Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-10-10
TIE ARMY ar rnR POLLS.

lNCal SCH government Is SHOWN, among
other things, by numerous acts Of con.
grcs,, To speak % these acts in detail
would require not one speech, but many.
] cannot, therefore, undertake that task
tonight. But there are some laws 10
which must ask your attention, not
only because of their deep reaching .f
fleets, but also because they were promi.
ncntly brought under consideration at
the last two sessions of congress, and
are among the most prominent issues
now before the people. And first let me
say q few words about the law enacted IN
February, 1865, authorizing the army OF
tho United States 10 keep tho peace a.
the polls. When that law was enacted,
the government OF the United States had
been in existence for more than three.
quarters of century. Wa had passed
through two warswith foreign countries,
and through = civil war Of four wears
duration, and almost unequaled in mag
nitude in the annals OF mankind; aud
yet during all this period, nearly seven.
ty.slS years, neither in peacs nor in war
had 1t been deemed proper, or even ad.
miSsiblc by our lawmakers, To use the
standing army of the United States to in.
the people. But when, in 1885, the rad.
ical leaders resolved TO overthrow civil
government in the SOUTH and TO divide
that portion Of the republic into mill
tary departments, 10 he ruled by five
generals Of the army, and To permit no
elections unless sanctioned by those gen.
erals and supervised by them, then this
law authorizing the use of the army at
yolls was first enacted. How il was exc
cuted is now matter Of history. It's
protested object was to preserve the
peace its practical operation was to dls
turb the peace. 1t was said Ia be in the
interest Of free and fair elections; il was
used rs an instrument Of terror TO de
stroy free elections. And this commence
ment being made in the art of bayonot
rule, we soon saw wide scope given 10
the employment of military force; we
saw lawful legislatures ovcrthrown by
tho bayonet; we saw lawful state officers
kept out of the possession of their offices
by the same means; we saw usurping
legislatures and usurping governors in.
stalleo into office 10y the sans instru.
ment; we saw thousands of our soldiers,
needed ON the western frontiers 10 pro
tect the people from their savage toes,
kept in the southern states in order 10
carry elections for the republican party
and maintain republicans in their usur.
pations of the state governments; and all
this, years and years after the close of
the civil war; all this, at time when
not one hostile hand was raised against
the federal government from one end
OF the union 10 the other. If there were
any justification for this law while the
radical process of reconstruction wa,
going on; while congress was debating
state constitutions and state govern
ments; while elections were held undor
tho supervision of generals of the army
il at time like that tho law could be
justified, what justification is there now,
nine years after reconstruction was com
pleted, and when all the states are rep
resented in the congress of the nation
My friends there is no justification for
this law at all. 1t is in vain TO say that
it is mere fundamentally TO pre-.
serve the peace. No such instrumental.
ity is needed. Tho people of the states
have been able 10 preserve tho peace at
elections ever since tho government WAS
formed, as well, nay, better, than ii has
ever been preserved in any other coun-
feet of the law is TO enable the president
TO oyerawo the people who are opposed
to his administration IL makes tho
army an INSTRUMENT Of party instead Of
being what it ought 10 be, and what con
sIitutionally, 1t can only be, the army Of
the whole United states. Ii isa law not
only repugnant to liberty, but greatly in
furious 10 tho army itself | have never
heard an uflicer Of the army speak Of ii
except TO deplore its existence. Why,
my friends, such military Interference AS
our statute contemplates would not be
tolerated even in monarchical England
for single day or this assertion the
proof is ample and conclusive. The Eng.
lish people have never assented 10 tho
use of troops at the polls. As early as
tho reign Of Edward /. statute was
passed 10 prevent it.
Now, my friends, the democracy, at
the last session Of congress, did all that
was in their power to repeal the siatu-
tory provision authorizing the use OF the
army at the polls, For that purpose we
passed bill after bill, but they were sue.
cessiyely vetoed by tho president and
thereby defeated. The general appro-
priation bill for The support OF tho army
was thus vetoed, tho president, by de
feating it, declaring, in effect, that he
would let the army 20 without support
rather than lose the rightto use II at tho
times and places OF elections. Thus
thwartcd, by an unparalleled exercise of
the one man power, we had nothing left
for us TO do but TO withhold appropria-
tions from tho army when used at the
polls. But this remedy is, In its nature,
but temporary, and may be too easily
eyaded by a hostile executive to be
securely relied upon. Nothing short OF
repeal Of the obnoxious provision will
suffice, and the question whether 1t shall
be repealed is one Of the great questions
to be decided by the people. This is-
sue is clearly made and sharply defined.
The republicans In congress, as we'll as
the president. are opposed to the repeal,
as their speeches and recorded votes
amply show. The democrats and ma.
tionals are to man In favor Of repeal.
What say your If you are tired Of free
dom and wish the ballotbox to be inter
forcd with by the bayonct, vote TO keep
the law upon the statute books. But If
you still cherish your liberties and wish
to cast free untrammeled vote, uBawed
by military force, vote TO repeal IT, And