The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-05-08

Il
accomplish that important end. Believ-
ing that section six of the bill before me
will weaken, if it does not altogether take
away the power of the national government
to protect elections by civil authorities,
am forced to the conclusion that il
ought not to receive my approval. That
the section is however. not presented to me
as special and independent measure,
but is as has been stated, attached to the
bill making the usual annual appropria
tions for the support of the army, il
makes vital change in the election laws
of the country, which is in no way con-
| nected with the use of the army. 1t pro
hlbits, under heavy penalties, any person
engaged in the civil service of the United
States from having any force at the place
of any election purported to preserve
order, to make arrests, to keep peace in
any manner to enforce laws. This is al
together foreign to the purpose of any
army appropriation bill.
The practice of tacking to army appro-
priation bills, measures not pertinent to
such bills, did not prevail until more than
40 years after the adoption of the cOnstitu-
ton.
II has become the common practice.
All parties when in power have adopted
it Many abuses and great waste of pub
lie money have in this way crept into the
appropriation ut puuilC opiulou
of the country is against it The states
which have recently adopted constitutions
have generally provided remedy for the
evil by enacting that no law shall contain
more than one subject which shall be
plainly expressed in its title.
The constitution of more than half OF
the states contains substantiantially this
provision. The public welfare will be
promoted in many ways by return
to the practice Of the government
and to the true principle OF
every measure shall stand or fall in regard
to its own merits. If it were understood
that to attach to an appropriation or
measure irrelevant to the general object
of the bill would imperil and probably
prevent its final passage and approval, a
valuable reform in the parliamentary
practice of congress would be accom-
plished. The best justification that has
been offered for attaching irrelevant meas
ures to appropriation bills is that it is
done for the convenience sake to facilitate
the passage of measures which are deemed
expedient by all branches of the govern
ment which participate in legislation. 1t
cannot be claimed there is any such rea-
son for attaching this amendment of the
election laws to the army appropriation
bill. The history of the measure contra
diets this assumption. A majority of the
house of representatives in the last con-
gress ws avof OF Ine sec
,ion uis oIi. was
known hat Arge maorny OF
senate was opposed 10 II, and that as
separate measure ]. couio not oe, adoptea.
h;u 20 cnn,raI ,ho sara.n' 60 ssd,,, ~ =,
7, ,,,ss ,,Iai,,i, an,o,,..,a ~ ~ ~ ~, -,
thai ,b. army annronr;a,;aO h;,l ,romId
No, hc oiinysd tp nass ,.;,ho,,, ,,,a nv,
,,osaJ an,o,,Sn,s,.p 90 a. araa.;u .ne -
were .dnn,eI With IL The scns,e ,aS,,.
ed IN assa,'t IN The hin on occo,,nt az tb;s
irrelevant sect;on Congress ,bareunnn
adjourned without passinS The annronr;a-
alton hill for the army and the nresent
evtra s.ss;on Of the ie,b 7ccoo,.rross haoa,,,o
,,aoo.sar,, ~ f,,r,,;.I ,,,en .i.e,
,,o,1.s.t 'e''Ai' ''s''i'y " oii oi 'ne A'
The ground upon which the action of
the honse of reprasentatives 10 tIefsndcd
has been distinctly stated bv many of it's
advocates. 4 week before the close of the
last session of congress. the doctrine in
question was stated NV one of its ablest
defenders as follows .sIt ;s orr d,tv m
reneaI tbese II is no, worth while ~ NJ
temnt the reneai exce,,. ,,,,on 4, !. .,s,,rn,,r;
alton hill The ren1blican senate wof,id
not agree 4. nor the -republican nresident
sign the bill for such a repeaI. Whatever
obligation to the last legislation r,pon the
appropriation bills NAV be made. i'm ortli.
nary cases does not apply where free elec.
tions and the liberty of citizen are con.
cerned. We have the power to vote mon.
ey. and let us annex conditions IN IL and
insist upop the redress of our grievance -
a., .n,,,,.,d .,;,,,;,,,,, -, ,,,...,t. .r .,,a
10y a.o1nei uis,in ,insgrsneu s.m IenceL Vi tne
.: nou. ~ mae eu I,sn. vi sue IeP
avsehes ,: W vi .e pe9p,e " wl'nnXiu 1S!t
supplies 1850 Is a. o,u as Ensi npcly. nls
.ois Ieooius numerous .ins'ahces "here
the common Ieeilng tnat the people were
oPpressed py laws tnat the lords would
not consent 10 repeal py oruinary metnods
Oh iegisiation, oDtainea rearess at last oy
reiusl5g g .ne aRprropIla.lons unigss g accom-
t;on % Of tSe graves, maSn;,nde and a' nv Iuis ;n
this co,ntrv nos ro;saS Inv, tb;s .o,,rsa M -
,roceed;na. ,vss f,IIv r.oc,,n;,sS oIso ~, G
d;sosSa-e -".-' "''o "
- s:...
III 'he sena,e II was salu ey uistlngu-
isheu SENATOR PerhaPs no gIealer question
III .le Iolni VIC are piouSh. W consiuer II
Mos eter Sonsiueie e " ue Hiner ). ioan . Son-
sIess III ,ne ,lnne vi Peaee, lor ~ lnsoiVes
iaas hu. me h;H, e ,ha hn',sa hin nu ,osns ~ vi
,.a"i W.. ;r,,ei,,a. az ,;..h,Ip az ,sr;,;,.s
ih ,u',aa ~. ,t,, 49, ~ ...,,, I~ hans
wy. enu I.oSs "a IN ~. ,,.s;Sar. y, .bo ITo;,ad
SIS. a nas.;Ip,, ,.ho.a ;,,,,nr,.oan na,
s"a.i,, n, Iu,;,.,..I ;s uass;n,, .i.n. 10.
n ~, uI Ss hnao %t, ~ a 4u1su shar1 'ha' ha
es,' ,, et as-;"., nas nen nr u,Ous su ,h
: .E.e .ue in ehe ~ ioan anI ue ,',
,io,, pGops sanar aS m @ 49, % 49,, 10 W.
o;Jad Hn ~m and ,ho Iac;s;nn G n,,,n, J.,arn
set .n anu ,ta w. ,'ors e ,h hsa of LII,
,a.an,a.;,'as mn"e or .mo pnJar ,,,a no,s,,',,,; 5
Se. rGSetiss th 5m,n, .ts. So,,sa ~ s'u ~
W.. % Ea;,nass ,aS ns yha, nnnst;,,,t;on onorJ
;,, 90 -, 1a,,n- ~ s,,;u;, I'D no ,-oaJon.
.hS',a hS " '.S a,' ,i,i ,'-'a.,; mo ;s T LII.
in ,hn bapt nnss;hia cogpdi,;nn ~ sne.k and
ar,,ne ~ ,ne 20 !, p 18th vsrw nrave a d;a;denca @
anS c.rta;n,,, viii ,ba remn,es, anI;atv
for no one can think over it as long and
carefully as have Thought of il without