Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-07-10
rhe Late sessio,, or Coneress.

Now that the controversy between the
two political parties in Congress has been
adjourned, and is to be submitted TO the
Judgment of the people at the State elec--
tions before it can be revived at Wash
ington. a brief review of the main fea-
lures of the struggle will, perhaps, not be
unweleome to readers.
The contest which gave rise to the pro-
lOnged extra session was begun last win
ter in the closing session of the XI.Vth
Congress. The Democrats came TO Wash
ington discouraged and good deal de-
mOralized at the result of the fall cleo
tions, which had dispelled their dream of
fiaoting into power in 1880 on an ire
sisdble current of popular opinion. They
say that sharp reaction had taken place /
in the public mind, and that all indica- |
tions pointed to the choice by the cOun- |
try of another Republican President. |
After much wrangling among themselves |
they agreed upon programme which |
they believe if carried out would enable |
them to hold the Solid South, and add to
it the electoral vote of New York. This, |
together with Indiana and one or two
smaller Northern States, would give them
a majority in the next Electoral College.
They undertook first to repeal the Feder-
al Election laws, which are the only eff
fective safeguard against fraudulent Vot-
ing in great cities and, second. 10 reduce
the army to a skeleton, and provide that
II
peace or enforce the laws of the United
States at elections. At that time the
Democrats only had control of the House
the Senate was still Republican. They
embodied their political schemes in the
shane of sEriders'' to the regular appro-
priation bills, and set up the revolution
| airy doctrine that they had the right to
refuse the money necessary to carry on
! the Government unless the Senate and the
President would permit them to have
their own way. The Senate paid no
/ heed to the threat of starving out the
| Government, and refused to concur in
the House riders. The House declined
to pass the bills without them, and the
session ended at noon on the 4th of March,
| leaving the Army and the Executive,
Judicial and Legislative branches Of the
| Government without a dollar applicable
for their support after the Both of June.
President Hayes Immediately conven-
| ed the Con gress in extra session on the
18th of March. The Democrats then
modified their programme, abandoning
all effort for the reduction of the army.
They had obtained control of the Senate
| in the meantime by the incoming of
Democratic Senators fromSOutheFnStates
elected in the place of Republicans, and
they imagined they could cover up their
partisan purposes and raise an issue be-
tween Congress and the President, in
which the people would take the side of
preparation bill with a section prohibits
ing in the effect the use of any armed Fed
eral force, whether military or civil, to
keep the peace or enforce law at the polls.
This the President vetoed on the Both of
April, Then they took the section out
and modified it, so far as it applied to
civil officers, and passed it as separate
bill. The President found this would
practically suspend the enforcement of
all United States statutes where elections
were in PROCESS, and would subordinate
National to State authority. He killed
J the bill with veto message on the 18th
; of May. Later in the session the Army
bill was passed, with clause prohibiting g
the employment of the troops as police
force at the polls. Most of the Republi-
t cans in the House voted for this bill. In
the Senate, however, the Republicans,
fearing some trick of Interpretation lurk-
ing in the words police force. opposed it.
The President placed the meaning upon
2 the words given them in common use and
| signed the bill.
The Democratic attack upon the elec-
, tion laws began with saddling rider up
on the Executive, Legislative and Judi
f cial Appropriation bill, providing for
their entire repeal. The Democrats re-
lViNed the old Southern doctrine of State
Sovereignty, aud PrOfesSed Go assail these
LAWS Tie ground that they interfered
/ with the rights of the States to control
w
, toed May 80. Then the Democrats back
, ed down from their threat of star ing the
, Government unless they could get rid OF
Federal MarShals and Supervisors at cleo
tions. They hit upon the expe4lient of
dividing the Appropriation bill into two
t bills, one relating To the Executive and
g Judicial Depal tIneuts, and The other to
] the Courts. The former they passed in a
e clean shape, and it became ii law. Upon
t the latter they tackled provision, not re-
e given up that as hopeless, but nuillfying
t them by ordering that no money shoald
a be spent or liabilities incurred for the
: enforcement. This bill met with a SHARP
veto on the oath of June. Afraid to ad
n journ with the courts unproVfded for
the Democrats got out of What they sale
> was to be their last ditch, and retreated tt
a new frontier. They subdiyded the Jud-
= icial bill, passed without any poliTiCa
n attachment all its provisions except thG
4 clause relating to Marshals and theil
+ deputies, and then passed separate bill
: to pay the fees of those officials, loaded
Z with provision that no money should bG
!. paid to them for enforcing the election
laws. Veto No. 8 Dune 30) was the re-
q ply to this last attemptto coerce the Pres
\ ident into aiding the Democrats to nullify
a United States statute.
Driven from piller 10 post by the sharJ
8 scourge of the messages, the Democrats
d saw no opening for further retreat, ant
g precipitately adjourned Congress, leav
y ing the Marshals no compensation for th1
IS current year. Here, then, is the net re
e suit of the Democratic crusade, which
e began last winter amid SO much noise ant
y blnster with the purpose of reyiving thu
e doctrine of State Sovereignty, crippling
r the Army, tying the hands of the Presi
3 dent, and opening the way to carrying
e the election in 1880 by repeating the law
/ against traHd. The Marshals and thei
It deputies must borrow money to live upol
d for time, or give up their offices. Thi
n is the sole achievement which the Demo
Y cratic party in Congress can point to a
IS the end of its six months of angry effort