The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-30
The Point in the Case.

Senator CARPENTER OF Wisconsin Is n law
yer and public speaker, hut little OF n poll
tician. He may be regarded rather as
professional advocate Of the Republican
party and its policy than as believer in
its recent departures from the old constitu-
tional methods. All his training and the
natural bent Of his mind must be against
The use of the army in elections.
When unfcttered and master OF his own
will, rs he was in the Louisiana cnse, Mr.
CARPENTER appears TO advantage. and
would rise 10 distinction II that indepcnd-
ence was habitually asserted. But as the
champion of fraud and arbitrary authority,
his ability is always dwarfcd and damaged.
Subordlnated to the lead OF Mr. CoNKLING
and Mr.. BLAINE, he undertook TO defend
their course on the Army bill. and he ended
by giving away the whole case, for the
point OF his argument on that side was pre-
clsely the greatest ground OF objection to
allowing the Executive any discretion to
employ troops at elections He said
Suppose now the President intends on the Mon.
Nay In November next II that the peace OF the
city Of New York Is preserved and that riots
vented election day then the President and those
der him have authority whatever under that section
and compensation up TO that ume.n
He was critcsing the sixth section OF the
Army bill, which has since then become n
law, and which is a surrender Of the original
position taken by the Democratic party.
What the people have demanded Is that the
Executive shall have no power, under false
pretences such as Mr.. CARPENTER suggests,
TO employ the army at or near the polls on
election day. Nothing would be easier than
TO invent threatened outbreak which
would enable him to throw large body of
troops wherever he pleased before an cleo
ton and 10 keep them at the polls after
ward
That was attempted in this city in 1870
when, upon a falsely alleged fear Of an cleo
tion riot, six thousand soldiers were brought
here and two ships of war were anchored
at opposite points on the North and East
Rivers with cannOns bearing on the great
commercial and banking quarter.
The experiment failed, and GRANT and his
subordinatos were glad TO escape from tn,
predicamcnt which they had invited. There
was no rioting then; and with the precau
lions which the law provides in the vas
number Of polling places and the effective
ono OF the most orderly in the year, no
only here, but in all the large cities. So tina
the pretext Of preserving the peace at thu
polls is a mere sham designed to authoriz
the use OF troops.
OF course Mr. CARPENTER did not inten'
to expose his case in this way, but when h
objected to the sixth section he let the ca
out OF the bag, and admitted virtually tn
intention OF the Fraudulent Administrator
TO utilize the army this year as an election
serlng force Whether HAYES will ventur
that far after the debates in Congress, re
mains to be seen. He will be urged to Al
extreme course by the stalwarts, first +
serve their own ends, and secondly to rende
him obnoxious. But he Is not out OF tn
woods by any means, and he knows II
With all his weakness, HAYES is strong i
his purpose Of self-protection at any cost
His head is uneasy under the weight OF
crown OF fraud and corruption, and tn
tremors that were passing away after tw
years OF possession have returned again I
give him new anxiety, and not withou
cause.
The resolution which the House passed o
Tho Sd OF March, 1877, affirming Mr. TILDEN'
little as President, still stands. The Forty
nth Congress has passed away, but tina
great truth survives. The Forty-sixth Cor
gress has yet duty TO perform, and tn
shought of it makes Mr.. HAYES tremble fC
the salary Of fifty thousand dollars yea
which to him is far above all honors an
official dignity,