Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-05-02
Senator -Allison's Speech on the Army
Ri1l

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Mr.. Allison in the commencement of
his remarks asked if it was possible they
had been sitting day after day and hour
after hour debating whether in Re-
public there should be free and honest
ballotP Was there any party arrayed
against principle so well groundedP
If there was such a party, it was not
Republican party. The pending bill
was professedly an appropriation bill
providing for the support of the army
from the lst day of July next for one,
year, and unless this bill should pass
before that day, then all the uses of an
army must stop, or go on without an
appropriation. An army was necessary
for the protection of the frontier and
forts and arsenals, and for the protec-
tion as well of our treasure and archives
and other property concentrated here.
The army was as old as the Govern
ment itself. The Democratic Senators
insisted that the sixth section of the
bill was put there for the purpose of
redressing grievances, although there
was no pending grievance which re-
quired to be redressed now and here.
He believed it was the Senator from
Ohio (Mr. Thurman) who first intima-
ted n redress of grievances. The Dem
ocratic party had been in power in the
House since 1875; and he challenged
contradiction when he said that no petit
ton from any source had been pre-
sented asking repeal or modification
of the existing law; nor had any such
petition been presented in the Senate.
This proposed redress of grievances
was suddenly discovered, and had no
foundation for action. There was no
necessity for encumbering the bill with
new legislation at this time. The Re-
pubicans have majority of all the
voters in the country, and this would
be everywhere apparent if there were
a free ballot, and therefore it was unfair
to them to insist on such legislation;
besides it ought not to be done, as this
measure affected or might affect the
enfranchised race, and considering that
of the forty Democratic Senators, thir-
ty-twO are from the section more nearly
affected by the Fourteenth and Fiji
teenth Amendments to the Constitu-
ton. To force this legislation upon
appropriation bills was an unfair pro-
cedure, especially in view of the fact
that this question has not been dis
cussed on hustings, and no protest has
come here against the use of the army,
and it was still more unfair because of
the ayowal that these sections are
placed in the bill as conditions of ap-
propriations. Mr.. Allison believed that
it was revolutionary to force an amend
merit of the Constitution without the
ordinary processes. The Constitution
says bills shall be passed by both
Houses and receive the signature of the
President in order to become laws, yet
it was now proposed to make the Pres
ident's signature Il condition to the ap-
preparation of money to defray Gov
ernment expenses. General jackson
would have been amazed at such pre-
sumption. He read from jackson s
messaue to tho Senate in 1901, protest.
ing against resolution passed by that
body, to the effect that the President
had acted outside of his constitutional
prerogatives, and saying that if such
interference with the independence of
the Executive was allowed to pass un-
noticed and grew into Il custom, it
would be as effective in destroying the
liberty of action of independent de-
partments of the Government as if Il
Constitutional amendment were adopt
ed throwing into the hands of the SEN
ate the power delegated to the Pres
ident. The real issue, Mr.. Allison
continued, is whether civil officers of
the United States shall be permitted to
enforce the laws by calling on the mil
itary in case of necessity. Ii the troops
had ever interfered in elections they
had done so in violation of law and
were liable to fine and imprisonment
for it. There was ample legal protec-
ton against undue interference. Con-
tinuing, he showed that under Wash
ington the army had been authorized
by Congress to be used to restore peace
in Pennsylvania and under Jefferson to
be used as militia in certain States and
such had been the practice since. In
conclusion Mr.. Allison said: There
must be laws securing the people fair
representation; and they would not
consent to any Infringement of their
tights by the overriding of one depart
ment of the Government by any other
department.