Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-05-08
An Obstruction or the Peoples VIII
by nm Usurper.


thb 'HNinplpn ana cOuHtGFAtof OF con-
stituiional government. Tho man in
whose interest states were disirnnchsed
assumes the special guardianship of the
right OF suffrage. The man for whom
tho blackcst crimes were committed
against the freedom and purity oil cleo
tions, aud who has degraded his Office
by rewardlng the criminals for fclonies
committed in his behalf. undertakes 10
lecture Congress and the people on the
sacred duty of preserving intact the
charter OF our liberties. The man who
owes his position not merely to crimes
committed by his own party. hut to pa.
triotic tolerance of tho Democracy
reads n homily to Democratic Congress
on the spirit which should guide its de-
liberations and the principles which
should control its Judgment.
Considering all the circumstances sur.
rounding the case, tho nntecedeuts of
Mr. Hayes, and the prcccdents establish
ed by his party, his message il simply
an insult to Congress and to the people
whom Congress represents. It's nssump.
tions of superior patriotism are iuso.
lent rs its attempt to enlarge on the
veto power. And the tone of simulat.
80 W fbAA'lA W All' v mon anu iitF lttls
stitutiou in which Mr.. Hayes addresses
the representatives of the people, reach.
es to "A height Of brazcn cifrontery TO
which no man in the executive office
has hitherto attained. II seems TO have
been Mr.. Hayes study not only TO do n
most uniustiiiablc and scarcely tolerable
act, but 10 do it in the way best calcu.
lated to provoke the anger and resent.
ment of the party which he prcsumcs
to arraiEn. 1t does not satisfy him to
WELD a stolen power for the purpose
of thwarting the deliberate purpose of
the people, lawfully declared by their
authorized agents, but he chooses to
do this in manner that has every ap.
pearAucc Of intentional and studied in.
suit. He appears to have concluded
thnt the dominant party which would
permit defeated caudIiai" 10 enter
upon and iraudulcntIy hold, for more
than two years. the office which his
.incumbcncy ha, disiracci, might safe
Is be drawn upon for faIbcaraucc To
any extent. On this suppo..tion, and
on this alone, can the matter aud man.
ncr OF this document hc explained.
There is no attempt in the message
to present. any new argument. All
OF that Mr. Hayes urges against the
proposed legislation was advanced by
hl- friends IN the House aud repeated.
over and over again, by their associates
in the senate. And the Democrats, in
both houses of Congress. fairly and
squaTely met these propositions. brush.
eel away their sophistries. aud brought
10 bear such weight OF argument tuat
the whole country conceded that the
Republicans not only bad no case. but
that they had no tcnabla ground ut
opposition. The objection a. putting
what Mr. Hayes terms "a rider on an
appropriation bill was met by the valid
claim that the rider was ccTmauc to-
the subject matter that in lccIslAtiug
for the support of the army it was prop.
er TO direct the manner IN which the
army should be employed. It wa. fur.
ther shown that the Republican party,
and even Mr. Hayes himself. were fully
committed to such mode OF legislation
by a long line Of precedents.
Mr.. Hayes condesceBds TO remark,
in substance, that no approves Of all
that there Is in the bill except the sixth
section. This section prohibits the em
ployment Of troops at the polls. snl it
does not do. or attempt TO do anything
more. In disapprov,ug this Mr. Iiaycs
declares in favor Of bayouei. guarded
ballotbox, and thus rounds up the re.
cord of his party on that issue All
the long debate was on this point. Il
was the central idea, the piyo, on which
tho whole matter turned. But for this
the bill would have been
passed In two or three days The Re-
pubiicans, however. decided to commit
their party in favor of military super
vision OF elections. Fur this they
fought, and in this Mr.. Hayes concurs
with an alacrity that amounts 10 posi-
tive haste. lie seizcs the negative pow
cr Of tho veto. and uses it TO insult and /
degrade the people. by declaring that
they are incapable Of conducting peace.
full elections. lie takes power. obtain. .
cd 10y fraud, and employs it TO cast ob. F.
loquy on Republican ins,ituiions. lie
places millions of American citizens in
the scifdcgrading attitude OF confcssing
that century Of experiment has dem
their incapacIiy for self gov.
eminent. For il amounts to this pre-
cisely. 4 people who cannot be trusted
II discharge their most solemn public /
duty without troops to keep them in
subiection, are not fitted for 4 Republi /
can form Of government They have
not tho virtue. the intelligence and the !
patriotism on which republic can be
built.
From party point Of view, the Dem
ocracy have abundant reason to be sat. /
istied with the issue presented and tho /
part taken by Mr. Hayes in shaping that
issue. If there is any sentiment more
generally difIused and more universally
prevalent than any other, it is the senti. /
ment, the vital principle, which ami
mates tho Democracy in demanding a
divorce Of the bayonet from the polls. !
Like a tornado the resisllcss sweep Of /
an enlightened and patriotic public |
opinion will whirl into retirement and /
o5scurity the party and the leaders |
who have chosen TO 60 TO the people on
the declaration that the ballot box il |
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