The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-03-21
; NO. 81.

. money or the troops thus granted, in
$ sustaining lie al governments in
D South Caroline and louisiana
e Twenty years ago the Republicans,
, then a majority in the House, tackled
F, on similar condition to the Army
r bill, making it applicable to Kansas.
; When free speech and free immi-
grafton into that Territory were to
, be defended, the Republicans of that
t day, in the freshness of their youth
) and in their fidelity to the principle
which called that party into exis-
tence, demanded that Democratic
President should not use the army
to aid or abet in the extension Of
slavery. They were right then
Now, when it is proposed to curb the
Executive and to defend the rights
OF the States against oppression, to
protect liberty and to put down ty.
ranny and fraud, some Of the same
men and the same party, grown cor.
rupt, and loose, and demoralizel,
turn around and renounce the very
principle which gave them the only
claim to popular confidence and sup
port.
The Senate, led by Blaine and Sec
onded by all the extremists, would
neither accept the reduction of the
army nor yield to the clause prohibi
ting the use of troops to maintain
Packard and Chamberlain. Nor
would they even submit to any dim
unition of the great pay and emolu.
ments now received by our superfu
Gus Generals and their magnificent
stats. Repeated conferences were in
vain. The revolutionary leaders
who are now striving for the possess
sion of Hayes, and are inimical to ey-
cry suggestion of a contradictory pol
icy, determined to force this issue.
and thus to drive the more moderate
wing of the Republican party into
line.
The House of Representatives,
stood up bravely and faithfully to its
duty, and insisted upon maintaining
its position; and the Army bill was
lost by the obstinacy of Hayes pro-
fessed friends in the Senate. No in.
jury will be inflicted on the service
or on the country by this mishap.-
We rejoice at the failure, because
public attention will now be drawn to
the huge military establishment
which the people are required to sup
port by oppressive taxation, and to
the disgraceful abuses which have
grown up under 1t. The money for
the army is already appropriated for
the current fiscal year to the Both of
June, or four months ahead. There
is abundant time for reflection, and
if an extraordinary session of Con-
gress be required, why, let it come.
Meantime, the Fraudulent Pr sident
will have shown his hand by acts,
and his intentions for the future can
be better gagged than is now DOS
sible.
During the last eight years, the
army has been used as great ma
chine to pull down honest and set up
fraudulent governments in the South;
or in other words, to uphold one par
ty and to defeat another The spec
tacle recently presented in South
Carolina, Florida and Louisiana. was
not only humiliation to American
character, which has submitted tame.
ly to these repeated scandals under
Grant, but was an outrage upon the
name of free institutions. Step bv
step we have been following in the
beaten paths which lead to military
despotism.
Now, when Fraudulent President
has been installed in office, who soon
err or later must fall into the hands
of the most desperate leaders, and.
who is already ruled by the corrupt
counsels of John Sherman and his
Ring, the House of Representatives,
speaking and acting for the people,
will take no cheap professions and
canting phrases for guarantees
They have locked the doors of the
Treasury after the 1st of July, and
Hayes cannot repeat the burglary by
which he entered the White House.
without being confronted with penal
ties that he is not anxious to SEEK
If he and his friends mean what Of
late they pretend, what need is there
of this great standing army with an