Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-04-17
Army Bill In the Senate.
SPEECH Or non. W. =. WALLACE, OF rEss-
sYLyANGA.

On Monday the army appropriation
bill being under consideration in the
Senate, Hon. w. A. Wallace, of
Pennsylvania, made a very clear and
iorcible argument in favor Of the pass
age Of the bill, of which the following
is pretty full synopsis:
Mr.. Wallace-The war caused many
departures from principles which are
essential to our liberties. Apparent
necessity made the people bear the sub
lection OF civil TO military power, sus-
pension OF habeas corpus and presence
of armed troops at the polls. These
must all pass away with the necessity
that produced them. The single issue
in this bill is, shall the executive longer
possess the power to place troops at the
polls? Their presence is menace upon
the rights of free elections. The right
is fixed and certain. 1t comes to us
from England and is part OF our free
system OF laws. Its protection rests
with the States.
The Federal government has nothing
10 do with it. In the Till Of rights of
nearly every State free elections are
guaranteed, whilst no such power is
given TO the Federal government any.
where in the Constitution. Tue sta
tutes Of many States assert and protect
this right. In 1903 Pennsylvania as-
serted it by statute, IN these words
" No body Of troops being regularly EN-.
ployed in the army Of the United States
or in this State shall appear or be pres.
ent either armed or unarmed at any
place of election within this State dur.
ing the time of said elections" And
this provision Is re.cnacted in 1889 and
il now the law OF the State.
Our Constitution Of 1873 also contains
this guaranty in the bill Of rights
Elections shall be free and equal aud
no power civil or military shall at any
time interfere to prevent the free OK.
ercise of the right OF suffrage New
York, Maryland and many others have
like provisions in their statutes. No
attempt at the control OF suffrage hy
military Interference was made by the
Federal government until it was excr.
cised in the border State in 1862 Go, uu.
der the war powers. The exercise Of
this was force alone. II became on.
pressiye and in lSGi. Powell, Of Ken.
lucky, introduced the act Of lsGj. AZ
introduced II gave no power 10 interfere
with elections but was restrictive OF the
evil and affirmed the right to have cleo
iions free. The Judiciary committee
reported against the bill on the ground
OF necessity n war measure. and on
assagc. Pomeroy, of Kansas, inserted
assfYt IN
the peace at the polls. Every Repub-
lican voted for this aud every Demo
crat against it. Rcverdy Johnson and
John i. Hale voted against it, but it
was carried by vote OF lG 10 5.
Troops at the polls and free elections
are utterly incompatible. Power by
law to the executive Of state or repub-
lie to place troops at the polls il ne.
CATION Of the system. We propose TO
maintain ihe American system Of free
elections, 10 restore to the civil power
control over all the machinery OF the
government. 4 free system Of laws
cannot tolerate even the possible use Of
force at the fountain OF power. Why
shall we not restore this Tightg No
senator will deny the rights or its val.
ne none assert that the troops under
partisan control conduce to free elcc.
tIons. The answer ia narrower. We
are denied the rights TO mould legisla-
iion IN our own way and charged with
coercion Of the executive and with in.
tent to break down the government.
We pursue the processes of the consii.
tuition and follow precedent, We
neither seek to coerce the executive
nor will we submit to be coerced by IL.
IL il the right Of the legislative power
'to TaIse and support armies" ito
make rules and To enact laws and We
follow our plain duty. This bill votes
the pay Of the troops. Cannot the law
making power say how they shall be
Employed We violate no provision OF
the constitution. No one pretepds we
do. We act within the scope Of our
power as we Judge our duty calls us.
-Four propositions can be affirmed.
First The right to place legislation Ter
the protection ef tse nghs Of hs people, up.
on money bills belongs 10 the legislative
power and cannot be denied by any
other branch of the government We
are the judges Of our power and duty in
this regard, our judgement cannot be
impugned by the executive or the ia.
dietary. They may cri,icise the subject
matter but not the form. Second. This
right is sanctioned by the practice Of
congress for many years. The revised
statutes under the head Of general and
permanent statutes affecting the army,
contain 26S sections, Of these % come
directly from appropriation acts. Third.
IL is sustained by precedents ss old as
the time Of Charles the First and no
power dreams of denying its possession
by the commons. Fourth. The legis.
lation proposed Is constitutional and
necessary, and violates no right of any
branch of the federal government. We
have no right TO assume that any feat
ure Of this bill will meet disapproyal
anywhere. The bill makes no threat
to deny supplies. Let us look at this
subject of coercion, The President,
senste and house are each independent
in their sphere. Each possess mega.
AZ al