Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-05-28
THE VETO MESSAGE.


We can imagine no possible contin-
gency, no combination of circumstan.
ces, that would render a veto OF an act
of the Forty-sixth Congress by Mr..
Hayes anything but exasperating and
insolcnt. When we consider this, but
for crimes against the Constitution
committed in his interest and reward
ed by him, he would now be in private
life and the Democratic President, duly
elected, would be in the White House,
bis persistent opposition to the popu.
lar will, and his repeated veto messages
cannot be treated as other than grossly
insulting to Congress and the people
whom Congress lawfully represents.
And the fact that Mr.. Hayes uses this
regal prerogative with such unusual
latitude in the interest Of arstocracy,
and in opposition to the spirit of dc.
mocracy, increases the general and just
Indignation felt for such course.
As we predicted, this message is a
labored effort to disguise the actual
purpose which it is intended to serve.
Mr.. Hayes processes to find in the
vetoed bill a prohibition to the use
of troops for such purpose as the
suppression of finsurrection of domestic
violence, and he intimates that II such
objections as this are removed, he will
approve an act divorcing the bayonet
from the ballot-box. All this is mere
special pleading and misty sophistry
The Constitution gives the Executive
all needful power to use the army and
navy, and no statute could encroach
upon or impair that authority in the
slightest degree The object, and the
only object, of Mr. Hayes opposition,
the sole reason why this weak man
lends himself to the work marked out
by bis masters, is that the troops may
be used at the polls to prevent a free
and fair election, in the interest OF
honest government, by the unlntimida-
ted votes of the majority.
Mr.. Hayes further Processes to find
too much of States rights in tho bill
He discovered many things in IL that
''do not appear on It's facc.' He seems
to have detected o false bottom that
conceals any number Of Trojan horses,
and largo assortment of treason,
strategems and spoils. True, these
things were not put in, and nobody
knows how they got in, but Mr.. Hayes
announces that he has found them.
But hc should be the last of all
American citizens to complain Of State
rights. He is the child to that doc
trine in its rankest growth. He was
borne intoanothcr mans Office through
such an extreme construction Of State
rights as would have startled John G.
Calhoun, such a construction as wonld
have astonished and horrifod tho SO.
cession leaders Of 1861. atrt
Neither Of these objections have
point or weight. lfa dozen bills were
passed, and the men who framed them
were studiously careful 10 avoid collid-
ing with Mr.. Hayes objections, Il
would not be very difficult thing for
Mr.. Edmunds and Mr. Robson, and
thcir associates, to give them such in.
depreciation as TO furnish pretext for
dozen additional vetoes. II is the
settled determination Of the Radical
leaders to hold on TO the bayonet at
the polls, and they will use the man
whom they have unlawfully and Grim.
inally installed In the Executive Office,
to effect this object Washington Post.