National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-06-12

on the Republican sdc.l Then came the second
chapter. A bill had been introduced, declaring In
ehect That the army should not be used to enforce
any of the laws of the Union anywhere in the
Union, u there happened 10 be an election being
ngI Inc kepq6csns h9h pointed ot the mon
tive Department If there should be days on which
the law could not be enforced. And that bill had
also run against the rock of the constitutional veto
and had gone down, and not bubble remained
above the place where 1t had gone down. Applause
on III Republican side.l
Now the present bill had been brought in and
he particularly complimentcd the gentleman (Nlr.
Johnst0n) upon whose motion the ninth section
had been stricken out. The army would not for.
that act
Section did not profess to repeal, aud did not
repeal any law of the United States and therefore
u was not obnoxious in that respect lie Mr.. Gar
field wanted to affirm that the thing prohibited, If
any thing was prohibited by that section, was some
thing which did not prevail under any law or
under my practice III the country, and iurthcr
moro, that hC did not know OF any mau IN this
world who was in fovorof using the army of the
United states MS an ordinary police force TO run
elections in q state Dorisivc laughter and up.
plause on the Democratic side. There were about
10000 polling places in the country, and, with an
army Of aj,ttO men, each polling place would'hayc
about three i0urths Of q soldier ~ act as police
force u there was anybody who thought Of de
ployiug the army IN that way, he (Mr Garfcd) did
not know whore the luuatc lived Laughter
The Republicans had held that they would not let
VITAL ana righteous laws he repealed n, q condition
Tor getting the appropriation bills.
That they had resisted, and wuuld resist, all the
while; but they would not let themselves under
Tie excitement Of party feeling, be placed. really or
apparently In any attitude inconsistent with the
old established principles Of American liberty
suppose the sixth section gave the President the
power to use the army Us police force was there
one man VINO would vote for II? If anybody
thought that for any party purpose or otherwise,
they would get him; or anybody with whom he
acted, TO cast vote that implied n belief that the
army had been used MS police force they were
mistaken. They would not catch him in such an
open ,tap, WIN such small piece of cheese.
cnce at elections but once. That had been in 1862
when tagrant war had been raging md II was the
military interference OF the enemies of the United
states. IN the autumn OF that year lie had been in
Chattanooga, AMI. together with his comrades from
OHIO, had been permitted to vote for Governor Of
ONO, and while they had been voting the shells
from the SERTED cnemias OF the United States had
many OF the voters. And that was the only mill
tary Interference with elections he had ever wit
messed. Applause OH Republican sidc.l
And It was to prevent that kind Of interference
that the United States amy had varied OF the
enemies of the Union while elections were being
held In the border States In the act Of 1868 there
occurred for the first time IN connection with the
army the words ITO Keep the peace at the polls "
but proposition TO say That the army was police
was proposition SO extreme aud so absurd that
he trusted that no man on that side of the House
would give the least color for the opinion that he
favored by holding that section repealed or
listed. -.
Mr. WILLIAMS. Are you in favor at any time
under amy circumstances, in any emergency, OF
using the army to keep the peace ut the polls?
Mr.. GARFIELD. Not In The sense Of using that
army as an ordinary police force.
MIR. WILLIAMS. do not mean Gs an ordinary pc.
lice, but In any form whatever?
Mr; GAkF 5 am IN favor Of using The army OF
and all the militia Of the United States 10 enforce
the laws OF the Union, any one OF thcm all Of them