Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-19

The legislative department has enacted these
laws under what it believed TO be n clear and
explicit grant of power, and you have never
had it judicially determined otherwise. But
now you propose to assault the election laws,
the supervisors, and the marshals in this mill
tary bill and under the pretense of getting
rid of troops at the polls YOU propose that no
federal officer-no civil officer of the federal
government-shall be there. That is the de-
sign; that is the plain, palpable object. An
amendment that will be offered here will test
your sincerity on that subject whether you
will allow the federal government to be pres
ent at all | believe you do propose to allow
two men of straw to stand up without any
power; to be present rs witnesses; to be
counted themselves but not to count, as my
friend from Massachusetts Mr.. Hear well
suggests with no power whatever; mere
spectators on sufference, not to be hustled out
nor kicked nor dubbed if they behave them
selves, but entirely at the mercy of the mob /;
guests standing there by the courtesy of the
State not standing there armed with the pan
oplv of the federal government and command
ing in its great name an observance of law
and of justice. You propose simply to per-
nit and permit is the word, two officers to be
designated by Federal authority to be present,
that is all not to have one particle of power.
not to be clothed with a solitary attribute Of
authority, not to have any force, not To have
any legal status beyond that of casual specta-
tors and, therefore, | say that you cannot
debate this question without associating these
two bills together. The one runs right into
the other; and go so far as to say that if the
military bill should go through in its present
form and become the law of the land, the re-
mainder of this law on election day is not
worth anything at all. The whole law OF
marshals and supervisors is worth nothing I'M
less the civil authority of the United States
has the power there to enforce its edicts.
We are told, too. rather novel thing that
if we do not take these laws we are not to
have the appropriations. believe it has been
announced in both branches of Congress.
| suppose on the authority of the democratic
caucus, that if we do not take these bills us
they are planned we shall not have any of
the appropriations that go with them. The
honorable Senator from West Virginia Mr..
Hereford told it to us on Friday the hon
orable Senator from Ohio Mr.. Thurman
told it to us last session; the honorable SEN
ator from Kentucky Mr. Beck told it to us
at the same time and am not permitted to
speak Of the legioLs who told us so in
the other House. They say all these appro-
priations are to be refused; not merely the
army appropriation, for they do not stop at
that. Look for moment at the legislative
Here is an appropriation in it for defraying
the expenses of the Supreme Court and the
circuit and district courts of the United States,
including the District of Columbia &C., "S2,-
800, 000;" Provided-provded what?
That the following sections of the Revised Statutes
relating to elections
Going on to recite them
be repealed.
That is you will pass an appropriation for
States only on condition of this repeal. We
often speak of this Government being divid-
ed between three coordinate departments,
the executive, the Legislative, and the judi
cial-co-ordinate, independent, equal. The
Legislative under the control of democratic
caucus now steps forward and says 1--WE offer
to the Executive this bill and if he does not
sign it we are going to starve the judiciary"
That is carrying the thing little farther than
have ever know. We do not merely pro-
pose to starve the Executive if he will not
sign the bill, but We propose to starve the jul
diciary that has nothing whatever to do with
the question. That has been boldly avowed
on this floor; that has been boldly avowed in
the other House; that has been boldly avowed
in democratic papers throughout the country.
And you propose not merely to starve the
judiciary but you propose that vou<will not
appropriate solitary dollar to take care of
this Capitol. The men who take care of this
great amount of public property are provided
for in that bill You say they shall not have
any pay if the President will not agree to
change the election laws. There is the pub
lie printing that goes on for the enlighten-
ment OF the whole country and for printing
the public documents of every one of the
Departments. You say they shall not have
dollar for public printing unless the Presi-
dent agrees to repeal these laws.
There is the Congressional Library that has
become the pride of the whole American peo-
pie for its magnificent growth and extent.
You say it shall not have one dollar to take
care of it, much less add new book, unless
the President signs these bills There is the
Department of State that we think through
out the history of the Government has been
great pride to this country for the ability with
which it has conducted our foreign affairs il
is also to be starved. You say they shall not
haveany intercourse with foreign nations, not
dollar shall be appropriated therefor
unless the President signs these
bills. There is the Light House Board that
provides for the beacons and the warnings on
seventeen thousand miles of sea and gulf and
lake coast. You say those lights shall all go
out and not dollar shall be appropriated for
the board if the President does not sign these
bills. There are the minis of the United
States at Philadelphia, New Orleans, Denver.
San Francisco, coming silver and coming
gold-not dollar shall be appropriated for
them if the President does not sign these bills
There is the Patent Office the patents issued
which embody the invention of the country
not dollar for them. The Pension Bureau
shall cease its operations unless these bills
are signed and patriotic soldiers may starve
The Agricultural Bureau, the Post Office De
partment, every one of the great executive
functions of the government is threatened,
taken by the throat, highwayman-style, col
orcd on the highway, commanded to stand
and deliver in the name of the democratic
congressional caucus. That is what it is;
simply that. No committee of this Congress
in either branch has ever recommended that
legislation--not one. Simply democratic
caucus has done it
OF course this is new. We are learning
something every day. ! think you may
searchth records ofthe federal government in
vain it will take some one much more indus
trious in that search than have ever been and
much more observant than | have ever been
to find any possible parallel or any possible
suggestion in our past history of any such
thing Most of the Senators who sit in this
chamber can remember some vetoes bv Pres