The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-06-12
The Back Down.

The passage of the legislative appro-
priation bill by the federal house of repre-
scntatives on Monday, shows where the
much talked of back down" is to come
10, aud who is TO execute the manoeuvre.
The republicans of the house voted for
the passage Of tho legislative bilk in spite
OF the fact that it contained the provisions
10 which Mr.. Hayes and the stalwarts OBJ
jected, and this is taken to be an .indica-
ton that he will approve it despite bis
former vetoes. 1t is also reported that the
republicans of the house say they will vote
for the army bill and for the judicial ap
preparation bill when they shall come up
10 the order arranged by the committees
which have charge of them.
There is no doubt that Hayes will ap
prove oil these bills, and, indeed, there is
no instance 90 record of the veto of a bill
which has been passed by the unanimous
vote of congress- Whether MIR. Hayes
shall approve these bills because of the
obvious improperly Of setting up his in
dividuaI Judgment against that OF the CON
grcss on a question clearly within the
power OF congress TO decide, or whether he
will approve because he is moved by the
wall of distress going up from the Office
y,
question of but little interest, and OF not
the slightest practical importance The
principal fact of the entire controversy
worth remembering is the fact that it is
the minority of congress and the president
who are forced to recede from the position
they have taken, thus leaving the majority
0I the peoples representatives to execute
the DEGREES Of their constituents according
To the constitution.
The situation of affairs Is nothing new
or remarkable to the students of govern
mcut history, or to those acquainted with
the progress of events in this country.
1t always occurs that the executive
officer, be he called king, emperor
or president, is obliged. sooner or later,
to yield to the demands of the peoples
representatives, and to concede TO the de-
mand that supplies Tor the support of the
government shall be received on exactly
such terms as the people who pay the
taxes choose to fix. This principle is i'm
mutually fixed in the constitutions of all
free governments, and what is still more
important, is immutably fixed in the minds
OF all free men. That an executive should
late in the nineteenth century, dare to dis
pute, or even to debate this. shows re
markable ignorance of history and of the
nature of the American people. We pre-
dicted. some days since, that the debate,
the dispute and the contest could have
but one result and that is, as we fully be-
lieve, already reachad. The contest pre-
scented no new features, and the result is
not gain for the peOpls, for it is only the
Vludcatior Of the title by which the An
glo-Saxou race have held their freedom
Tor many generations The man and the
party which attempted TO invade the
ground consecrsted to freedom for centu-
res are contemplate foes indeed, com
pared with those our forefathers defeated
In a like contest, and the ras,,, Il onl1
another lesson to those who have desired
70 oelaee or destroy the land marks set nm
90 the border line between freedom and
Inc Register has no disposition to
tSunt the executive with his failure to