The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-05-24
Soldiers at Elections,

In his late veto message Mr.. Hayes says
great deal about Irrational elections mat
does he mean? II might be supposed from
his language that the principal business io'
which the Federal Government had ueeh Wv
| ated was to look after the elections. bai iet
What has Congress or the President to do
with nm election for PresidentY simply
nothing. The Constitution says;-- EaSh
State shall appoint, ia such manner as the
| Legislature thereof may direct a numpeF Of
What have they to do with Congressional
elections? Next to nothing, The Sonshln'
ton saws 1.-THE times, places, and manner
of holding elections for Senators and Repre-
sentatiyes shall be prescribed IN eaeh state
by the Legislature thereof but the congress
may at any time by law make or alter such
regulations, except as to the places OF choos'
ing Senators" Upon strained construction
of this language, giving to Congress concur
rent jurisdiction with the States, guarded and
limited us il is, is based the whole OF the lie,
publican election machinery, supervisors and
marshals, costing the people unknown SUMS
and terrorizing and obstructing them, not
only at Congressional elections, but ut other
elections which arc held at the same lines
and places. But nobody has ever yet claim
ed that this provision Of the Constitution au'
thorizes the President to send troops to the
polls and hold bayonet elections.
Hayes pretends to think that q statute which
forbids him to order soldiers TO tho polls,
abridges in some mysterious manner the
power OF the Government TO protect itself, or
to execute its laws. Now, in Great Britain
this same law is fundamental. No soldier or
body Of soldiers can be brought within Ger
tain distance Of any polling place, but nobody
ever imagined that the British Government
was weakened thereby, On the contrary il
is strengthened, as all Governments are strong
which rest on the assent and live in the aztec.
tons Of the people. This curious idea Of Mr..
Hayes will provoke u smile Of contempt
among the .reemeu of old England, where
the appearance Of any portion Of the army ai
n polling place would be regarded as an act
of treason on the part Of the Ministry by
whom il was either ordered or permitted.
There is in the message q deal Of illogical
and incousequen,ial twaddle about the laws
which have, from time 10 time, authorized
the President to employ the armed forces Of
the United States TO assist the civil authori.
ties to execute the laws The sum Of il all
is this Upon the call Of the Legislature or
Executive OF any State the President may
send the army into that State to protect i
from destruction by invasion or instruction.
That is all he can do in case Of resistance 10
State laws; il is the beginning and the end OF
his power, But when the laws Of the United
States are opposed and obsiucted by comb.
nations too powerful to be dealt with by the
civil authority, he may, upon cerlifca,ion OF
the fact, employ the whole military force OF
the United States to put down the insurrcc
ton. But in both cases, whether the opposi.
lion be to the laws Of State orof the United
States, the military arm can be raised only to
overcome resistance which has reached the
proportions of insurreclion or invasion. All
else is a mere abuse. But nowhere do we
find any constitutional power TO station sol.
diers at the polls, even in times Of invasion or
insurrection. That, at least, is unlawful ut
all times aud under all circumstances; and
Hayes's pretence that the right do 30 Is ne.
cessary to the due execution Of any law ol
the United States is like Hayes himself, a
mere fraud N. !. Sun.