The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-05-03
THE MESSAGE.

The President has not disappointed the
expectations of his party-for once at
least-and has returned. in a sensible and
pointed message the infamous Army
Bill, than which no more useless and
dcmagoguiSh piece of legislation has ever
disgraccd the annals OF Congress. The
veto message established at the very out
set the fact. that the avowed object of the
advocates of the vetoed bill the preven-
ton of military interference at elections,
was fully accomplished By existing legis-
lation. beginning with I.incoln's second
Administration and ending with an act
approved as lately as the 18th of June
last. This simple fact let all the wind
out of the swelling pretenSionS of the
friends OF the vetoed bill But not only
were they struggling for what already
existed. They have given the President
the opportunity of reminding them of the
fact that no case of military interference
has actually occurred since the passage
of the act of 1873. No complaints have
been made. There has been no occasion
for any.
Not only was the vetoed hi iii needless
for the ayowed PURPOSE of its authors.
but it would have been perfectly harm
full. in that it would have deprived the
civil authorities of the United States OF
the power to keep the peace at Congress
sional elections. as to which the language
of the Message is So comprehensive that
it ought to be carefully studied. viz
The Congressional elections i'll every
district, in Il very important sense, arc
justly matter of political interest and
concern throughout the whole country.
Each State and every political party is
entitled to the share of power which is
conferred by the legal and constitutional
suffrage. 1t is the right of every citizen.
possessing the qualifications prescribed
by law. to cast one unintimidated ballot.
and to have his ballot honestly counted.
SO long as the exercise of this power and
the enjoyment of this right are common
and equal, practically as we'll as formally
submission to the suffrage will he accorded
loyalty and cheeriuliy. and departments
of government will feel the true vigor of
the popular will thus expressed
This is the doctrine of the Constitution
on this subject unless Webster was
wrong and Calhoun right and unless the
war failed to make us nation. Ii covers
the whole ground of the controversy be-
tween the umSubdued eN-Confe,Ieratcs
and the believers in real Union. As
to legislative riders the unwarranta-
BILE and unius,itiable practice of lacking
to appropriation bills. measures in no
wise pertinent to them. the President
says: The public welfare will he pro-
NOTED in many ways by Il return to the
early practice of the government and to
the true principle Of legislation. which
requires that every measure shall stand
or fall according to its own merits. If it
were understood that to attach to an ap-
preparation bill a measure irrevelant to the
general object Of the bill would imperil
and probably prevent its final passage
and approval. Il valuable reform in the
parliamentary practice of Congress would
be accomplished.
To Republicans generally tia message
of the President is an agreeable si.rprlsc,
and one equally disagrecabie to the
Democrats