The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-05-02
Veto OF the Army Bill.


The bill appropriating money for the sup
port ofthe army, with an amendment prohibit
ing the presence of troops at the polls, except
upon the call of the Governor or Legislature
of State, passed the Senate on the 25th of
April, by Al yeas to 30 nays. As was ex-
pected President Hayes has vetoed the bill,
accompanying the veto with his reasons for
Withholding his approval These are by no
means so strong as to carry with them the
conviction that the President is right and
Congress wrong. He objects to the proposed
legislation because he deems it superfluous.-
This, if true, can scarcely furnish good rea-
son for his veto. If it is superfluous, it can
do no possible harm, and Mr.. Hayes is him
self starving out the army" if he withholds
hissignature to the bill on that ground. Then
he regards 1t as an attempt to coerce the Exec
utive, by compelling him to approve legisla-
ton he objects to, for the sake of providing
support for the army. He enuncates the
strange doctrine that the Executive has CO.
ordinate legislative power with Congress-
doctrine so utterly inconsistent with our
whole theory of government that none but
the most blinded partisans can uphold it.
The issue between Congress and the Pres-
dent, stripped of all eXtraneous matters, is
simple and clear. 1t is contest between CEN
tralization on the one hand and the right of
the people to elect their representatives under
the Constitution, unawed by the interfer-
ence of hired soldiers at the polls. The
States themselves are directly interested in
holding fair and free elections for representa-
tives in Congress as well as for local officers.
Every State in the Union possesses within
herself the means to secure free and orderly
elections; and if she is not able to secure
these, the proposed legislation does not pre-
vent or forbid an appeal from the Governor
or Legislature to the President for troops to
suppress domestic violence. The measure is
merely undoing some of the pernicious and
dangerous legislation growing out of the
war. 1t is in behalf of securing and perpetu-
ating a republican form of government and
seeks to make the military subservient to the
civil power-as it ought to be if the people
would remain free.
President Hayes maintains it to be the right
OF the Executive to order troops to the polls
in any State, at an election for representatives
in Congress, without waiting for the call of
the properly constituted authorities The
language of the law sought to be repealed does
not even forbid him from sending soldiers into
a State at any election. The Democrats hold
that this power is dangerous to liberty, a men,
ace to voters and a direct blow at the freedom
of the ballot Instances of military interior
ence with elections have not been wanting,
even in Maryland. Legal and qualified voters
have been driven from the polls at the point
OF the bayonet or their votes refused if they
were suspected of an intention to vote a tick
ct not approved by the soldiers.
MIR. Hayes may discam any inattention of
sending troops to any State otherwise than
upon the call of the proper authorities; but
he claims the right to do so, and it is against
this assumption of power that the Democrats
protest, and for which they should stand as
firmly as our revolutionary forefathers did
against the aggressions of the British crown.
The Democrats in Congress expected the
veto and it consequently caused no excite
ment among them. They appreciate the
gravity and Importance of the issue and are
determined to stand firm on the side of con-
stitutiopal freedom, by maintaining their po-
sition under all circumstances. The point
raised is no doubtful one. 1t strikes directly
at the foundation of our form of government,
and if the Presidents veto is sustained, it will
be, we fear, the beginning of a fresh attempt
to concentrate power in the hands of the
President