Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-06-04
The Veto.

The Veto.
The president returned the legisla-
tive and judicial appropriation bill to
the house with the following message:
Message to the House of Representatives.
SIRs-After mature consideration of the bill
entitled an act making appropriations for the
legislative, executive and judicial expenses of
the government for the fiscal wear ending June
Goth. 1880, and for other purposes herewith
return 1t to the house Of representatives in which
it originated, with
THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIONS
to it's APPROVAL
The main purpose of the bill is to appropriate
money required to support, during the next fiscal
years, the several civil departments of the gov
eminent. The amount appropriated exceeds in
the aggregate Sio000,000. This money is needed
to keep in operation the essential functions of all
the great departments of the government, legis-
lative, executive and judicial. Ii the bill con-
tanned no other provisions, no objection to it's
approval would be made. II embraces, however,
number of clauses relating to subjects of great
general interest which are wholly unconnected
with the appropriation for which it provides.
The objections to the practice of attaching gen
eral legislation to appropriation bills, especially
when the object is to deprive ordinate branch
of the government of its right to the free eXer-
else of its own discretion and Judgment touching
such general legislation, were set forth in the
special message in relation to house bill No. /,
which was returned to the house of representa-
tlveS on the 29th Of last month. l agree that the
objections which were then expressed, as to this
method of legislation, have seemed to congress
of sufficient weight to dssuade from this renewed
incorporation of general enactments in an APP
preparation bill, and that my constitutional duty
in respect to the general legislation thus placed
before me, cannot be discharged without seeming
20 delay, however bri1y, the necessary appro-
prlatlons by congress for the support of the gov
eminent. Without repeating these objections l
respectfully refer to that message for statement
OF my views on the principle maintained in de-
bate by the advocates of this bill, viz: that to
withhold appropriations is constitutional means
for the redress of what the majority of the house
OF representatives have'regarded as grievance.
viz:
And provided further, that the following
sections of the revised statutes, of the United
States, namely: sections 2,06, 2,01S and 1910, and
down to and including sections 2,O27, and also
section 522, be, and the are hereby re-
pealed and that all the other sections of
the r-vised sta utes, and all laws and parts OF
laws authorizing the appointment of chief SUI
perVisors of elections. special deputy marshas of
elections, or general deputy marshals having any
duties to perform in respect to any election and
prescribing their duties and powers, and low
ing their compensation, the same are hereby re-
pealed.'
1t also contains clauses amending sections
2,017 2Ol9, 1850 and 2,O31 of revised statutes.
The section of the revised statutes which the
bill, if approved. would repeal or amend, is an act
2oth 1871, entitled An act to enforce the rights
of citizens of the United States to vote il the
several states of this union and for other pur
poses" All of the provisions of the above
named acts which it is proposed in this bill to
peal or modify, relate to congressional elections.
THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE LAW
which will continue in force after the enactment
of this measure is that which provides for the ap-
pointment, by judge of the circuit court of the
United States, of two supervisors Of election in
each election district at any congressional cleo
in the language of the law. to have such election
guarded anG scrutinized. The duties of super
visOrs will be to attend at the polls at all con-
greSsiOnal elections and to remain after the polls
close until every vote cast has been counted, but
they Will have no authority to make arrests or to
perform other duties in the immeIia presence
OF officers holding the election: and to witness all
their proceedings including the counting OF votes
and making return thereof. The part of the
election law which will be repealed by the ap-
prevail OF this bill includes those sections which
give authority to supervisors of elections to per-
sOnally scrutl1llze the count and canvass of each
ballot and all the sections which confer authority
upon U. S. marshals and deputy marshalS in con-
neCtlOn with congressional elections. The enact.
ment of this bill will also repeal 1922 of the
criminal statutes of the u. s., which was enacted
for the protection of U. S officers engaged IN the
discharge OF their duties at congressional cleo
tons. This section protects supervisors and
marShalS in the performance of their duties by
making obstruction or assaulting of these Off
GERS Or any interference with them, by bribery
solicitation or Otherwise crimes again st the u s.
The true meaning and effect of the proposed leg
lslation are plain. Supervisors with authority to
observe and witness proceedings at congressional
elections will be left, but there will be no power
to protect them or to prevent interference with
their duties or to punish any violation Of the law
from which their powers are derived.
THIS BILL Is APPROVED
only the shadow of authority of the U. S. at ma
lonal elections Will remain; the substance will
be gone. Supervision Of elections will be re-
deuced to mere inspection without authority on
the part OF the supervisor TO do any act whatever
| to make the electiona fair one. All that will be
left to supervisors Is the permission to have such
oversight OF elections as political parties in
the habit of exercising without any authority of
law In order to prevent their opponents from OBJ
tanning unfair advantage. The object of the bill
ls to destroy any control whatever by the U. s..
over congress sional elections.
The passage of
THIS BILL HAS BEEN URGED
upon the ground that the election of members of
congress is d matter which concerns the states
alone, that these elections should be controlled
exclusively by states; that there are and can be
no such elections as national elections and that
the existing law of the q. S. regulating congress
Sional elections is without warrant in the conSti-
tuition. It is evident. however, that the trainers
of the constitution regarded the election of men,
bers of congress in every state and in every dis
trict as in very important sense justly matter
country. The original proposition of the consti-
tuition on this subject is as follows:
Sec. ". art l. The times, places and manner of
uO1uluS olOCGlOuS lOT SENATORS anu
shall be prescribed in each state by the legsla-
ture thereof, but congress may at any time by
law make Or alter such regulations except as TO
the places of choosing senator's.
A FURTHER PROVISION
has been since added which is embraced in the
fifteenth amendment. 1t is as follows:
Section /. The right of citizens of the y. S. to
vote shall not be denied or abridged by the U. s.
or by any state on account Of race, color prev-
GUS condition of servitude.
Section 2. The congress shall have power to
enforce this article by apr ropriate legislation un
der the general provision of the constitution,
section ", article /.
Congress in 1866 pass ed compreh ensive law
which, prescribed full and detailed regulation
for the election Of senators by the legislature of
the several states. This law has been in force al
most thirteen years. In pursuance of it all the
members, of the present senate of the United
States hold their seats. Its consttutiOnality is
not called in question. 1t is confidently believed
that no SOUND argument can be made in support
of the consttutiolality of the national regulation
of senatorial elections which will not show that
the election of members of the house of represen-
tatives may also be constitutonally regulated by
national authority.
The bill before me itself recognizes the princi-
pie that the