The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-18
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS POSITION.

ISSUES OF THE NEXT CAMPAIGN-HIs COURsl
DURING TEE LATE SESSION OF CONGRESS.
MIR. Alexander ii. stephens under date of July Is.
has addressed the following letter to the editor OF
the Augusta (Ga) Ne,os
Your kind note of the nth inst calling my atten.
ton to letter TO the Savannah NeWs from o COR
respondent OF that paper at Washington, under date
OF the Sh inst, was received yesterday. Upon the
subject OF snst letter can now only briefly say that
utterly without foundation. Never have l. on any
OCCASION said that I'm the next campaign all other
Issues on the democratic side would have to subor
dinate themselves to which shall stand pre-
eminent-tbat of State rights"
STATE RIGHTS NOT ISSUE.
NV whole course i'll the late extra session of Con.
gress we'll as III the entire preceding Congress- is
directly ayerse TO such a position NV snseches i'm
the democratic the extra session and the
democratic platform submitted by me therein tor
the next campaign which were bishsd
throughout the country. North and south are ut
terly Inconsistent with the statement attributed to
by the correspondent of tho Savannah Ne,os. In
my speeches the caucuscs held that. while free
ballot should be maintained. yet the grsat and all
absorbing issues now before the country were the
financial currency. tariff internal revenue aud
CONGRESS AID THE PRESIDENT
In the matter OF the controversy between the
President and Congress upon the subject OF the
OF troops at the polls and the use Of United States
deputy marshais in connection with elections. my
position. after the vetoes by the President of the
bills repeating the acts authorizing such OF
troops and deputy marshas, that while Congress
would be justified in withholding all appropria-
lions and stopping the operations OF the
government i'll all its functions, BECAUSE
OF said veoes. yerit not only the right. but
duty of Congress to designate and speci'y the
TO which the money appropriated by them should
be applied. The power to appropriate means the
power to specify and limit the objects to which the
moneys set apart While, therefore, Congress
could repeal the acts authorizing the Of
troops and deputy marshals over the Presidents
veto for the want OF twothirds majority yet main
tanned they had the perfect right to limit the sppro-
pration to the armv by expressly declaring that
part of the money appropriated should be applied
to the payment OF troops employed ut tho
polls, and in like they had perfect right TO
desi gnate and limit the OF the moneys appro.
prated for the payment of the marshas in the dis
charge of all their regular and ordinary duties In the
execution of the mandates OF the courts in the adj
mlnistration OF the civil and criminal laws OF the
land with express prohibition that part Of tho
money appropriated for inarshals and their gen.
era deputies in the administration OF justice should
be applied the payment of special deputy mar.
shals for services connected with elections.
SHALL CONGRESS CONTROL. THE APPROPRIATIONS
The controversy between Congress and the Presi.
dent finally narrowed down to these distinct issues
the Army bill passed with this restriction put
upon it, The President signed 1t, and 1t il the
law of the land bill approprating $4,000 for the
payment of marshals and general deputies which
that asked with like restriction in substance
that part OF the money appropriated set
apart should be used for payment OF special deputy
,narshals to run elections, was passed BY Congress-
This bill vetoed by the President and Congress-
adjourned without passing any other bill on the SUBJ
ect. All the other appropriations bills were passed
and duly signed. The issue, therefore, this mat
ter now before the country is, have often said
and again repeat not one OF Estate rights, but one
involving the right ana duty OK Congress 70 control
its appropriations, and to specify the uses to
which the public money shall be applied. This lie
great ISSUE but not involving the question Of State
rights State sovereignty ut all. but great QueA
ton between the relative powers OF two Coordinate
departments Of the federal government. rl8
FINANCIAL RELIEF.
By the constitution Congress alone has the power
to tax tho people and raise money for any federal
purpose, and while in this country Congress may
not as the Parliament in England withhold all ap-
preparations until there be redress of grievances.
&c, for need not repeat here, yet Congress
has undoubtedly the clear right to limit and desig
the to which the taxes of the people shall
be applied This, ut least, has been my position
these questions from the beginning, and supposed
it was well understood throughout the United
States that amazed at the ignorance audacity
of any one who would attempt to misrepre-
sent it, In the democratic caucus, the
opening Of the late session of Congress- urged
with all the power and zeal could command. that
the paramount question which should engage the
attention Of the democracy now that they had come
into power in the Senate well a. in the House. WAS
not the appropriation bills which concerned chiefly
the salaries OF those in ofhce-those should be
treated side issuesbut that attention should be
given Immediately to the vital questions of financial
relief which concerned the taxpayers. the great body
of the producing classes Of the country. This was
and is my view of the paramount question in the
present and coming political issues. How any
be mistaken in 1t who has paid any atten.
ton to what have said and dona cannot con-
ceive Very truly, yours