Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-07-03
Federal Usurpations Hayes Ve-
toes

Written wr tho CrVTEt pTWo-rtT
In absolu,c governments the sovereign s
will Is the law Of the land, and no power.
possess veto upon his decree. In the
United States the will Of the people A. OK.
pressed through their representatives ac-
cording TO the mode pointed out IN the
Constitution, is the Law. Thus, In the
United States tho Senate exercises a veto
upon the aets Of the House, and the House
n veto upon the acis of the senate, and the
President Is vested by the Constitution
with a veto on the acts ~ both. Thi. veto
of the President, It will be observed, ia a
u1qafrr, and enables the President TO say,
| object 10 such law. and Il .halI not
become q law uuI"ss two-ihirds of both
Houses resolves it, II the veto power,
which was designed % shield the people
against the too prccipiia,c or ill.adyiscd
action of Congress, ia to be converted into
al insirumcn; for their destruction, 6. il,
not time for the people TO arouse 10 q sense
Of their danger What measure Is there
which iyranuical and designing E1ccu-
tive might dcsirc, 70 crafty his political
vengeance or 10 minister 20 his ambiiaon,
an atrocious fraud upon tho Constitution
could not enable him to accomplish ? II
he wished tho habe's coryus &C; suspended
at the places appointed for holding clcc-
tions where marshals, supervisors, and
standing armies were called, he could de-
feat the power Of Congress over the subject
/ by jumping over the Constitution and laws
by arming himself with the veto. unless be
! was oyerrulod by the two.thirds of each
/ House in C0ngEess. To ensure Executive
responsibility and erect new guards against
/ Federal usurpation-thc rights of the States
and the liberties Of the citizen must bc
ehectually secured-the General Govern.
ment brought back 10 It's true limits-the
Executive power must be confined to its
appropriate sphere-ihe restriction impos-
ed by the Constitution between independent
and sovereign States must be sacredly al
hered TO, or the union OF States cannot be
much longer preserved. The Government
is rapidly degcnera,ing into an irrcsponsi-
bic desPotism. With the purse and the
sword and the vast patronage Of consoli-
dated government in his hands, the Presi-
dent. twill appoint his successor and Congress
will be held in subjection by Executive
patronage, which will be brought into
conflict with the freedom Of elections. Let
every freeman, therefore, who loves the
land of his birth or adoption--cvcry true
deciplc Of liberty--all who are sincerely
devoted TO the Constitution of this union
Of States, forgetting minor differences,
unite in one mighty effort for the salvation
Of the country, the rights Of tho States,
and free and untrammeled elections. That
time has arrived. President Grant had
sounded the keynote OF consolidation at
the termination of his official life, In "that
ho had given 10 the Republican party four
hundred thousand votes by the enfranchise-
ment OF the negro" and In 1873 We find
his fraudulent successor appointing, thro'
Chief Marshal Karns for the city and
county Of Philadelphia, las he testified be-
fcro committee Of the Senale), seven hum