American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-06-07
THE PRESIDENTS VETO.

WASHINGTON, May 29.-The following
message of the President was delivered to
the House of Representatives to-day:
To the House Of Representatives.:
| entitled, "A An act making appropriations Ior
/ the legislative, executive and Judicial e&-
penses of the Governments for the hscal yea,
| herewith return 1t to the House of Repre-
sentatives, In which it originated. with the
| following objections to it's approval:
The main purpose OF the bill is to appropr1-
ate money required to support during the
! partments of the Government. The amount
! appropriated exceeds in the aggregate sls,-
OGO,' 90. This money is needed to keep in OPP.
Grafton the essential functions of ali the great
departments of the Government, Legislative
executive and Judicial
no objection to its approval would be made
| 1t embraces, however, number of clauses
relating to subjects of great general interest,
which are wholly unconnected with the ap-
objections to the practice OF lacking gener-
al legislation to appropriation bills, especial
ly.when the object is to deprive III th
free exercise of its discretion and 1udgment
touching such general leg lsiatloh, W.T. SCI .o
forth in the special message IN relation 10
the House bill No. which was returned 20
the House of Representatives on the z'th OF
last month -,
regret that the objections which were then
expressed to this method OF legislation nave
not seemed to Congress of sufficient weight
to dissuade from this renewed incorporation
of general enactments in an appropriation
MY CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY
I'm respect to the general legislation thus
placed before me can not be discharged WITH
out seeming to delay. however Dfieny, Ihe
necessary appropriation by Congress tor the
support of the Government. without re-
peafiug those objections, respectfully refer
to tn at message for a statement of my views
on the principle maintained in debate by the
appropriations is a constitutional means for
the redlcss' of what the majority of the
House of Representatives may regard as a
grievance"
the bill contains the following clauses.
sections oil the Revised Statutes OF the United
states, namely, ctions 2,Ol6,'e,o16 and 1920,
and all of the succeeding sections OF said
statutes down to and including section 2.O21
and also section 5,522, be and the same are
repealed, and that ali the other sections of
the Revised Statutes and all laws and parts
of laws authorizing the appointment OF CHIEF
shais of elections or general deputy marshals
having any duties to perform IN respecs
t. their any Sut,e eee'i ana po a% sHa a
lowing them compensation; be ana the
same are hereby repealed. 1t also con on
tains clauses amending sections 2olI, 2Ol9,
202s, and eo31, of the Revised Statutes. The
sections of Revised Statutes which the bill II
cd February %. 1871, entitled An act to en-,
States to vote IN the several states of this
Union, and for other purposes" All OF the se
provisions of the above named acts, winch IL
is proposed in this bill to repeal or mooiy'
relate to
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS.
The remaining portion of the law which
will continue in force after the enact
ment of this measure is that which
pr0yJt nssc for .b the cnrae Genrs 81
the United ates. of two supervisors OF
consressionaI e ELECTION on due application Of
citizens who desire. in the language OF the
law, 10 have such election III gearSer W ain
be to attend at the polls at all Congressional
elections, and to remain after the polls St aTe
but they will have no authority to make ar
rests or to perform other duties than to be in
ing elections, and to witness all their pro-
ceedfngs. including the counting of votes
the election law which will be repealed by
the approval of this bill includes those sec
sors of Elections to personally scrutinize,
count and canvass each ballot, and all the
States Marshals and Deputy Siarshals in CON
nection with Congressional elections.
section s,sss Of the criminal statutes Of the
United States, which was enacted for the
protection OF United states officers IN the
elections. This section protects supervisors
and marshals in the performance of their
ing of these officers, or any interference with
them by bribery, or solicitation or other.
true meaning and effect of the proposed leg
islation are plain.
Supervisors with authority to observe and
witness the proceedings at Congressional
elections will be left; but there will he no
power to protect them or to prevent inter-
ference with their duties, or to punish any
violation of law from which their powers are
derived. This bill, If approved, only the
SHADOW OF THE AUTHORITY
of the United States at national elections viii
remain. The substance will be gone.
Supervision of elections will be reduced to
mere inspection without authority on the
part of the supervisors to do any act what
ever to make the election fair one. All that
will be left to the supervisors is permission
to have such oversight of elections as politf-
cal parties are in the habit of exercising
prevent their opponents from obtaining any
unfair advantages. The object of the bill
Is to
DESTROY ANY CONTROL
whatever by the United States over Congress
sional elections.
upon the ground that the election of mem
beers of Congress is q matter which concerns |
be controlled Exclusively by the States; that
there are and can be no such elections as |
of the United states regulating Congressional |
elections Is without warrant in the Constftu |
ton. 1t Is evident, however, that the trainers |
of the Constitution regarded the election OF |
members of Congress in every State and In |
every district as in a very Important sense |
Justly matter of political interest and con-
Germ to the whole country.
THE ORIGINAL PROVISION |
of the Constitution on this subject is as fol- |
lows Section 4. article /. The times, places |
and manner of holding elections for Senators
and Representatives shall be prescribed in
Congress may at any time, by law, make or
alter such regulations except as to places of
choosing Senator'S"
A further provision has been since added,
which is embraced in the Fifteenth Amend
ment. 1t is as follows:
SECTION l. The right of citizens of the |
United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any
State on account of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude.
enforce this article by appropriate legisla-
ton.
UNDER THE GENERAL PROVISION
of the Constitution, section 4, article !. Con-
gress in 1876 passed comprehensive law |
which prescribed full and detailed regula-
islatures of the several States.
This law has been in force almost thirteen
years. In pursuance OF it all OF the members |
of the present Senate of the United States
called in question. 1t is confidently believed
that no sound argument can be made in sup
port of the constitutionaiity of the national
regulation of Senatorial elections which will
not show that the
ELECTIONS OF MEMBERS
of the House OF Representatives may also
DO constitutionally regulated by national au-
,hority.
The bill beforeane itself recognizes the
principle that the Congressional elections are
not State elections but national elections. 1t
caves in full force
THE EXISTING STATUTE
lnder which supervisors are still to be ap-
pointed by national authority to "observe |
md witness" Congressional elections when |
.ver due application is made by citizens who
iesire sal elections to be "guarded and |
If the power to supervise, in
my respect whatever, the Congressional |
elections exist under Section 4, Article l, of |
rrr.fr t. v-rxl.T S.tr TIa