Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-05-05
THE ARMY BILL.
VETO BY THE PRESIDENT.

portant questions presented by the bill
entitled IAN act making appropriations
for the support of the army for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1880, and for
other purposes" and | now return it to
the House of Representatives, in which
it originated, with my objections to Its
The bill provides in the usual way for
the appropriation required for the sup.
port of the army during the next fiscal
year. If it contained no other provisions
it would receive my prompt approval. 1t
includes, however, further legislation,
which, attached as it is to appropria-
tions which are requisite for the efficient
performance of some of the most neces-
sary duties of the Government, involves
questions of the gravest character.
The sixth section of the bill is amend
atory of the statute now in force in re-
gard to the authority of persons in the
civil, military and naval service of the
United States sat the place where any
general or special election is held in any
State" This statute was adopted Feb.
%, 1865, after protracted debate In
the Senate, and almost without opposi-
ton in the House of Representatives, by
the concurrent votes of both of the lead
ing political parties of the country and
became law by the approval of Presi-
dent Lincoln. 1t was re.enacted in 1874
in the Revised Statutes of the United
States, sections POOP and 1928 which
arc oe 6; h0hfGEU 0z-No military or naval
officer or other person engaged in the
civil, military or naval service of the
United States shall order, bring, keep
or have under his authority or control
any troops or armed men at the place
where any general or special election is
held in any State unless it be necessary
to repel the armed enemies of the Unit
ed States or to keep the peace at the
polls.
Section 5528-Every officer of the
army or navy or other person in the
civil, military or naval service of the
United States, who orders, brings. keeps
or has under his authority or control any
troops or armed men at any place where
general or special election is held in
any State, unless such force be necessa-
ry to repel armed enemies of the United
States or to keep the peace at the polls.
shall be fined not more than $4,000 and
suffer imprisonment at hard labor not
less than three months nor more than
five years.
The amendment proposed in this stat
ute in the bill before me omits from
both of the foregoing sections the words
cor to keep the peace at the polls"
The effect of the adoption of this
amendment may be considered
First-upon the right of the United
States Government to use military force
to keep the peace at the election of mem.
bers of Congress.
Second-Upon the right of the Gov.
eminent by civil authority to protec,
these elections from violence and frauds
The President then quotes five addi
tional sections of laws that forbid any
person connected with the army or navy
issuing proclamations relative to cleo
lions, making any qualifications in re-
gard to voters, interfering with the free.
dom of an election by intimidation, adj
vice or otherwise, under the penaltie!
---~., ----t..
ment. The President further quotes tn,
posse comitatuS act. which forbids under
heavy penalties, the employment of any
part of the army, except in cases where
the force is specially authorized by thu
Constitution and by congress. Tit
President then quotes quite freely from
the speeches of leading democrats, boil
in the Senate and House, in which they
pointed out the fact that the enacmen
of the so called Posse Comttatus Act
would make it impossible for the army
to intefere with elections. That &C
having become law, the Presiden
says:
From this brief review of the subiec
it sufficiently appears that under exist
ing laws there can be no military inter
ference with the elections. No case O
such interference has in fact occurred
Since the passage of the act last referred
to, no soldier of the United States ha
appeared in orders at any place of cleo
ton in any State; no complaint even o
the presence of United States troops ha
been made in any quarter. 1t may
therefore, be confidently stated tina
there is no necessity for the enactmen
of section 6 of the bill before me to pre-
vent military interference with the cleo
tions. The laws already in force are al
that is required for that end, but tina
part of section 6 of this bill, which i
significant and vitality important, is tn
clause which, if adopted, will depriv
the civil authorities of the United State
of all power to keep the peace at tn
Congressional elections. The Congress
sional elections in every district in
very important sense are justly matte
of political interest and concern through
out the whole country. In each State
every political party is entitled to tn
share of suffrage; it is the right of ev
cry citizen possessing the qualification
prescribed by law to cast one unintimi
dated vote and have his ballot honestl
counted so long as the exercise of thi
power and the employment of this RICH
are common. and equally, practically. a
we'll as formally, submission to the re
suits of the suffrage will be accorde
loyalty and cheerfully, and all the dc
partments of Government will feel tn
true vigOr of the unpopular will thu
expressed.
Two provision of the Constitution au