Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-05-08
VETO OF THE ARMY BILL.


soldier in every Southern mans house.
VETO OF THE ARMY BILL.
On the 29th ultimo, the President returned
the army appropriation bill to the House,
without aAixing his signature, accompanied
by message stating at length the reasons for
the veto The following are the main points
of the message:
The President says that if the bill contain.
ed no other provisions than those for the
support of the army it would receive his
prompt approval; but it includes further leg
islation and involves questions Of the gravest
character. He recites the Statute now in
force embodied in Sections 1902 and 5,52S of
the Revised Statutes, and says that the adop.
tion of the proposed amendment may be con.
sidered in two aspects-6rst as it affects the
right Of the United States Government to use
the military force to keep the peace at cleo
tions; second, as it affects the right of the
Government, by civil authority, to protect
elections from violence and fraud. He then
quotes and calls attention to Sections 1908,
5,529, $3.50, 5,53l and 5,532 of the Revised
Statutes, and Section l5 of the army appro.
priation bill, passed June ls, 1878, together
with remarks upon the purpose and effect OF
the latter as stated in the speeches of the SEN
ators and representatives who supported it.
From these laws, he says, it appears that
there can be no military interference with
elections, and that consequently there is no
necessity for the enactment of Section 6 of
this bill. He then calls attention to existing
laws for the prevention of determinations on
account of race, color or previous condition
of servitude, and to punish fraud, violence
and intimidation at Federal elections, and
says: "These laws it is the duty of the exec
utive department of the Government to en-
force The intent and effect Of the sixth sec.
ton Of this bill is to prohibit all civil officers
of the United States, under penalty Of fine
and imprisonment, from employing any ade-
quate civil force for this purpose at the place
where their enforcement is most necessary,
namely, at places where congressional cleo
tions are held. If the proposed legislation
should become law, there will be no power
vested in any officer of the Government to
protect from violence officers of the United
States engaged in the discharge of their du-
ties. Their rights and duties under the law
will remain, but the National Government
will be powerless to enforce its own statutes
The States may employ both military and
civil power to keep the peace and 10 enforce
the laws at State elections. 1t is now pro-
posed to deny to the United States even the
necessary civil authority to protect the Ma
tional elections. No sufficient reason has
been given for this discrimination in favor Of
State and against National authority"
With regard to the manner in which it is
sought to repeal the law authorizing the use
of troops at the polls, he says: "The object
aimed at is altogether foreign to the purpose
of an army appropriation bill. The practice
of tacking to appropriation bills measures
not pertinent to such bills did not prevail un.
til more than forty years after the adoption
Of the Constitution. 1t has become prac.
tice which all parties, when in power, have
adopted. Many abuses and great waste of
public money have in this way crept into ap-
preparation bills. The public opinion Of the
country is against it. The States which have
recently adopted constitutions have generally
provided remedy for the evil, by enacting
that no law shall contain more than one sub.
iect, which shall be plainly expressed in its
title. The constitutions of more than half of
the States contain substantially this provis-
ion. The public welfare will be promoted in
many ways by a return to the early practice
of the government and to the true principle
of legislation, which requires that every
measure shall stand or fall according to its
own merits"
He says: "This Congress has ample oppor-
tunity and time to pass appropriation bills,
and also to enact any political measures which
may be determined upon in separate bills by
the usual and orderly methods of proceeding,
but the majority of both houses have deemed
it wise to adhere to the principle maintained
in the last Congress by the majority Of the
House of Representatives, namely, that the
House of Representatives has the sole right
to originate bills for raising revenue, and
therefore, has the right to withhold appropria'
tions, upon which the existence of the gov.
ernment may depend, unless the Senate and
the President shall give their assent to any
legislation which the House may see 6t to At
tach to appropriation bills. To establish this
principle is to make radical, dangerous and