Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-07-24
Senator Bayard's Opinions Upon Late
Political Events.
Interview in the Now York World.


was opposed to the extra session
and much regretted that it was called
and yet history will say that the
event was unavoidable, for in the at
titude which the Democratic party,
representing the public sentiment of
the country in the two Houses of Con-
gress, and Mr.. Hayes, representing the
Republican party and having posses
sion of the Executive Department re-
spectively, took the collision was bound
to occur, and this extra session may
prove of great use in defining the re-
iations that must be expected to exist
during the remainder of Mr.. Hayes
term between him and the dominant
maiorities in the two Houses. Urged
on by the "stalwart" cabal of his own
party, Mr. Hayes has been led to make
claims of power and to take position
wholly untenable The issues which
he has thus unwisely raised are funda-
mental in their character, and it is
well for the American people to be re-
called To the true nature of their Gov
ernment, and to the principles upon
which hopes for its maintenance are to
be based. The Democrats have de-
manded nothing mt the extra session
that was not just, fair and timely. They
promptly passed the appropriation
bill supplying the army with S27 ,OOO,-
900, and simply proposed to repeal n
provision of law, which, according TO
its author, Jacob Howard, OF Mlchi-
gan, was conicssedly war measure
only, and which permitted troops to be
brought to the polls Of election to keep
the peace. 1t is difficult to see how
any man friendly to a government of
laws should desire to continue such
measure in time of peace. In fact, the
question of the necessity OF holding
elections without the presence of armed
force does not bear discussion and it
was IA lamentable Illustration Of the
intensity and blindness of party feeling
when not n single member of the Re
publican party in either House ven
tured to record his vote in favor Of the
repeal of so un-American and inde-
fensible law. No more forcible ar
guments nor vigorous condemnation Of
such uses of the army are needed than
are supplied by public speeches and
opinions of two members of Mr.. Hayes
Cabinet-Mr. Evarts and Nh. Schurz.
But it seems that Mr.. HAYES could not
withstand the threats and growls Of
the "stalwart' leaders of his party and
suffered himself to be depressed below
the proper level of the duties of his
place. To the demand for broad and
high craftsmanship thai the situation
made he responded in the tone of n
mere party politician. The bill which
promptly aud fully supplied the army
he returned with a statement of his OBJ
iections which took the form of n run
ming debate in reply to certain mem
bers of the Senate and House. He
had been referred to asT think un-
wisely and improperly in the course of
this debate in terms of scant respect,
but it was clearly most exceptionablc
and unprecedented thing for Presi-
p dent, under the cover of veto mes
sage, to enter into purely personal de-
bate with the two Houses. But one
thing he has succeeded in and that is
to show that he has the will aud power
to obstruct the passage of laws by an
arbitrary veto power based upon party
dictation, and thus throw the Govern
ment into confusion and fill the public
mind with apprehensions by prevent
ing Congressional supplies. There is
nothing substantially vetoed by Mr..
Hayes in the army bill as first pre-
sented that he has not approved in the
army bill which he signed. To the
persistence, therefore, of the Demo
cratic Houses of Congress the country
owes the affirmation of the great brin-
ciple that our popular elections shall
be free from military force.
"What is your judgment upon the
new doctrine which the Republican
organs take-that the President is n
coordinate and equal part of legisla-
ton upon all questions of policy, ex-
pediency and necessity p
"That is another question that has
been raised by the pretensions of Mr..
Hayes in his collision with the Con-
gress. The result of his claim of pow
er over legislation, would, in effect,
convert the Executive Department. into
third House of Congress. This is a
fundamentally close and dangerous
position, and arises from either total
misconception or n partisan distortion
of the true functions of his office. The
first article of the Constitution pro-
vides that all legislative powers there
in granted shall be vested in Con-
gress of the United States, which shall
consist of Senate and House of Rep
resentatives-the adjective ALL the
verb vested and the noun Congress
have unmistakable meanings. The