Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-05-03
The Presidents Veto.

The President returned the army APP
preparation bin 10 tie House Of Representatives
on Tuesday. with bis reasons for Withholding
his approval His objections are confined 10
the sixth section of tue bill, which is ameuda-
tory Of the act Of February %, 1865, which
permits the use Of the Federal troops at times
anu places oi election, tor the pui pose OF keep
ins the peace at the pulls Tue President
irst Objection is that the legislation 10 question
incorporated Ia the appropriation oil Is un-
necessary. because supeltuons. lie refers to
toe act Of Jaue Is. 1878. itself a rider . the
last army appropriation BILL which forbids the
use of the army as p0sse cOHit1fuS Tor the
purpose Of executing the laws, except IN such
eases and under such circumstances as such
use may be expressly althOTizI by the cOu-
stitution or by ac, OF Congress. Since the
passage Of th,s act, the President observes, no
case OF military Interference With the elections
has occurred and, be further argues, under
existing laws there can be 10 such interference.
10 reference % this portion of the message It
may be remarked that, staining separately
and aloue, the fact that any particular measure
Of legislation may b., ~ the judgment OF toe
President, unnecessary, would hardly be con-
sidefed q sufficient reason for The iuterposi,lon
of veto n the President should be right
in his opinion, no particular harm could res III
from passias law which Is merely cOntTna-
tory Of previous legislation. while the fact that
the two houses Of Congress have cvncurred IN
the passage Of the additional legislation may
At least suggest doubt that It may be needed.
The President does not stop here. lie pro-
ceeds 20 argue against the proposed legislation
Al . al q
keep the peace at the congressional elections.
The Presidents views upon Tins point viii be
found 20 sustain the iurtnest coutenti0u Of the
extreme advocates OF the power aud duty OF
Congress 90 regulate the conduct Of elections
at which Representatives, OF presidential elcc
tors are voted fr, aud 20 prevent ani Punlsh
through Federal .aw, Intimidation aud fraud
az such elections, aud iOr that purpose, as well
as for the preservation Of the peace, % use the
military forces OF The government. The Pres
ident deduces the power of Federal control
over elections not simply from the 4th section
of article OF the constitution, which en-
powers Congress 10 regulate the times, places
aud mauucr Of huldius elections for R-present-
atiyes. bot from the fifteenth amendment, aud
the duty thereby imposed Of protectieg the
newly -eniranchisel citizens Ia the exercise OF
The night Of suffrage National legislation,
the President SAYS, "to provide safeguards for
free and honest elections, Is necessary, rs ex-
per.euce has shown, not oa.y % secure the
rieht 20 vote 20 tue euirauchiscd race at the
South, but .lso to prevent fraudulent voting in
tie large cities 10 the North. 10 pursuance
o. this poi1y the several sections Of the Re-
vised Statutes, constituting what are known as
the Federal election laws, have been passed.
These laws Congress has not yet undertaken
% repeal yet by the proposed provision IA the
army appropriation bill, the President contends
10 Is proposed % take from the Executive
the power Of executing laws which
yet remain upoa the statute-b0ok, aud which
70 Is part Of his duty 20 see duly enforced
The force Of this objection, OF course depends
largely upon tie further question how Tar the
use Of the troops az the polls Is necessary Tor
the due execution OF the laws IN question:
But apart from that, the whole spirit Of the
Presidents argument appears 10 be on the as
sumption that the States have no interest IN or
power Co secure fair aud orderly elections for
their own Representatives or their electors for
President aud Nice-Pre,ideht OF tie Quilted
States-anl yet, rs q matter Of course, they
make She same provision 10 regard to those
elections that they do for Others that are
wholly Of local character, aud are just as
soIcitous that the result be pure aud honest
one. The 6teenth amendment. too, the pro-
hbitious and limitations ot which have gen
orally been understood as designed 20 be
special applicable % the States rs such, IN
the view 90 tie message Is made 20 bear d.
rectlv upon individuals independent Of State
agency or authority. Finally, the President
states h.s objections % the shape IN which The
proposed measure of repeal ot she act II Feb.
%, 1905, = presented TO him piece OF
political legislation eugrai,ed upon an appro-
priatiun bti, and as an attempt 20 coerce the
Executive. aud deprive bin of the use Of his
constitutional night Of veto by the threat OF
Withholding the necessary supplies. Such
preceding be- insists, Is contrary 90 the spirit
90 the constitution and fatal o. the iudepeud-
euce 90 the several coordinate branches Of the
government OF course this last objection Of
the President, which will probably strike
many persons as the strongest, as it Is uu-
doubteily the best portion of his message,
would be robbed 90 all its force II Congress
should proceed now, as we are free to say 10
our opinion would have been the wiser course
40 FIRST % separate the legislation objected to
from the appropriation tiii and pass in the
form Of a separate and independent bill, or
otherwise undertake to modify the election
laws generally 20 such extent as may be deem
ca proper When, however. the Supreme
Court Shall be brought TO pass upon these
statutes it my be found that some Of them
stand on 10 better ground than that Of the
jurors test oath baltimore Sun.
From Or. {. c. Clark, OswegO, y. Y.
have made sufficient experiment 81 Col
dom LI-hig.. LLamLd ENtrlct ll Beef and Tnnic