The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-06-05
The THIRD VETO.
The Presidents Objections to the Legis-
lative Appropriation Bill.

TO the House of Representatives:
SIRs: After mature consideration of the bill
entitled An act making appropriations for the
legislative, executive and judicial expenses of
the Government for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1880, and for other purposes" herewith
return it to the House of Representatives, in
which it originated, with tho following objec-
tons to its approval:
The main purpose of the bill is to appropri-
ste money required to support, during the next
fiscal year, the several civil departments of the
Government The amount appropriated ex-
ceeds in the aggregate $1S.OOO,OUO. This
money is needed TO keep in operation the es-
sential functions of all the grest departments
/ of the Government-legislative, executive and
4 judicial p s.a. 49, - -. a~ss-
II the bill contained no other provisions, no
objections to it's approval would be made. 1t
embraces, however, a number of clauses re-
latlng to subjects of great general in
terest, - which are wholly, unconnected
for. Objections to the practice of tack
ing general legislation to appropriation
bills, especially when the object is to deprive a
cooperative branch of the Government of its
rights to the free exercise of its own discretion
and Judgment touching such general legisla-
ton, were set forth in the special message in
relation to the House bill No. /, which was re-
turned to the House of Representatives on the
18TH OF last month. I regret that the objections
| which were expressed to this method of legisa-
ton have not seemed to Congress of sufficient
weight to dissuade form this renewed incorpora-
ton Of general enactments in an appropriation
bill, and that my constitutional duty in respect
to general legislation thus placed before me
cannot be discharged without seeming to delay,
| however briefly, the necessary appropriation
by Congress for the support of the Govern
| ment. S -
Without repeating those objections, I re-
spectfully refer to that message for statement
OF my views on the principle maintained in the
debate by the advocates of thisibill, viz: That
ito withhold appropriations is a constitutional
means for the redress" of what majority of
the House of Representatives may regard as a
"grievance."
The bill contains the following clauses viz
And provided further, that the following sec
tons of the Revised Statutes of the United
States, namely, sections 2,016, 2,O1S and 900,
and all of the succeeding sections of said stat
utes down to and including section 2,027, and
also section 1922 be- and the same are hereby
repealed, and that all the other
sections. of the Revised Statutes, and all
laws and parts of laws authorizing the appoint
ment of Chief Supervisors of Elections. special
Deputy Marshals CT Elections, or General
Deputy Marshals, having any duUes to perform
IN respect to any election, and prescribing their
duties and powers, and allowing them COM
pensatlon, be and the same are hereby re-
pealed"
1t also contains clauses amending sections
2Ol7, 2,O19, OBS and 2, 031 of the Revised Stat
utes. The sections of the Revised Statutes which
this bill, If approved, would repeal or amend
are part OF an act approved May 80, 1870, and
amended Feb. %, 1871, entitled CAN act to en-
force the rights of citizens of the United States
to vote in the several States of this Union, and
for other purposes"
All of the provisions of the above named acts
which it is proposed in this bill to repeal or
modify relate to Congressional elections. The
remaining portion of the law, which will con-
tinue In force after the enactment of this meas
ure, is that which provides for the appointment
by Judge of the Circuit Court of the United
States of two Supervisors of Elections in each
election district, at any Congressional election,
on the due application of citizens who desire,
in the language of the law, ito have such cleo
ton guarded and scrutinized. The duties of
the Supervisors will be to attend at the polls at
all Congressional elections, and to remain
after the polls are open until every vote
cast has been counted; but they will have
| no authority to make arrests or to
perform other duties than to be in
| the immediate presence of the officers holding
the elections, and to witness all their proceed
lngss, including the counting of the votes and
| making return thereof"
The part of the Election law which will be
repealed by the approval of this bill includes
| those sections which give authority to the Su-
pervisors of Elections ito personally scrutinize
the count and canvass each ballot" and all the
sections which confer authority upon United
States Marshals and Deputy Marshals in con-
nection with Congressional elections. The en-
actment of this bill will also repeal section 5 522
OF the criminal statutes of the United States,
| which was enacted for the protection of United
States officers engaged in the discharge
| of their duties at Congressional elections
This section protects Supervisors and Marshals
in the performance of their duties, by making
| the obstruction or assaulting of these officers,
or any interference with them by bribery, or
solicitation or otherwise, crimes against the
United States The true meaning ard effect of
| the proposed legislation are plain. The Super
visors, with authority to observe and witness
the proceedings at the Congressional elections
will be left, but there will be no power to pro-
tect them, or to prevent interference with their
duties, or to punish any violation of law from
which their powers are derived. If this bill ie
approved, only the shadow of authority of the
United States at national elections will remain;
| the substance will be gone.
| The supervision of elections will be reduced
| to mere Inspection without authority on the
part of the Supervisors to do any act whatever
| to make the election g fair one. All that will
be left to the Supervisors is the permission to
have such an oversight of elections as political
parties are IN the habit OF exercising without
any authority of the law, in order to prevent
their opponents from obtaining unfair advan-
tages.
The object of the bill is TO destroy any con-
troll whatever by the United States over Con-
gressional elections.
The passage of this bill has been urged upon
| the ground that the election of members of
Congress is a matter which concerns the States
alone; that these elections should be controlled
exclusively by the States; tina, there are, and
can be, no such elections as national elections,
and that the existing law of the United States
regulating Congressional elections is without
warrant in the constitution. 1t is evident, how
ever, that the trainers of the constitution re-
garded the election of members of Congress-
in every STATE and in every district as, in very
important sense, justly matter of political in
terest and concern to the whole country.
The Or ginal provision of the constitution on
this su bject is as follows:
SECTION ARTICLE /. The times, places ana
manner of holding elections for Senator's and Rep
resentatives shall be prescribed in each State by
the Legislature thereof; but Congress may at any
time. by law make or alter such regulations ex-
cept as to the places of choosing Senator's
A further provision has siNce haen added