The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-05-02
MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT HAYES,
VetOIng the Measure known as the Arm
Augmentation Bin.

Vetoing the Measure known as the Army
Appropriation Bill.
WASHINGTON, April 29.-Following is
the message of the President, returning
to the house of representatives the bill
entitled IAN act making an appropria-
ton for the support of the army for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1880, and for
other purposes:
To the House of Representatives:
have maturely considered the impOr-
tant questions presented by the bill enti-
tied Gan act making an appropriation
for the support of the army for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1880, and for other
purposes" and now return it to the house
of representatives in which it originated,
with my objections to its approval. The
bill provides, in the usual form, for an
appropriation required for the support
of the army during the next fiscal year
If it contained no other provisions it
would receive my prompt approval. Il
includes, however, further legislation,
which, attached, as it is, to appropria-
tions which are requisite for the efficient
performance of some of the most neces-
sary duties of the Government, involves
a questions of the gravest character
The sixth section of the bill is amend
atory of the statute now in force in regard
to the authority of persons in the civil,
military and naval service of the United
States at place where any general or
special election is held i'll any State.
This statute was adopted FEBRUARY %,
1865, after protracted debate in the SEN
ate, and almost without opposition in
the house of representatives, with the con-
current votes of both of the leading polIt-
ical parties of the country, and became
a law by the approval of president Lin
con. 1t was reenacted in 1874 in the
Revised Statutes of the United States,
Sections 2002 and 552S, which read as
follows:
SEC. 2002. No military or naval officer
or other person engaged in the civil, mil
itary or naval service of the United states
shall order, bring, keep or have under
his authority or control, any troops or
armed men, at a place where any general
or special election is being held in any
state, unless it be necessary to repei arm
ed enemies of the United States, or to
keep the peace at the polls.
SEC. 1928. Every officer of the army or
navy, or other person in the civil, mill
tary or naval service, who orders, brings,
keeps, or has under his authority or con-
troll any troops or armed men at any
place where general or special election
is held in any state, unless such force be
necessary to repel armed enemies OF the
United States, or to keep the peace at the
polls, shall be fined not more than five
thousand dollars, and suffer imprison-
ment at hard labor not less than three
months nor more than five years.
The amendment proposed in the stat
ute in the bill before me omits from both
/ of the foregoing sections the words: cor
| to keep the peace at the polls" The eff
feet of the adoption of this amendment
may be considered, first, upon the right
of the United States government to use
military force to keep the peace at cleo
tions for members of congress; and, Sec
ond, upon the right of the government
by civil authority, to protect these cleo
lions from violence and fraud. In addi-
ton to the sections of the statute above
quoted, the following provisions of the
law relating to the use of the military
power at elections are now in force:
SEC. 2O03. No officer of the army OF
navy of the United States shall prescribe
or fix, or attempt to prescribe or fix, by
proclamation or otherwise, the qualifica-
lions of voters in any state, or in any
manner interfere with the freedom of any
election in any voter, or with the exer-
else of the free rights of suffrage in any
State.
SEC. 1920. Every officer or other per-
son in the military or naval service who,
by force, threat, intimidation or other
wise, prevents, or attempts to prevent any
qualified voter of any state from freely
exercising the right of suffrage at any
general or special election, in such state,
shall be fined not more than 5000 and
be imprisoned at hard labor not more
than five years.
SEC. $780, Every officer of the army or
navy who prescribes or fixes, or attempts
to prescribe or fix, whether by proclama-
ton or otherwise, the qualifications of
voters, at any election in any state, shall
be punished as provided In the proceed
| ing section.
SEC. 553l. Every officer, or other per-
son, in military or naval service, who by
force, threats, intimidation, or otherwise
compels, or attempts TO compel, any off,
Ger holding an election in any state to
receive q vote from a person not legally
qualified to votes or who imposes, or at
tempts to impose, any regulations for
counting any general or special election
in a state, different from those prescribed
by law; who interferes in any manner
with any officer of an election, in the dis
charge of his duty, shall be punished as
prescribed in section 1920.
SEC. $3.50. Every person convicted OF
any offense, specified in the fifth proceed
ing section, shall, in addition to the pun
ishments therein severally prescribed, be
disqualified from holding any office Of
honor, profit or trust, under the United
States; but nothing In those section.
shall be construed to prevent any officer
soldier, sailor or marine, from exercising
the right of suffrage in any election dis