The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-04-11

When the Republican party in '76
and II tore the control of the exccu-
tive branch of the government away
from the lawfully-elec,ed President,
the Democrats of the country pa
tiently endured the great wrong and
~ent back to the people of the coun-
try for confirmation Of the high
trusts confded to them. It now so
transpires That they mold both houses
won, yes, won on the very issues in
volved, in the very abuses Of these
same laws, the repeal of which the
Republicans meet with such .implaca-
BILE hostility, openly avowing their
determination to defeat the measure
repeating these laws at any cost.
Should they be introduced as scper-
ate measures, they will fillibuster,
and, holding to high party service
the very President they had forced
upon the country and the Democracy
by fraud and menace, they now sum-
mon him with the veto power in his
hands and demand that he should
use it if the peoples representatives:
in their high right, presume to graft
upon the appropriation bills such
measures of relief as will carry out
in letter and spirit what the people
have themselves endorsed in three
consecutive elections. Thus the
Democracy, in possession Of the full
|; confidence of the people, find nothing
in the way Of fulfilling the solemn
demands of the country but the veto
of the fraudulent Executive the Re.
>; publicans now hold as their last card
against bo:h houses Of Congress and
the people of the country rs we'll.
Now, is this veto invoked to protect
and defend the constitution? If SO,
there might be justification Of this
cabal. But it is not pretended by
anybody that the repeal of any or all
these laws is in any possible way un-
constitutional. For manifestly if one
Congress could pass them another
Congress can repeal them. Therefore
the Republicans can set up no such
claim. But the. Democracy on the
! other hand hold these laws they
would repeal to be clearly unconsti-
tutional and utterly invasive Of the
reserved "rights of the several States
or the people," and being such they
are constrained by their oaths to re-
peal them. But it may be said edo
SO in regular way" "do not make
them riders of appropriation bills and
thus inaugurate revolutionary
metdod Of legislation" Would it be
believed that this is from the mouths
of those partisans who through the
course Of quarter of century, be-
ginning in 1856, have again and
again, at distinct intervals and under
various political exigenccs, and in no
less than three several Congresses,
pressed this very system of legisla-
tion into service, and that the very
election laws they defend were SO
forced upon the country9 Can inso-
lence and base hypocrisy go further
than all this? But whilst they fill
buster on the one hand if scpcratc
bills are introduced for the repeal of
the obnoxious laws which they have
hitherto used in the presence OF the
whole country for unblushing parti-
san purposes, and which, if left on
the, statute booke, will be again so
abused, they demand of their Exccu-
tive that he should stand by them as
a partisan leader and veto the appro-
priation bills Of Congress for being
coupledowith the very provision they
openly declared they will fillibuster
against if presented in the ordinary
course: Of legislation. Is there moth
ing revolutionary in such conduct? !?
Is this not indeed "new rebellion
sprung on the country in pursuance
Of that other rebellion by which
Gen. Grant seized State Houses, sup
pressed the peoples lawful assemblies
and forced upon Congress at the
point of the sword the acceptance Of
n commission which standing to 7
sanctified the great Presidential fraud
before the country and the world ?
Can open facts attest more fully, can
human language portray more con-
81 tl,o h1I,l n,l I1,t,,,t c.,l.,