The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-07-24
WHAT GOVERNOR GEARY SAID
ABOUT TROOPS AT THE POLLS.

The Republican members Of Congress
from Pennsylvania are said to be greatly
EN- baryssed by memory of the follow
ing opinions expressed a few years ago
by Governor Geary, when Republican
Governor of this State, about Federal
troops at State polls. He said:
"The employment of the United States
troops at elections without the consent
of the local and State. governments has
| recently received considerable attention
and apprehension. 1t is regarded as an
interference with the sovereign rights Of
the States, which was not contemplated
by the founders of the General Govern
ment, and, if persisted in, must lead to
results disastrous to peace and harmony
The practice is one so serious in its cha
racter and 80 injurious in its tendencies
as to merit prompt consideration and
decisive action, not only by the General
Assembly but by Congress. One of the
complaints of the col onists against the
the British King WAS the oppression
growing out of the assumption of this
power. They said, He has kept among
US in times peace standing armies with.
out the consent of our legislatures, and
what is especially pertinent to the case
in point, He has effected to render the
military independent of and superior to
the civil power The alleged authority
for the use of troops at our State elections
is derived from the tenth section of an
act Of Congress approved May 81, 1870,
entitled AN act to enforce the rights of
citizens of the United States to vote in
the several States of the Union, and for
other purposes which authorizes United
States Marshals to ocall to their assistance
such portion of the land and naval
forces of the United States, or of the
militia, as may be necessary to the per-
formanCe of the duty with which they
are charged, and to insure faithful OBJ
servsnce of the fifteenth amendment to
the Constitution of the United States
"But it must be forced construction of
this law that will justify the presence of
armed national force at our places OF
election when no necessity exists there
for, and where their presence is calcula..
ted to provoke collision. With a good
President the exercise of the power re.
ferred to might have no injur; lus re-
suits, but in the hands of bad man,
governed by personal ambition it might
prove exceedingly calamitous. I'm
consciously good President might be
induced to employ it wrongfully; a bad
one would be almost certain to use it for
his own sdvancement-Under any cir
cumstances, in my opinion, it is unsafe
and antagonistic to the principles that
should govern our republican institu-
tions, At the last October election,
United States troops were stationed in
Philadelphia for the avowed purpose of
enforcing the election laws. This was
done without the consent or even the
knowledge of the civil authorities of
either the city or State aud without any
expressed desire on the part of the
citizens, and, as far as can be ascertained
without existing necessity. From con.
scientious conviction of it's Importance l
have called your attention to this subject,
A neglect to have done so might have
been construed as an endorsement of a
measure that meets my unqualified disa-
proval. The civil authorities Of Pennsyl.
vana have always been and are still
competent to protect its citizens in the
exercise of their elective franchise, and
the proper and only time for the United
States military forces to intervene will be
when the power Of the Commonwealth
is exhausted and their aid is lawfully
required"