The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-06-26

end degrading to the adm. nistrsiion OF JUS
tice.
The third bill il now under considera-
tion, making appropriations for the support
OF the Army for the ensuing fiscal year, and
containing among other objectionable fea-
ure- the following section
sTC.6 That no money appropriated In this
act is appropri i'ed or shall be used for the
equipment transportation or
oil any portion of the army of
the United states, to be us~d as a police force
to keep the Pescn ct the polls OF any election
held Sithin any State
The corresponding sec:ion in the vetoed
bill is in these WORDS:
tEC. .. That section 20a2 of the revised stat
Cfes De amepded SO n TO read as follows:
No mill ary or naval officer, or other person
engaged Ia tue civil military or naval service
of the United states shall order, bring. keep
or have under his authority or control apy
troo.. or armed men al the place where any
general or special election Is held in sny
state, unless II be nece sary TO repel the arm.
ed Ell. mics OF the Unitsd ,tstes; Prorioled,
That nGthing Contained in his section, as
now amended, shall be held or deemed 10
abrIdge or affect the duty or power of the
President of the United states, under section
t297 of the revised statutes, enacted under
and TO enable the United States to comply
with section of article of the constitution
Of the United States, on application Of the
legislature or executive, as provided Tor in
raid section.
And that section 552s of the revised statutes
be ..mended so as To read as follows:
Every officer Of the army or navy, or other
person in 'he civil, military or naval service
OF the United States, " no orders, brings *, cps
or has under his authority or has under his
control any troops or arm ID men at any pI@ce
where general or special election is he'd in
seSei s1msS a ensmies Of he Vi Trnttsd STATS 20
shall be fined not more than 8, 5,OOl and suffer
imprisonment at hard labor not less than
'iiiee hioi'iiS hof iii''e 'ii"n h'e Years.
In the one section sre five lines and in
the other section are tweniy-seven lines.
There is the same difference tetween these
two sections that there is between a high
way robber and pick-pocket. Both have
larceny tor their object, but their methods
are unlike. One is open, courageous aud
manly, and the other is not. The section
in the first bill forbids an act, makes it iIle-
gal and sfixes penalty. The second, now
under consideration, endesvors TO reach
the same result by Withholding appropria-
tions, and concesling the purpose by the in
erpolatIon OF senssless sentence.
The words in this section clstmed to be
controlling are, ITO be used as a police
force," but in reality they are meaningless
and delusive. They are thrown In as
sop TO Cerberus. Ii these words were
omitted the section would mean Just the
same a. II does now, lor neltl e. under the
Constitution nor under the law docs the
army be used as police force In the
technical sense for any purpose Whatever.
The army appropriation bill oil last year
prevents The army from being used "a a
posse conitHfus even TO assist the civil su-
thorities In case OF open and violent resist
ance. The principal involved, therefore, ia
the same as that contained IN The Dill that
has already been vetoed, and he who op-
posed one cannot consistently support the
other.
Mr.. President, the scenes that We have
witnessed during the debste which has
arisen oo this issue has dark and omin-
Gus significance. 1t has been intense and
violent beyond precedent. Its scope has
embraced the whole theory and practice OF
our Government from It's inception through
ali i:s vicisltudes OF war and peace. To
the country II has been revelation. The
sonorous clsmor and roaring declamation
about the iron heel o! Federal despotism,
intelligence excluded from the jury box,
bayonents at The ballot box, and the use Of
the army TO control elections has not de-
celved nor alarmed Inc peopie lhey are
aware that this combst between Congress
and the Executive L. not waged upon a
point CT legislative etiquette, and cannot
he ended by an exchange OF courtesies or
compliments or apologies on either side.
They regard the struggle as the Initiation
Of a contest for political supremacy in the
Presidential csmpaign of 1880, which will
be characterized by convuisive violence
hitherto unknown in our history, and the
Last, | believe, 10 be waged between the two
parties which now divide the country.
But because We opposed the repeal OF
the sections sought to be sbrogated in the
appropriations bills 1t l5 not true that We
favor the exclusion oi intelligence from the
jury-box nor that We intend 10 Use the army
or marshais or supervisors TO control cleo
ticns. The emI Iloyment ct the army to
control elections In ansas did more to de-
throne Democracy and render 1t otious to
the people than any other feature OF its
policy, a1d We should not be wise were We
TO faIl TO prCht by Tie instruction OF his
tory.
Ii is not true that the sections sought to
be repealed permitted the exclusion oi IN
teilIsence from the Jury-box, nor That they
allowed the Use OF The army at the poiis,
nor that they inteiierred with the right OF
any citiz.n TO vote; nor Is there evidence
anywhere that any In an entitled to vote has
ever been prevented from voting by any
soldier, marshal or supervisor.
Thousands OF aliens, rePeaters and feions
nave been arrested and punished icr frauds
attempted and PerPetra'ed at elections; |;
great cities and states nave been rescued
from degraded misfuie; IaPacious ana
ruihaniy despousu, ana ihreatened an
archy, oy the operation Oh 1nese penencien,
statutes; put II any citizen mas o:en denied
under these statutes the opportunity 10 cast