The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-05-24
Soldiers at Elections.


Il, b;s late veto message Mr. Hayes says
,rea, Heal about Irrational elections. What
5oes M mean Il might be supposed from
his language that the principal business LOT
which the Federal Government had been ere
ated was 10 look after the elections but iet
us see. A.
What has Congress or the President to DO
with an election for PRESIDENT S'mpy
nothing. The Constitution says -" Eash
State shall appoint, in such manner as 'he
Legislature thereof may direct, number OF
What have they to do with Congressional
.len,;onsg Next to nothing. The Consiilu'
ton SAYS .-"The times, places, and manner
Of holding elections for Senators aud Repre-
senIatiyes shall be prescribed in each state
hv Inc Legislature thereof; but the Congress
NAV al any time BY law make or alter such
regulations, except as 10 the places OF ohoos'
ing Senator'S Upon a strained construction
of This language, giving to Congress concur.
rent Jurisdiction with the States, guarded aud
limited as il is, is based the whole OF the he.
publican election machinery, supervisors ana
marshals, costing the people unknown sums,
and terrorizng and obsiruetng them, NOT
only at Congressional elections, but at other
elections which are held at the same times
and places. But nobody has ever yet claim
ed that this provision Of the Constitution nu'
thorizes the President to send troops to the
polls and hold bayonet elections.
Hayes pretends to think that statute which
forbids him to order soldiers 10 the polls,
abridges in some mysterious manner the
power Of the Government to protect itself, or
TO execute its laws. Now, in Great Britain
this same law is fundamental. No soldier or
hs..I. Ls,t
tain distance Of any polling place, but nobody
ever imagined that the British Government
was weakened thereby. Ga the contrary, il
is strengthened, as all Governments are strong
which rest on the assent and live in the aztec.
tons Of the people. This curious idea Of Mr..
Hayes will provoke smile Of contempt
among the freemen Of old England, where
the appearance OF any portion of the army at
polling place would be regarded as an act
Of treason on the part Of the Ministry by
whom il was either ordered or permitted.
There is in the message a deal Of illogical
and inconsequential twsddle about the laws
which have, from time TO time, authorized
the President to employ the srised forces Of
the United States to assist the civil authori
ties to execute the laws. The sum Of il all
is this Upon the call OF the Legislature or
Executive Of any State, the President may
send the army into that State 10 protect Il
from destruction by invasion or insurrectiou.
That is all he can do IN case Of resistance to
State laws; it is the beginning and the end Of
his power. But when the laws Of the United
States are opposed and obstrueled by comb
nations TOO powerful to be dealt with by the
civil authority, he may, upon ceHifcation Of
the fact, employ the whole military force Of
the United States to put down the insurrec
ton. But in both eases, whether the opposi
ton be to the laws Of State or Of the United
States, the military arm can be raised only To
overcome resistance which has reached the
proportions Of insurreclion or Invasion All
else is mere abuse but nowhere do we
find any constitutional power to station sol.
diers at the polls, even in times Of invasion or
insurrection. That, at least, is unlawful at
all times and under all circumstances; and
Hayess pretence that the right do 20 is ne.
cesSary to the due execution Of any law of
the United States is like Hayes himself, a
mere fraud. N \. Sun.