The daily gazette., 1879-04-02
From the Baltlm 1re Gazette.
Narrowing the Issue.

The kepublcdns, i'll lighting the repeal
OF the law which allows the presence OF
United States troops at the polls, claim
Tor the Executive power winch is IN
consistent with the preseryat on of free
instl ution'. They say that by the const-
tuition the President is COMMANDMENTS
Chief of the Army and Navy aud ii at
Congress has lio night TO limit his power
to ordeI the troops where he chooses. But
this proves too much. Ii he has all this
power, this Is not Republic but d mill
tary empire. The Conmandel-in-Ch Chief
OF the Army and Navy might order his
troops INTO the halls of Cougre.s 10 ..pre-
serve order there as well as a. the polls.
1t Is the claim Of despot sm III all clmes
and III all ages that 1t "preserves orde.,"
'protecls society,"" Every couD Tefat
Or usurpiion rests Oh just such preteuse
and once let the .'Man On uorscUa, k" get
INTO power and he alH ays ks to main
tam hlnise fby terrorizing the people with
| aroclous crueltles under the name of
maintaining order. But the Constitution
i'll III king the President COMMANDMENTS
Chief OF the Army aud Navy, at the same
lime left III the pow er OF Congress to
abolish both Amy and Navy a together
II the public good required this to be doue.
Congress has the power to reduce the
army TO one t4ousand men or ten men
or one man. 1t can do tuis either direct
ly, by reducing the army, or indirectly
by refusing to appropriate money TO maill-
tain it III existence. To call this "revo-
lutionary' is SIMPLY absurd. 1t is set
DOWN III the Constitution aLd is one OF
It's safe and heaith-giying principles. IL
was intended that Congress should have
this control over the possibilities of al bl-
trary Executive stretch of power. In
Congress resides the great reserve of Fed.
eral power. The Houses Of Congress
represent tue States and the people. 1t j.
the sovereign Oody-the direct expoueu,
OF the popular will. The Republicans
when they were in power, carried th,!
idea to the EXTREMIST limit.
When the present situation was exact
ly reversed and the Republicans had IT,,
control Of Congress AID Andy johnson
lifelong Democrat, was President, thel
the Repuollcans held that johnson wa.
III rebellion against the Government
johnson SAID that Congress was in rebel 4
lion AGAINST the Constitution. Congress
D passed the Tenure-Ot-O Office act, limiting
q the power of the Executive even in tn
selection Of his own Cabinet. Itenacte
such legislation as pleased it as 'riders
: upon Appropriation bills. They in
peached johnson ior attempting to main
tain his Constitutional prerogatiye.-
:. Evarts, who is now Hayes right han
}, man, was Johr sons counsel in the in
q peachmeni trial and yet, notwithstandin
L.. ANt to, trl trh l,.t -
Congress carried the theory that Congre.
II was 'lhe Government" and the Pfesidei
If who resis ed its will was in rebellion, til
II country sustained 1t by increased major
;, tes-so jealous are Americans OF Oh
man power. so it will be again. Th
g Congress now in session represents til
is sovereign will OF The people. They sa
e that the dangerous powers placed in I'll
!, hands ol the President by the Republica
II Congresses in order to perpetrate the
)f power must be repealed. They say thi
r. they must be repealed just as they wei
d passed, as appendages 10 the AppropIi;
ton bills. The eXhortalioDs and tbrea
and Dluster and sophistries of the Rad
/. Gals are all alike unavailing. Congrel
l. represents the cause Of the people again
Executive Capitalization, which is pc
haps not dangerous in the hands of Hay,
!. but would be dangerous in the hands OF
: Chandler OIL Grant or Conkling or Blail