Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-28
MR. BECK,S PROGRAMME.

LILO IesOluClOn OF OenaCOf dOar, declaring
the programme of Senator Beck, announced
by him at the close of the last session, I'M
constitutional and revolutionary, appears to
be- the silliest specimen of craftsmanship and
idiocy that ever was brought before an intel
lgent body of men for consideration. It is
an attempt to make the Democratic party
responsible for the utterances of an individual
member of that party, and however sensible
his views may have been, the trick is too dis
reputable to merit deliberate considerations
and the Democrats, in refusing to discuss the
resolution, acted wisely. What Senator Beck
said was this: --
As to the revolutionary measures that it is
said may be attempted if an extra session is
had, l have said what believe will be done.
only speak for myself. I know nothing posi-
lively as to what the Democratic Congress will
DO. But after they have fairly rendered to the
President, as they have the undoubted right to
do, acts repeating the sections that authorize
soldiers to go to the polls to keep the peace
and that authorize deputy marshals to order
them to go there under any pretense, and acts
repeating all the test oaths in reference to
Jurors, SO that men can have honest juries be-
fore whom to try their cases, and acts repeating
the authority given to the marshals and super
vlsors at the polls to control the elections, if
the President, in the exercise of his constitu-
tional authority, shall see fit to veto measures
SO Just and SO fair, so necessary to free govern
ment as those laws are, then for one would
again make them part of the appropriation bills
and let him exercise his veto power if be deter
mines to perpetuate those wrongs on the bills
that appropriate the money necessary to main
tain the government, and let him be responsible
by his veto for stopping the wheels of govern.
ment, as he would be if he determines that
such measures as these are sufficiently import
ant on the statute-book for partisan purposes
to block the wheels of government. Then the
executive and his aiders and abettors would be
responsible to the country, and not the Congress
that gave him the opportunity to attach his
signature to necessary appropriation bills.
MIR. Beck's purpose in making these re-
marks is self evident. He simply wished to
place the responsibility for the extra session
of Congress where it belonged-on the Re-
publican party. The demands of the Demo
Gratis were so eminently just-so necessary to
the maintenance of free government that
Senator Beck ran little risk in declaring the
adhesion of the party to them in spite of
executive opposition. 1t surely is no crime,
nor is it revolutionary or unconstitutional,
to announce determination to adhere to a
principle that is recognized as a correct one,
even though the nominal head of the gov
eminent should not approve of the legisla-
ton enacted in accordance with it. If oppo-
sition to the will of the executive by Con-
gress is treason, then the Republican party
has been guilty of treason in most aggra-
waited form. But no sensible man can. be
brought to believe that such is the fact.
If it is, then they can make the most of it.
We fail to see anything in Mr.. Beck's re-
marks that the Democratic party need be
afraid to father. While the tone is, per-
haps, little too defiant, the sentiments ex-
pressed are proper enough. Yet there is no
need of the party committing itself to such
apology. Exigencies may arise that may
render it expedient to depart from the plan
he proposes; indeed, that emergency has