The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-06-21
MILITARY INTERFERENCE
The Republican Side of the
Question.
The Report of the Minority on the Blll
to Prevent Military Interference With
Elections, Sustaining the Yetoes OF
President Hayes.

to Prevent Military Interference Wit
Elections, Sustaining the vetOes I
President Hayes.
WASHINGTON, June 2O.-The minorit
Of the Committee on Judiciary hayin
had under consideration the me-
sage Of the President disappearing {
House Bill No. l,Sso, entitled "An Act I
prevent military interference with elet
tions," submit the following statement o
reasons why they cannot concur with tn
views Of the majority of said Committee
The repeated efforts in said report Il
make It appear that the right or authorit,
to interfere with State elections, or witt
the freedom and lawful Conductof any eleC
tors, isClaimed or asserted in any quarter
is hardly deserving OF serious notice. TIL,
minority In Congress have made no sucl
claim. The right Of Federal supervision
contended for applies 10 Congressional
elections only. This Is entirely ignoreC
In the report Of the majority.
Their report proceeds upon a false
representation that the President advocate.
the use OF federal authority to supervise
State elections. Nosuch claim is made In
the message under consideration or in any
other message or the utterance OF the
President, neither does the message ad.
vocate or justify military interference with
the freedom ofany elections. On the con.
trary the President uses the following Ian.
guage: Holding as l do the opinion that
any military interference Whatever at the
polls is contrary to the spirit Of our insti.
tutions and would tend to destroy the free.
dom OF elections / sincerely desire to con.
cur with Congress in all measures, and It Is
with very great regret that am forced to
the conclusion that the bill before me is
not only unnecessary to prevent such
interference, but is dangerous departure
from long settled and important constitu.
tional principles.
The true rule as to the employment OF
q military force at elections Is not doubt
iul. No intimidation or coercion should
be allowed to control or influence citizens
in the exercise Of their right to vote,
whether 1t appears in the shape OF com.
bination Of evil disposed persons or OF
armed bodies OF militia OF State, or mill.
tary force OF the United States. Elections
shall be free from all forcible interference
and as far as practical from all apprehen-
sions OF such interference. No soldiers,
either OF the Union or Of State militia,
should be present at the polls to take the
place or to perform the duties Of an ordin.
ary civil police force. There has been
and will be no deviation from this rule
under orders from me during this admin
istration."
WHAT DEMANDED THE MEASURES.
It is historically true that during the re-
bellion there was such interference in
cases when factions or the dominant ele-
ment Of disloyalty existed. These were
necessities growing out of the nature OF
the conflict and anomalous condition OF
the seeding and border states. They were
in no sense acts OF partianship. Military
orders were issued for the purpose by the
officers OF the army, irrespective of their
political affiliations.
Among the earliest and most notable of
such orders was that by General McClel-
Ian: HTT fF
HEADQUARTERS Army or THE PoroMAC, |
WASHINGTON, Oct. 90, 1861. I
GESERAL:-There is apprehensions
among the Union citizens in many parts
OF Maryland Of an attempt Of interference
with their rights of suffrage by disunion
citizens en- the occasion OF the election to
take place on the 9th of November next.
In order to prevent this the Major Gen.
eral commanding directs you 10 send de-
tachments or sufficient number OF men
to the different points in your vicinity
where elections are to be held to protect
the Union voters and sec that no dis.
uniUnists are allowed to intimidate them,
or in any way interfere with their rights.
lie also desires you 10 arrest and hold in
confinement until after the election all
disunionists who are known to have re.
turned from Virginia recently, and who
show themselves at the polls, and to guard
efectually against any invasion OF the
peace and order OF the election. For the
purpose OF carrying out these instructions
you are authorized to suspend the hdbeaS
corpus. General Stone has received simi,
lar instructions to these. You will con-
fer with him as to the particular points
each shall take control Of.
| am, sir, very respectfully, your obedi-
ent servant,
R. R. MARCY, Chief of Slaf.
Mai, Gen. N. p. Banks, Commanding Di.
vision, Muddy Branch, Md.
AaooD CITATION.
Before the close OF the rebellion, and
while denouncing the war to suppress 1t us
a failure, the party now demanding this
legislation selected the author OF the above
quoted asits candidate for President. It
sought to make him COmInander.in.C Chief
OF tho Army and Navy. Itill.becomes the
party with such record to indulge in such
impltations and criticism on the President,
whose administration has been marked BY
so great a torbearanGe toward the people Of
the States lately In the rebellion, and who
has, In no manner, sanctioned military in
terterence with elections for having dared
to maintain his constitutional prerogative,
and to preserve the right TO use military
and naval power whenever and wher.
ever sanctioned by the constitution and
laws.
These and similar orders undoubtedly
exercised influence in securing the enact
ment OF the law OF '65, which prohibits
the use Of the army or navy at any time
and place OF any general or special cleo
ton In any State except It be necessary to
repel armed enemies Of the United States
orto keep peace at the polls, and also pro-
hibits any military or navy officers from
prescribing qualifications Of voters or in
any manner interfering with the exercise
Of the free right Of suffrage in any State.
This law, with appropriate penalties for It's
violation, was approved by President Lin.
coin, and since its enactment We do not
believe that there has been any well.
grounded CAUSE Of complaint Of nnilitsry
interference with elections, and no such
INSTANCE is cited in the report Of the ma
iority. It refers, it is true, to military In.
terierence during the rebellion, and espe.
pially In 1883, all else ia mere assertion
without instances OF truth.
TIE NEW YORK glRCrIoy FRAUDS.