The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-07-09
The Last Veto.

The President sends aparting shot
after the Confederate Brigadiers, as
thep vainly struggled to fly from the
Capitol, and it must be admitted that
his final statement is as effective as
it is brief. He wastes no words in
argument, having found that reason
has little to do with the actions of the
majority. But the curt recital Of the
facts, with men of ordinary reason
and patriotism, will have more weight
than many convincing arguments.
The President does lot stoop to re-
peat his reasons for refusing his sig
nature to a bill designed to nullify
the Election law. Congress sent the
bill to him having full knowledge that
it would certainly be vetoed, for the
Presidents convictions of duty on
that subject had been plainly stated
in more than one formal message.
That he has sworn TO "take care that
"the laws be faithfully executed, and
therefore cannot, without violation
of his oath, sign a bill intended to
nullify a law and prevent its enforce
ment, Congress knew when its last
bill was framed and passed. Hence
it must be understood that Congress
expected its bill to be vetoed, and in
Guided therein only such appropria-
tions as it desired to defeat, and to
take all the responsibility Of defeat
ing. The President therefore points
out the nature of those appropria-
tions, and the functions Of the Gov
eminent which Congress thus at
tempts to arrest. The entire respon-
sibility for the stoppage Of these
functions, for the offer of immunity 10
those who commit the many crimes
enumerated, for the withdrawal of
"the only police force of the United
Estates" the President places upon
the majority in Congress, where it
belongs.
The "moonshinersn will be delight
ed. They have been engaged fol
years in a conspiracy to trample upon
the laws, have assassinated officials
in the discharge of their duty, and
are criminals for whom no patriotic
citizen would have sympathy; and
yet the Democratic majority of Con-
gress has made it the especial aim
and the richest and ripest fruit of its
extra session to shield these crimi-
nails from Interference. But there are
other lawbreakers, as the President
shows, who have especial occasion to
thank the party of lawbreaking and
revolution. Forgers and counterteit-
ers may rejoice, for q Democratic
Congress has provided that the mon
ey OF the people. contributed for the
prevention OF such crimes and pun
ishment of such criminals, shall be
kept back from the officials TO whom
by law it belongs. Letter thieves,
dishonest clerks and carriers, specu-
lating postmasters aad all other GRIM
inals who violate the postal laws,
may rejoice that a Democratic Con-
gress has refused to appropriate mon
ey for their arrest and punishment.
Knaves of the Indian ring. plumber.
ers Of the high seas, timber thieves,
smugglers, all may offer thanks to
the first Congress since the Govern
ment was organized that has seen fit
TO cripple the arm of the law lifted up
against them. True, the majority OF
Congress did not primarily seek to
give immunity to all these crimes /;
its main object was to assert the
right of freedom in fraudulent nat
~uralization and ballot-box stuffing,
and to shield from interference the
moonshiners. But the effect of this
latest attempt to coerce the Presi-
dent--an effect which every member
who voted for the bill must have
fully anticipated and weighed-is to
offer immunity to all manner Of Grim
insls against whom United States
laws can be enforced only By the
agency of marshals. To these mar
shals Congress refuses the money to
which the laws entitle them for their
support.
The claim that the President ought
to have permitted the election laws
to be deied and nullifed in order to
prevent notification OF other laws of
the United States, viii be submitted
to the people for their judgment. He
states the case plainly in the closing
sentence of his message. 4 great
effort has been made TO cover with
ridicule the declaration thar The pas
sage of bills intended to coerce the
President into q surrender of bis ve-
to power is unconstitutional and rev.
o~lutionary. Nevertheless the Demo
Gratis know that the charge is perfect
ly true and just, and they have wing
ed under it, week after week: recoil-
ed before it from n point to anoth-
er; and backed down so often that
there is left scarcely the pretence Of
respect for the position of the party,
even among its supporters. They
know that the plain people of this
country appreciate the business OF the
Presidents statement that such leg
Islation would make q radical, dem
"gerous and unconstitutional change
"in the character of our Institutions