The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-05-07
THE ARMY APPROPRIATION BILL.
full Text ofsthe yeto N essaxe or Presi.
dent Hayes. sa

Full Text OF the Veto N @ssaxe or Presi-
dent Hayes. Sa
WASHINGTON. April 49, The following Is the
message Of the President of the United States,
returning to the House of Representatives the
bill entitled an act making appropriations for
support of the army for the fiscal year ending
June 9Oth, 1880, and for other purposes:
To the House of Representatives. have
maturely considered the important questions
presented by tho bill entitled an act making
appropriations for the support of the army for
the fiscal year ending June so, 1880, and for
other purposes, and I now return it to the
House OF Representatives, in which it originate
ed, with my objections to its approval. Tho
bill provides in tho usual form for the ap-
preparations required for the support of the
army during the next fiscal year. If it con.
tanned no other provisions it would receive my
prompt approval. ItincludeS, however, further
legislation which, attached as it is to appropria-
| tions which are requisite for the efficient per-
Torrance of some Of the most necessary duties
of the government, involves questions of the
1 III t,HI GRAvEsT CHARACTER. f
The sixth section of the bill, Iis amendatory
Of statute now in force in regard to the au-
naval service of the United States at place
where any 6 neral or special election is held in
| any State. This statute was adopted Feb. Is,
1865, after protracted debate in the Senate
and almost without opposition Airt the House of
Representatives, by the concurrent votes Of
both of the leading political parties of the
country, and became a law by approval of
President Lincoln. 1t was re-enacted in 1874
in the revised statutes of the United States,
sections 2, OO2 and 5,52S, which are as follows:
| ''A THE STATUTE. t@f' "ai1S'@5-S' a.
| Sec. 2002. No military naval officer, or other
person engaged in civil. military or naval SER
vice of the United States shall order bring, keep or
have under his authority or control any troops or
armed men at place where any general or special
election Is held IN any State, unless it be necessary
to repel armed enemies of the United States, or to
keep the peace at the polls. r5 aHa .s mn }
Sec. 5,52s. Every officer Of the army or navy, or
other person in the CIVIL military or naval service of
the United States who orders, brings. keeps has
under his authority control any troops or armed
men at any place where general or special election
is held In any State unless such force be necessary
to repel armed enemies Of the United States, or to
keep peace at the polls, shall be fined not more than
| five thousand dollars and suffer imprisonment at
, five years. ~,
PEACE AT THE POLLS. sagA...
The amendment proposed in this statute in
the bill before me Omits from both OF the fore
going sections the words "or to keep the peace
at the polls.'' The effect of the adoption of
the right Of the United States government to
use military force to keep peace at elections
for members of Congress, and second, upon
the right of the government, by civil authority,
to protect these elections from violence and
! fraud. Z. -r, ,,F.f II f--.rq q 4n,s ~ -, =
In addition to the sections of the statute
above>quoted, the following provisions Of law
relating to the use of the military power at
elections are now in force: "a 31s' 4-o~s7
| URrHER RESTRICTIONS. --.s T...
| Sec. 2r3. No officers of the army or navy OF
the United States shall prescribe fix by proclama-
ton otherwise the qualification of voters in any
State or in any manner interfere with the freedom OF
any election in any State, with the exercise Of the
free rights Of suffrage in any State T.,
! Sec. $500. Every oficer.cr ether person in the
military naval service, who by force threat, nt
idatior ORDERS advice or otherwise, prevents or at
enpts to prevent any qualified voter Of any State
from freely exercising the right Of suffrage at any
general special election in such State shall be fined
not more than $1,000 and imprisoned at hard labor
not more than five years. .,
Sec. $3.50. Every officer Of the army and navy
who prescribes. orders, fixes, attempts to prescribe
or fix, whether by proclamation, order, otherwise
the qualifications Of voters at any election in any
State shall be punished provided In the preceding
section.
Sec 5,531. Every officer or other person in the
military naval service who by force threat, intim
dalton, otherwise contpels, attempts to compel
any officer holding election in any State to receive
vote from person not legally qualified to vote. OF
who imposes or attempts to impose, any regulations
for conducting any general special election in any
State different from those prescribed by law or who
nterferes in any manner with any officer of election
in the discharge of his outy, shall be punished as
prescribed in section $685.
Sec. $3.50. Every person convicted of any Of the
odenses specified in the five preceding sections shall
in addition to the punishment therein severally pre-
scribed, be disqualified from holding any Office Of
honor, profit or trust under the United States, but
nothing in these sections shall be construed to pre-
vent any officer, soldier, sailor or marine from exer
cising the right of suffrage in any election district
which he may belong, If otherwise qualified accord
ing to the laws Of the State In which he offers K
vote. "i' = =, H}aE.* @s.t5lI'' t'a0la.
The foregoing enactments would seem to b,
sufficient to prevent military interference, bu
/ the last Congress, to remove all apprehension
. of such interference, added to this body of Law
section Is of an act entitled ''An act maxim.
appropriations for support Of the army for tn
fiscal year ending June 80, 1879, and for othe
, purposes" approved June 1S, 1878, which i
as follows: .,..D,. &c.. - q 3D..
POSSE coM1rArUs.
Sec Is. From and after the passage of THU
act 1t shall not be lawful to employ any part of tn
army of the United States .s posse comitatus o
otherwise for the purpose of executing avs excer
in such cases and under such circumstances sue
employment of said force may be expressly author
lied by the constitution by act of Congress, an
no money appropriated by this act shall be used t
pay any Of the expenses incurred in the employment
. of any troops in violation of this section; and
person wilfully violating the provisions Of this
ton shall be guilty Of msdemeanor, and upon cor
S vction thereof shall be punished by fine not e.
4 ceeding $4,000 or imprisonment not exceeding tw
years, or both such fine and imprisonment. v5 {
UNANIMTTY OF IT'S PASSAGE.
= This act passed the Senate. after full consio
;. Grafton. without single vote recorded agains
- it on its final passage and by majority q
o more than two-thirds it was concurred in
u the House of Representatives. The purpose q
/. the section quoted was stated in the Senate
one of its supporters. RS follows: Therefore.
> hope, without getting into any controvers
about the past. but acting wisely for the fl
n ture, that VIC shall take away the idea that th
e army can be used by a general OF special del
O uty marshal. or any marshal merely for ele,
ton purposes or posse, ordering them abor
I. the polls or ordering them anywhere else whel
It there ia no election going on, to prevent di
e orders or suppress disturbances that should
n suppressed by the peace officers Of the State,
if they must bring others, to their al
they should summon unorganlzed either
\ and not summon the officers and men of tt
- army posse committus to quell disorde
. and thus get up feeling which will be &
DISASTROUS TO PEACE AMONG THE PEOPLE
l. of this country" In the House of Represen
q, atives the object of the act of 1873 was state
A by the gentlemen who had it in charge in air
- liar terms. He said: But these are all min
u points and insignificant compared with Il
q great principle which was incorporated by Il
-