an instruction in State against the
government thereof, and to this end he is
authorized to employ the army and navy
of the United States. The President in his
message says chat in 1874 the constitution
of the State was, by violence, intimida-
"tion and revolutionary proceedings,
overthrown and a new constitution
"adopted and a new State government Gs-
tablished." How a State government
could be overthrown "by violence, intimi-
dation and revolution" without the COM
mission of such acts as would amount to
an instruction against an existing State
! government, we are at loss to see.
The Herald further says that ''the alleged
irregularity is merely technical, and no
greater than has happened in many other
States in adopting new constitutions. "
/ From this point our illiterate cotemporary
goes on to say that the present constitution of
New York was framed and adopted in disre-
gard of the constitution that preceded it.
The constitution of New York, like the con-
stitution of Arkansas, provided for its own
amendment The Legislature of New York
passed an act providing for the assembling
of constitutional convention, but in the
State of New York there was no question
that The Legislature was legally in session
that passed the convention act there was
no question IN New York that the persons
who pretended to be members of the legis.
lature were in fact what they pretended to
be, while in Arkansas fifty persons were
admitted to seats in tue so called Legislature
that provided for calling a constitutional
convention who were no more entitled to
seats in that body than is its correspondent
in Africa. In the State of n W York the
Legislature did not impeach and suspend the
| judges of the Supreme Court for treason,
and provide for the appointment of Gd int
rim appointees nor did the Legislature pass
an act closing the courts OF the State for q
period of seven months and pass acts in.
hibiting the judges at chambers from en-
joining or in any manner interfering with
the officers Of election provided by the con-
vention act, as was done In Arkansas; nor
was the State under martial law, and prom
inent men seized and thrown into prison
for opposing the constitution, and promised
discharge If they would support 1t. Nor
was the act calling constitutional conven.
ton in direct conflict first, with clause Of
the constitution providing for registration
Of voters, and, second, with another pro.
vision Of the constitution providing for the
use OF the secret ballot. Then, again, the
constitutional convention did not attempt in
New York TO provide the election machin.
cry for holding, ascertaining and declaring
the result Of the election held for the
adoption or rejection Of the same, or the
officers TO administer the same.
A constitutional convention In Pennsyl.
vania, not long since, attempted to provide
the machinery for holding the election on
the adoption Of the same, and the Supreme
Court of that State said 1t had no such
power in no less than three well-considered
cases wherein there is no dissent.
Then, again, Arkansas was admitted to
representation upon the fundamental
condition that any alteration Of its
constitution in regard to the time and
place of residence of voters should be
prospective in its effect" The compact
OF admission has been violated, and the
paramount allegiance which by the con.
stitution of 1868 was acknowledged to be
due to the Federal Government is with
drawn. These violations of the constitu-
ton Of the State and of the compact of ad-
mission, the Herald says, are mere techni-
calities." The facts in the Arkansas case
have been stated and restated, but the pri-
vateer journalists of New York close their
eyes to the truth, and say Grant has Just
las much legal authority to reinstate the
"old constitution of New York as he has
"to send an army to revive the dead and
discarded constitution of Arkansas after
"the people, acting under the authority of
"the Legislature, have established an
"other." Judge Poland and his commit
| tee say that the Garland constitution was
not adopted by the authority of the Legis-
lature, but under the provisions of an ordi-
nance of the convention, which they say it
had no authority to pass. The truth of the
matter is the Herald perverts the facts in
order to strengthen Its attack on the Presi-
| dent
"a PLAGUE ON BOTH YOUR HoUsEsm
A paragraph published in THE REPUB-
LIcAE some days ago, to the effect that
John Parselle, the actor, and not Hart
| jackson was the real adanter of the YER