The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-09-13
THE VITAL ISSUE.
Federal Interference in Local
Elections.
How the Veto Power Was Used to
Carry Out Party Edicts.
The Doctrine OF Federalism What the
Republicans Are Fighting For.
Eloquent Address of Gen. A. v. Rice,
Delivered at Ottawa, Ohio.

Mr. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW CITIZENS:
We demand a free ballot and
fair elections. We insist that the army shall
he Kept away from the polls, and that the Fed
eral Government shall not exercise authority
over elections held within the States in any
manner by Federal Supervisors or Deputy
Marshals. This, to-day, is the foremost ques-
ZION that can be presented, not only to the peo-
pie of Ohio, but of the whole country. Before
It all other questions are dwarfed into insignia
canoe, because the question of suffrage is
greater in republic than all others, and fit
is IN doubt the life OF the Government is in
peril. Its solution is transferred from the halls
of Congress to the tribunal Of the people. 1t
Involves personal and civil liberty, and the
perpet1ity of our form Of Government 1t was
thought to have been settled hundred years
ago. at the birth of the republic, but TO- day il
is presented to our view in all its hideousness
Tins question of franchise is the dearest pre-
Fogauve OF o freeman. 1t is the foundation of
our system of government Without a free
ballot there is ho such thing as fair eloctloo,
and without fair election the will of the ma
joriiy cannot bSlswfuly expressed, and on the
viii of the iority is the principle on which
our political fabric rests
The Forty fifth Congress expired ON the 4th
OF March last without passing two OF the
general appropriation bills-one for the
support OF the army for the fiscal
year ending June 81, 1850, and the
other for the legislative, executive and Judi
cial expenses of the Government for the same
time. The House of Representatives was
Democratic and the Senate Republican. The
seventh section of the first article eff the .on-
etitution provides that Gan bills for raising
revenue shall originate III the House of Repre-
sentatives Accordingly the House prepared
bills providing the necessary appropriations
for the above purpose, and to the Army bill
attached provision repeating certain laws,
providing that Federal troops should not be
used to preserve the peace at the polls; and
attached to the Legislative, Executive and
Judicial bill provision repeating the test oath
and providing for impartial juries in the
Federal courts, aud repeating the Election law
OF 1871, providing for Federal Supervisors of
Elections and Deputy Marshals The repeal
ing provisions attached to both bills were in
the interest of economy and germane to the
sublect-matter of the respective bills to which
they were added, and consequently came with
IN the rules of the House The Senate
amended the bills by striking out the repeal
ing clause. Both bills were sent to conference
committees, which failed 10 agree, the difference
neing as 10 the repealing provisions added to
the bills 30 the Forty fifth Congress expired
railing to make the appropriations named, and
the PRESIDENT issued his proclamation conven-
ing the Forty sixth Congress in extra session
on the 18th of March last.
If, as the Democracy maintained, these laws
sought to be repealed were odious, bad and IN
constitutional, tbon the Republican members of
the Forty fifth Congress are responsible for the
extra session, and whatever of blame there may
be rests with that organization. IT, on the
other hand, these laws are right Just and con-
sttutiona1 and conducive to the well being of
the country, then the Democratic members of
the Forty fifth Congress were wrong in insist
ing on their repeal, and the condemnation of
the extra session rests with them
insist that the House was right in the Forty
fifth Congress in demanding the repeal of these
vicious measures, obnoxious to- freedom and
Justice, and which, if permitted to remain in
force, will be used more and more TO destroy
the rights of the States, to consolidate, central
ize and make strong the Federal Government
and to perpetuate by force and fraud the power
of the Republican party, even sgainst the will
of agreat majority OF the people Of the country
II the Democracy was right in the position
taken In the Forty fifth Congress, then the ma
jority in both houses, of Congress in extra ses-.
sion we're right in maintaining hesame ground
The issue made up then by the extra session
between the two parties as stated by the Dem
ocracv were:
|; The Federal army shall be kept from the
?: Federal juries shall be impartially drawn,
and the test oath repealed. ~-,. 49,. -
3. Federal Supervisors of Elections and Dep
uty Marshals shall not interfere with elections
in the States.
In order that we may understand more clearly
she position Of the parties in regard to these
measures, let us examine the action of Congress
concerning the Army bill.
In q general law. passed the latter part of the
war, Feb 20, 1865 to prevent officers of the
the service from interfering in elections in the
States, occur the following sections of the Re
vised Statutes: -
SEC. 2.Oo2 No military or naval officer OF
other person engaged in the civil, military or
naval service of the United States shall order
bring, keep or have under his authority or con-
troll any troops or armed men at the place
where any general or special election is held in
any State, unless it be necessary to repel the
armed enemies of the United States, or to keep
the peace at the pollsn - - Fl
aSEo 5,52S Every officer Of the army and
navy, or other person in the civil, military or
naval service of the United States, who orders,
brings, keeps or has under his authority or
control any troops or armed men at any place
where general or special election is held in
any State, unless such force be necessary to
repel armed enemies of the United States or TO
keep the peace at the polls, shall be fined not
more than IS, 600, and suffer imprisonment ut
hard labor not less than three months nor more
than five years.
BY the first of these sections the use of
troops at the polls is denounced except in two
specified cases: First, when it is necessary
70 y bel the armed enemies of the United States,
or, second, to keep the peace at the polls. The
second section prescribes penalties for the dis
obedience of the law. This bill was intro
duced into Congress by its author, Senator
Powell, of Kentucky, but without the words,
cor to keep the peace at the polls" In either
section-its object being to prevent troops from
surrounding the polls and excluding citizens
from voting, as was the case in many instances
in the fall of 1854 But the Republican party.
then as now unwilling to yield the supervision
of elections by the military power through
their President, caused the amendment, cor to
keep the peace at the polls, ;" to be added to the
sections above referred to, and thus 1t is that
this dangerous law, inimicaI to freedom and
civil liberty, now disgraces our statuteboOks.
The sixth section of the first appropriation
bill of the extra session, for the support of the
army for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1880,
alters the above sections 2,0t2 and 5, 52S of the
Revised Statutes by striking out from both Sec
tons the words ~or to keep the peace ut the
polls" This is all So that hereafter the army
cannot be used at elections for any purpose,
ey sept to repei the armed enemies Of the Unit
ed States. The Army Appropriation bill hav-
ing passed both houses of Congress as above, 1t
was sent to the President On the 9th day Of
I'll he returned it to the House of Represen-
tatives with his objections to it's approval In
tlis message he reviews the existing laws ca
the subject and says shat there is no necessity
Tor h Q enactment OF section g of the bill before
,,n,.4 ~, nrevent military interference at cleo