The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-05-08
THE VETO.
The Presidents REASONS for Opposing the
Army Appropriation I,Ili.

The following is the Message Of the
| President Of the United States returning
| to the House o! Representatives the bill
entitled "An Act making appropriations
| for the support Of the army for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1880, and for other
] purposes"
To The House Of Reyrcscntafirs.
have naturely considered the impor-
tant questions presented by the bill en-
titled "An Act making appropriations
for the support Of the army for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1880, and fer ot,er
purposes" and | now return IT to the
House Of Representatives, in which it
originated, with my objections to its ap-
proval.
| The bill provides in the usual form for
the appropriations required for the sup
port Of the army during the next fiscal
year. if it contained no other provisions
it world receive my prompt approval.
1t includes, however, further legislation,
which, attached as il is to appropriations
which are requisite for the efficient per-
',rmance Of some Of the most necessary
duties of the government, involved ques-
tions of the greatest character.
THE LAW AS IT STANDS.
The sixth section Of the bill is amen.
datory of the statute now in force i'm re-
gard to the authority of persons in the
civil, military and naval service of the
United States, "nt the place where any
general or special election is held in any
State" This statute was adopted Feb
ruary 70, 1860, after protracted debate
i'll the Senate and almost without oppo-
sition in the House Of Representatives.
by the concurrent votes Of both of the
leading political parties of the country.
and became law by the approval of
President Lincoln. 1t was re-cnacted in
1874 i'll the Revised Statutes of the Uni
ted States-sections 2,002 and 5,528,
which are as follows:
SECTION 2,002.-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 ut the place
where any general or special election is
held in any State, unless it be necessary
to repel the armed enemies of the United
States or to keep the peace at the polls.
SEC. 5,528. Every officer of the army
or navy, or other person in the civil, mil
itary or naval service of the United
States. who orders, brings, keeps oI ilna
under his authority or control any troops
or armed men ut any place where gem
cral or special election is held in any
Stnte, u. ess such force be necessary tu
rep.i armed enemies of the United States
or to keep the peace Mt the polls, shall be
fined not more than 5000 and suffer i'm
prisonment Mt hard labor not less thai
three months nor more than five years.
EFFECT OF THE AMENDMENT,
The amendment proposed in this stat
ute In the bill before me omits from both
of the foregoing sections the words "or
to keep the peace at the polls" The
effect of the adoption of this amendment
may be considered
Frst-Upon the right Of tho United
States government to use military force
to keep the peace at the elections for
members of Congress; and
Second-Upon the right of the govern
ment by civil authority to protect these
elections from violence and fraud.
In addition to the sections of the stat
ute above quoted, the following provis-
ions of law relating to the Use OF the mil
itnry power at the elections are now in
force:
SEC. 2,OO3.-No officer of the array or
navy of the United States shall prescribe
or fix or attempt to prescribe or fix, by
proclamation, order or otherwise, the
qualifications of voters in any State, or
in any manner interfere with the freedom
of any election in any State or with the
exercise of the free right Of suffrage in
any State.
SED. 5,529.-Every officer or other per.
son in the military or naval service who
by force, threat, intimidation, order, ad.
vice or otherwise prever', or attempts to
prevent any qualified voter of any State
from freely exercising the right Of suf-
frage ut any general or special election in
such State shall be fined not more than
$4,000 and imprisonment Mt hard lakor
not more than five years.
SEC. 5,53O.-Every officer of the army
or navy who prescribcs or fixes, OF at
tempts to prescribe or fix, whether by
proclamation, order or otherwise, the
qualification of voters at any election in
any State shall be punished as provided
in the preceding section
SEC. o,53l. officer or other per-
son in the military or naval service who
by force, threat, intimidation, order or
otherwise compels or attempts to compel
any officer holding an election in any
State to receive vote from person not
legally qualified to vote, or who imposes
or attempts 10 impose any regulations for
conducting any general or special >..ec-
tion in State different from those pre-
scribed by low, or who interferes in any
manner with any officer of an election in
the discharge of his duty, shall be pun.
ished as prescribed in section 5,529.
SEC. 5,532.-Every person convicted ol
any of the Offences specified in the five
preceding sections shall, in addition to
the punishments thorein severally pre-
scribed, be disqualified from holding any
office of honor, profit or trust under the
United States; but nothing in those Sec
tions shall be construed to prevent any
officer, soldier, sailor or marine from eX-
ercising The right Of suffrage in any elec-
ton district to which he may belong, II
otherwise qualified according g :.:s laws
of the State in which he cffers to vote.
THE POSSE CoMiTATUs.
The foregoing enactments would seem
to be sufficient to prevent military inter
ference with the elections hut tia last
Congress, TO remove all apprehension OF
such interference, added to this body OF
law section fifteen Of IN act entitled IAN
Act making appropriations for the sup
port of the army for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1879, and for other pur-
poses." approved June 1s, 1873, which Is
as follows:
SEC. l5.-From and after the passage
of this act it shall not be lawful to en-
ploy any part of the army of the United
States as posse comitatus or otherwise
for the purpose of executing the laws,
except in such cases and under such cir
1 Lon, Il. n