The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-05-08
THE VALLEY VIRGINIAN
sTAUNT0N, VIRGINIA.
The Veto Message.

The Veto Message.
The following is the Presidents veto mes
sage:
To the House Of Representatives:
Ihave maturely considered the important
questions presented by the bill entitled "Au
act making appropriations for the support
of the Army for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1880, and for other purposes" and
TOW return it to the House of Represents
| lives, in which it originated, with my objec-
! tions to its approval.
The bill provides in the usual form for the
appropriations required for the sur port Of
the Army during the next fiscal year. 1t il
contained no other provisions 1t would re-
ceive my prompt approval. 1t Includes,
however, further legislation which, attached
as it is to appropriations which are requisite
for the efficient performance of some of the
, most necessary duties of the Government
| involves questions Of the gravest Character.
The sixth section Of the bill is amenda-
tory of the statute now in force in regard
TO the authority of persons in the civil. mil
itary and naval service OF the United States
''at the place where any general or special
election il held in any State" This stat
ute was adopted February 25. 1865, after a
protracted debate in the Senate and almost
without opposition in the House OF Repre-
sentatives. by the concurrent votes OF both
the leading political parties of the country,
and became law by the approval of Presi-
dent Lincoln. 1t was re-enarted in 1874 in
the Revised Statutes of the United States,
sections 1902 and 5,52S, which are as fol-
lows
SEC. 1902. No military or naval officer or
| ;,,f irH mil
or ma Val service of the United States shall
order, bring, keep, or have under his au-
thority or control any troops or armed
| men at the place where any general or spe-
cial election is held in any State, unless it
he necessary to repel the armed enemies OF
the United State or to keep the peace at the
polls.
SEC. $685. Every officer of the Army or
Navy or other person in the civil, military, or
| naval service of the Unit d States, who orders,
brings. keeps, or has under his authority or
control troops or armed men at any place
| where general or special election is held in
anv State. unless such force BE- necessary to
repel armed enemies of the United States.
| or to keep the peace at the polls, shall be
| fined not more than $1,000 and suffer i'm
prisonment at hard labor not less than three
| mo,,ths nor more than five years.
| in the bill before me omits from both of the
foregoing sections the words ''or to keep
the Ieace at the polls" The effect Of the
| adoption of this amendment may be consid-
cred,
| First-Upon the right OF the United
States Government to use military force to
keep tne peace at the elections for members
=! OF Congress. and
| Second-Upon the right OF the Govern
ment By civil authority to protect these cleo
| tons from violence and fraud.
| In addition to the sections OF the statute
above quoted, the following provisions OF
law relating TO the use of the military power
| at the elections are now in force.
SEC. 2, DOB. No officer of the army or navy
of the nile States shall prescribe or fix,
or attempt to prescribe or fix, by proclarna-
ton, order, or otherwise, the qualiiica' ions
| of voters in any State, or in any manner in
ter,ere with the freedom of any election in
any State, or with tie exercise of the free
right of suffrage in any State.
| SEC. !. 529. Every officer or other person
| in the military or nav Il service. vino, by
force, threat intimidation, order, advice, or
| otherwise. prevents or attempts TO prevent
any qualified voter of any State from freely
| exercising the right of suffrage at any gen
eral or spt cial election in said State shall be
| fined not more than $4,000 ard imprisoned
at hard labor not more than five years.
| SEC $3.50. Every officer of the army or
navy who presrribes or fixes, or attempts to
prescribe or fix, whether by proclamation,
| ord or otherwise, the qualifications of vO-
ters at any election in any State, shall be
punished as provided in the preceding sec.
ton.
| SEC. 5,53l. Every officer or other person
| in the military or naval service who. by
| force, threat, intimidation, order, or other
wise. ce,npels, or attempts to compel, any
| officer holding an election in any State to
receive a vote from person not legal lily
qualified to vote, or who imposes. or at
Lempts to impose, any regulations for cor.
ducling any general or special election in a
| State different from those prescribed by law,
| or who interferes in any manner with any
| officer of an election in the discharge of his
duty. shall be punished as prescribed in Sec
ton $500
SEC. 532. Every person convicted OF any
of the offtnses specified in the five preced-
| ing sections shall, in addition to the punish
ments therein severally prescribed. be dis
qualified from holding any office OF honor.
profit or trust under the United States. but
nothing in those sections shall be construed
| to prevent any officer, soldier, sailor, or ma.
rine from exercising the right of suffrage in
any election district to which he may BE-
long, if otherwise qualified according to
the laws of the State in, which he offers to
| vote.
The foregoing enactments would seem to
he sufficient to prevent military interference
| with the elections. But the last Congress.
to remove all apprehension of snch interior
ence. added to this body of law section 10
Of an act entitled IAN act making appro>
priatons for the support at the Army for
the fiscal year ending June 30. 1879. and for
other purposes" approved June is, 1878,
which is as follows:
SEC. 10. From and after the passage OF
this act, it shall not be lawful to employ
any part OF the army OF the United States
as posse c0mitdtus or oths rwise for the
purpose of executing the laws, except such
cases and under such circumstances as such
employment of said force may be expressly
authorized bv the Constitution or by act Of
Congress; and no money appropriated by
tLis act shall be used to pay any ofltke ex-
penses incurred in the employment OF any
troops in violation of this section, and any
person wilfully violating the provisions Of
this section shall be deemt guilty of mis-
demeanor, and upon conviction thereof
shall he punished by a fine not exceeding
$4,000, or imprisonment not exceeding
two years, or both such fine and imprison'
ment.
This act passed the Senate after full con-
sheraton, without single vote recorded
against it on its final passage, and by ma
jority of more than two-thirds it was con-
cnrred in by the House of Representatives
The purpose Of the section quoted was stat ef
in the Senate by one of its supporters as fol
lows:
Wherefore 1 hope, without getting into
any controversy about the past, but acting
wisely for the future, that we shall take.awaJ
The idea that the army can be used by agen
eral or special Deputy Marshal. or any Marsha
merely fo- election purposes, or posse, or
derng them about the polls, or ordering then
any where else, when there isn election
going on, to prevent disorders, or to sup
press disturbances that should be suppressed
BY the peace officers of the State. or il thel
must bring others to their aid, they shoult
summon the nnorganized citizens, and no
summons the officers and men of the army
as a posse comitatys to quell disorders, ant
thus get up feeling which will be disas
.rous to peace among the people OF TIL