The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-02-16
Military Rule in the soush.

the Republican politicians to use th,
army to carry the presidential cleo
5ion in number of States wher,
there is a great negro vote. Unde
these circumstances it is impossible
if our Democratic friends are gifted
with ordinary intelligence. We have
the House of Representatives by /.
vote Of nearly two to one. The Re
publicans have the Senate and tn,
: President. But all monetary bills :.
that's, bills for the appropriation o.
money-must originate in the House
'fof Representatives. Herein is key
to big question. There is nothing
of an administrative character that
is carried on without money. The
Democratic majority in the House
can, and we presume will, avail itselt
iof the circumstances. twill not ap.
lpropriate money for the support Of
an army to be used in carrying the
elections in the South by violence
and terror. Itlis an old law in the
North chat lf6t a soldier shall ap.
proach the polls nearer than three
miles when votes are being deposi.
ted. 1t is most wholesome statute,
1t should be observed. The Demo.
cratic House should reduce the stan.
ding army of $4,000 men to 10000, il
indeed it does not abolish it alto
gether. We do not need any army
People are sadly overtaxed. Hele is
where retrenchment can be put in to
4 advantage - retrenchment that will
(! save tens Of millions of dollars
Now, all bills for the appropriation
of money must originate in the House
| of Representatives. That body can
! annex such conditions to the appro-
priation as it chooses. ct can reduce
the number in the army. 1t can
abolish it altogether. 1t can require
it TO be used where it is only service
able-in the Territories against In
dian incursions. 1t should do one of
these things. The present admins
tration is not fit to be trusted with
the control of the army. 1t should
be taken from it. There should be
either no army, or its control should
be limited by an act Of Congress, its
interference in elections should be
positively prohibited under the Sc
verust penalties. The Democratic
House should deliver this ultimatum
to the Senate and to the President.
Not dollar for the oppression of The
people in any State. Not dollar
for the control of any election. That
| period has passed never to return.
Either abolish the standing army al
| together, or reducc it so that it can
only he cmplo.cd against the savage
af the W,steln PIaias. Make it II
}sfae gna non that in no event shall it
tie used in any State This is in,lls
pensahlc. For number of years af-
ter the war it WAS the regular United
States Army that carried elections in
the Southern States. BY terrorism
; at the polls they elected public Off
GERS. They chose carpet 5aggcrs and
negroes to office who had neither
standing nor character. We do not
propose to return to this system
We do not mean that the Democratic
| House of Representatives shall he a
a party to it. 1t has the sword of
Damocles suspended over the army.
If the sword fails nobody will regret
it. The regular army is not popular.
! We do not need it. In these times
of peace, and when every appropria-
ton should be reduced to the lowest
figure, its abolition would be hailed
with rejoicing. Our correspondent
1 states that any restrictions or limita-
tions by the House of the control of
the army would be disrcgarded by
the Executive Administration, that
is, by the President. Let him try it.
We would have au excellant oppor-
tunity for approximations that
would receive the sanction of the
American people. But we do not be-
lieve that General Grant would do
any such thing. In any event, the
Democratic House has the corrective
in its own hands. If by the soldiery
of the United States any State is car
ried against the wishes of her citi-
zens, its vote can not be counted
without the assent of the present
House. That assent will not be Civ
en-. The omission to count the vote
is the same as if it was counted for
the Democrats. We can, therefore,
stand frauds and violence in the cleo
ton very well. A failure to elect
the President would Onlv send il tn