The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-05
in the serene and honorable retirement of

in the serene and honorable retirement OF
his old age
our House Of Representatives with It's two com.
manding prorogati,cs and perfect epreseutation,
should not TAIL below the British House Of Commons in
the fulnlmcnt OF its mission For the first thirty
years 1t was the controlling branch Of the Government
and the Whose action the public eye fixed
The high functions of the House given tot Wise
Iurposcs-ior paramount national objects 1t is the i'm
mediate representation Of the people and should com.
mand their confidence and their hopes As the sole
originator Of tax hills It l. the dspcncr burdens
on the people and Of supplies To the Government As
sole author OF impeachment, It Is the grand isucst Of
the nation. and has supervision over all Official dcln
qucncies Duty itself tots hgh functions to the poo
pie, to the Constitution and 10 the character Of demo
cratic government require 10 and maintain 1t.
controlling place in the machinery and working OF our
Federal Government"
In all the years since the foundation of
the Government no question has ever been
raised about the right OF the House to
choose its own methods Of legislation, ac-
cordng TO its own rules and it's own pleas
urc, and it has from the beginning been n
rare instance when any Of the great supply
bills have gone over to the Senate, or up to
tho Executive. without fresh provisions of
law. other than the mere words of appropra-
tion. This was the constant, regular. and
unqucstioned practice, until the Democratic
majority i'm the Forty-third Congress re-
stricted il by new rule in the interest Of
economy and reform. While the Rcpubi-
cans controlled the House. when DE GoLYER
GARFIELD was Chairman OF the Committee
on Appropriations, and "held the purse
strings Of the nation" new Legislation was
constantly being added to these bills.
and almost invariably in the direc-
ton OF increased expenditures, extrav-
aganee, and corruption. To remedy this
evil the House in its own discretion-no one
pretending that II was under any constitu-
tional obligation to do so-adoptcd a rule,
which forbade any additions to these bills
except such rs were manlfestly designed TO
save, directly or indirectly, the public
money.
This rule, reported from committee
Of which GARFIELD was member and
adopted without serious opposition from
any quarter, IL an express recognition Of
the right and power of the House in the
premises. But now comes DE GoLYER GAR
FIELD, who has made n sudden discovery in
constitutional law, and bellows "rcvolu-
toni" at the top of his voice, the moment it
is proposed to say in an appropriation bill
NllbN lllt lltdSul Siltil IOl bt tlltIRtQ WIFI
the maintenance OF Il multitude Of partisan
strikers called deputy marshals, or with
the transportation of the army from place
TO place TO control elections. And accord
ing TO this new DANIEL, IL is revolution
whether this action be taken by one House
alone. or 10y both Houses concurring. The
Legislature OF the Union has no right 10
prescribe the conditions upon which the pub
lie money shall De dlsbursed. II has no
right TO say that IL shall not be expended ~
obstruct the free use OF the elective fran
chise, and TO terrorize the people in the
choice Of rulers. That, cries DE GoLYIR
GARFIELD, speaking for the party which
holds executive power by virtue OF forged
electoral certificates, that STRIKES at the
nerve centres" OF course IL docs; the blow
ia aimed directly at the nerve centres OF
fraud, and Is meant to paralyzc them so
completely that repetition OF the crime OF
1876 will he impossible. II Is the crack Of
doom to the party whose victories at the
polls are won by force and preserved 10y
fraud, and, whatever it may seem TO others,
it is revolution OF the most startling kind
to DE GoLYER GARFIELD and all the bcne-
cumstance that the last stand q the A 1hcd
honored Republican party, in the last ditch.
should be made in defence OF its chosen ma
chinery OF fraud and force in clcctionsl