Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-03-07
PUBLISHED DAILY AND TRI-WEEKLY BY
EDGAR SN-OwDENs
FRIDAY EVENING ..........M MARCH I, 1879.
The proceedings at Washington during the

The proceedings at Washington during the
carly part Of tho approaching extra session OF
Coperess, as foretold by the newspapers. will
DO as follows: Congress will pass bills repeal
ing the statutes relating to the test oath, tho
presence Of soldiers at election polls, and to
supervisors Of elections. The President Will
approve tie two former and veto the latter
Congress will then incorporate tho vetoed bill
10 the Legislative. judicial and Executive Ap-
lr,p,iston bill, which the Presiden. Will also
veto, and, Congress adheriug to its action tho
various departments of the Government be LETT
withtu. the money necessary 10 carry them on
after the expiration of the current fiscal year.
That's the programme. Whether 1t will DO
carried out the future will SOON tell. That the
radicals believe it will be executed is apparent
from the efforts their journals, and those oft the
so called independents they control, sre already
engaged in to torcstall tho opinion OF the cour-
try, and to place IL, onus Of the trouble, Dor
dering upon anarchy. that must be tho result,
upon the democrats, who, they soy, will thus
violate tho exprtss requirements the Ccnsh'
tuition to provide the means tor tho expenses
of tho Government. But thoy reason as those
who having beams 10 their own eyes are cngag'
Cd 10 removing NOTES from the eyes of others.
The legislative branch Ct the government Is rot
the only ono sutj!ct to The commands OF tho
Constitution. Tho obligations OF that lnstru'
ment are equslly bnding upon the executive,
and in the contingency referred to MIR. Hayes
will be solely responsible for any trouble that
may eusuc. Congress, in constitutional way,
will demand tho repeal If obnoxious Laws,
passed as war measures aud incompatible With
republican institutions 10 tineof peace, and
ailipg to obtain it, will. in mode not prohibited
By tho Constitution and 10 accordance with the
usage Of tho party to which MIR. Hayes belongs,
attach that demand to the appropriation bill, aud
If Mr.. Hayes thinks proper TO veto that bill nc,
and not Congress. will be liable for the conse-
quenccs. Tho Constitution says Congress shall
pass all necessary appropriation bills tut it also
says tho President shall sign them before they
become laws. WhenCopgrass therefore shall ba7c
done what ia required oft. by passing the bill, 1t
will be for Mr. Hayes 10 say whether or not The
bill shall bo operative and whether tho affairs OF
tho country shall continue to run on snoothly or
be thrown into disorder and confusion by the
want of the requisite money. Tie
Incorporation of section repeating the
Fedora! election laws into the body Of the Leg
isative. Judicial and Executive Appropriation
BILLS not forbidden by either the Constitution or
laws of the c5uutry. aud as we have Just said,
is simply following precedent set by the radi-
cal party. IF MIR. Hayes therefore vetoes 1t,
and thus no. only depfives the officers 10 these
three departments of the Government of their
rghtfu and necessary salaries, but throws the
Government toto chaotic condition, he will
not only be guilty of violating the Constitution,
and bis cath of Office, tu. Of endangerlog
the stability OF the Government, and will thus
ronder himself liable to impeachment. Of
all the other Presidents the country has had
be would be the most tlamable, for 10 his
Inaugural, and frequently s1ca, he has stated
that it was for Congress. as the representative
of the people, to pass the laws, and for him
simply to execute them ; and 80 decided have
been his expressions on this point, aud 80 en-
phatic his refusal to use his Legitimate CHue1co
to secure even what he acknowledged would be
benefcent legislation, that his contemplated
action would afford one of the most remarkable !
cases of political tergiverssion Oh record. This is
q representative government, founded and sus'
tanned upon the idea that the majority shall rule.
The people are directly represented by their rep |
resentatives in Congress, and the States by their
senator's. A majority Of both will pass 40 ap-
preparation bill 10 legal aud constitutional
form and manner, and to assert that Presi. /
dent, simply because such bill would remove
from the political party to which ho belongs
some of the unjust, illegal and tyranaous means
it has usurped of continuing itself in power,
can, with impuuity, prevent its operation, and
thus stop the wheels of government, il to put
democratic institutions in moro unfavorable
light even than that 10 which they usually ap.
pear. If this DO tIu, of president legally
chos,u by fairly elected presidential electors.
how ridiculous must the assertion that man
who was defeated by quarter of a million of
tho popular vote, and by thirty seven electoral
votes, can successfully oppose the wishes of the
people of his country, as expressed through
heir immediate representatives. MIR. Hayes
will do we'll TO remember. tor. that tho men who
suggested the plan to which We allude, and
Who are advising him to adopt it, are those
among his own party who have inVari-
ably opposed and prosecuted him ever sircs he
avowed his intention of pursuing oonciliatory
policy toward the South.
If our opinions of tho last Congress aro not
veil known to our readers it is certainly not bo