The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-15
years
Arms for Everybody hui the Nation,

Arms Tor Everybody Hui tne Nation,
New York Tribune
The Presidents message goes TO the
root of the matter. Under color Of pre-
venting military interference with cleo
tons, the Democrats attempted to secure
for their own armed and drilled parti-
san leagues and rihe.clubs absolute free
dom TO do as they pleased on election
DAYS. Again and again they voted down
amendments TO prohibit the presence Of
any armed force at the polls. What they
wanted was t. strip the United States Of
all power to enforce its laws, or protect
citizens in their free exercise of the right
of suffrage. Then the rife.clubs would
have been able to interfere in my cleo
ton with impunity. The Presidents re-
ply makes the proper distinction. "Mili-
tary interference with elections" he says,
in substance, ''is already prohibited, and
it is not desired by anybody. But the
presence OF an army wherever it may be
necessary to enforce the laws, on election
days OF any other, at the polls or any
where else, is not prohibited, and shall
notb be with my consent. II you mean no
mischief, the troops will never trouble
you. II you mean 10 seize voting.places
with illegal bodies Of armed men, to DEFY
the laws, aud TO deprive citizens Of their
freedom, the United States ought to stop
you, and will retain all the power it has
for that purpose"
A great cloud Of misrepresentation and
sophistry is blown away by this straight
forward message. The Federal Govern.
ment has an absolute constitutional right
to put forth all its powers, at any time or
place, for the enforcement of its laws.
Only those who break those laws have any
accession to fear It's power. II the Demo.
Gratis mean to have fair and peaceful cleo.
tions, no army will ever interrupt or af.
fright them. President Hayes can Justly
point to his record as proof that he has no
intention whatever OF employing military
force in any case where tho right to do so
is questionable. But the right to use all
the power of the United States for the en-.
forcement OF its laws is not questionable.
Those who mean TO break those laws,
those who mean to carry elections by
mean OF armed mobs anu violence, will
not be left to do so with impunity. They
are plainly told that to stop their outrages
ind their violence, wherever and when.
ever 1t may be necessary, is not interior.
ence with elections, 1t is simply enforce
ment Of law.
That elections should be FREQ from all
iorcible interference, and, MS far as posi-.
BILE, from all apprehension OF such inter.
ference" the President declares. That IS
the true rule. But how can that end be
attained, II Democratic ritle.Clnbs can ride
up on the morning OF election and sur
round any voting place, aud murder
United States officers while attempting TO
perform their duties, while the United
States is not permitted TO send q single
soldier, dt the call OF any official, to sup.
port him in suppressing violence2 "That
w may have perfect peace and ireedom,n
says the wolf, ''let it be enacted that no
shepherd shall be within two miles Of any
sheepiold ut night" There is butone way
to keep elections 'free from all forcible
interference" and that is TO give
the Government ample power TO suppress
and punish any forCible intGrferencc.
That power Is now intrusted to th6NPresi
dent by the Constitution and the laws,
and he properly refuses to surrender 1t at
the demand Of the Democratic wolves in
Congress. Bloody corpseS at hundreds Of
voting places in the South have shown
what sort Of peace these Democrats mean
to keep. Their extra session, and their
passionate anxiety to strip the Govern.
ment Of all power to prevent interference
with elections, and their threat to staryc
the Government unless that power is sui.
rendered, show their purpose. Military
interference with elections there will be-
o Military interference with them, II
they attempt to carry elections by force,
We trust they may expect.
The veto Is very strong In its reasoning
and inits citation Of the laws. But It will
be the more heartily sustained By the 10y.
al people OF the free North because It
draws so sharply the dividing line between
abuse and proper use OF the Federal pow
er. The President has made It plain 10
tho whole country that no will not abuse
his power as COMMANDMENT. Chief OF the
Army, nor employ that power for political
ends. Even when his own party almost
unanimously thought % would be justiR.
, ed, he refused to use the army because It
did not seem to him clear that the occa.
sion warranted that use. But he now
serves fair warning upon the revolution
lists in Congress that he means 10 use all
his power to enforce the laws. And it Is
fortunate for the country that his veto
stands as an ~impregnable barrier in the
wayot theirschemes,