The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-05-03
THE PRESIDENTS VETO.
ne nesurns the Array NH % cengress
without his Approval.


WASHINGTON, April 29.--The President re.
tarned the army bill TO the House this morn.
ing without his signature
The President states that his reasons for
refusing TO sign the bill are based on the fact
that the sixth section Of the bill embraces leg.
islation which is very Objectionable. In the
first place, 1t f0rbids the use OF troops TO keep
peace at the polls. This provision the Presi.
dent declares to be unnecessary and uncalled
for at this time In June, 1878, Congress pas.
sed an act forbidding the use of United States
troops by civil officers Of the United States as
posse comftdtRs except in cases where such
use is expressly authorized by law.
Since the passage of that act no one pre-
tends that troops have been near the polls at
an election, or that he has any fears that sol.
diers will be so used to influence elections.
There is no purpose on the part Of the execu.
tive to make such use Of troops, even If the
law OF June, 1878, did not etfectually prohibit
it. The pretense, therefore, that there is any
occasion at the present time for Legislation Of
this kind has no foundation in fact
In the second place, the effect of the section
is to prevent the use of force by civil oiliiers
of the law 10 preserve peace or to enforce the
laws Of the United States at the polls on cleo.
ton day. This, in the estimation OF the Pres
ident, is the most Objectionable feature Of the
bill.
He argues that the election laws are eonst.
tutional and necessary, and that they have
been properly enacted. There is, he says, no
serious complaint against the execution of
them. If these laws need TO be changed Con
gress has the power TO amend them. That is
not what Congress purposes to do in this bill.
Il seeks to deprive the Executive of the DOW
erto enforce the laws which, so far as this bill
is concerned, are allowed to remain upon the
the statute book. That is proceeding of
which the President says he viii not approve.
IL Congress wishes to amend or repeal the
election laws, let 1t put the improved enact
ment into the same bill in which it proposes
TO wipe out the old law, so that the country
may see that, while the present safeguards
that have been wisely thrown about the bal
lot-box are removed, others equally effective
are enacted in their place. ii objection is
made TO the present mode of appointing
United States Marshall TO serve at the polls
on election day, or ii the present law is con.
sidered to be partisan in this regard, let Con-
gress change it, and cause the appointment
OF marshals to be made by the same machin-
cry that is now provided for the appointment
OF supervisors of election. No objection
would probably be made to such change in
the law. But the army bill purposes no such
amendment as this. 1t leaves the election
laws exactly as they are, but makes them in
effect null and void, by taking away from the
Executive all power to enforce them.
The President also objects to the bill on the
ground that it is extraneous matter attached
to M appropriation bill, for the purpose of
coercing the Executive into approval Of u
measure from which be is expected to with
hold his approval. He also argues that to
refuse to appropriate money for the support
OF the army, as retalatory measure, would
be to divert money which has already been
raised by taxation from its legitimate purpose.
The President also calls attention to the fact
that % States have already condemned this
method ofprocnriug legislation by forbidding
their Legislatures TO incorporate extraneous
matter in their appropriation bills