Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-05-08
THE MESSAGE.
Hayes Reasons for
Withholding his Approval
from the Army Bill.
A CLEAR. MANLY. AND FOIRCIBLE
DOCUMENT.

CLEAR MANLY. AND EOHGGkBLE
DOCUMENT.
The Demand OF she COnfederates Un-
constitutional and URcalled for.
WASHINGTON, April 29.-The following
is the message of the President to House
of Representative vetoing the bill entitled
San act making appropriations for the
support of the army for the fiscal year I
ending June 80, 1880, and for other pur-
poses.''
To the House Of Representatives
have maturely considered the impor
tant questions presented by the bill en-
titled San act making appropriations for
the support of the army for the fiscal year |
ending June 80, 1880, and for other pu'-
poses,' and 1 now return it to the House
of Representatives in which it originated
with my objections to its approval. The
bill provides in the usual form for appro-
priations required for the support of the
army during the next fiscal year. If it
contained no other provisions itwould
receive my prompt approval. 1t includes,
however, further legislation, which, at
tached as it is to appropriations which are
requisite for efficient performance of some
of the most necessary duties of the gov
ernment. involves questions of gravest
character.
The sixth section of the bill is amenda
tory of the statute now in force in regard
to the authority of persons in the civil,
military, and naval service of the United
States, at a place where any general or
special election is held in any State. This
statute was adopted February %, 1865, af-
ter protraeted debate in the Senate, and
almost without opposition in the House
of Representatives, by the concurrent
votes of both of the leading political par
ties of the country, and became a law by
the approval OF President Lincoln. 1t
| was re-enacted in 1874 in the revised
statutes of the United States, sections 2O02
and 5528, which are as follows:
s'SEC. 2002. No military or naval officer
or other person, engaged in civil, militia
ry or naval service of the United States,
shall order, bring, keep or have under
his authority or control any troops or
armed men at place where any general
or special election is held in any State,
unless it be necessary to repe1 armed en-
emies of the United States or to keep peace
at the polls.
''SEC. 5528. 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 or has under
his authority or control any troops OF
armed men at any place where a general
or special election is held in any State,
unless such force be necessary to repel
armed enemies of the United States, OF
to keep peace at the polls, shall be fined
not more that $4,000, and suffer imprison-
ment 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 boil
of the foregoing sections the words 'sor K
keep peace at the polls.' The effect o
the adoption of this amendment may bt
considered, first, upon the right of tht
United States Government to use military
force to keep peace at elections for mem
bers of Congress; and, second, upon tn,
right of the government, by civil author
ity, to protect these elections from vic
lence and fraud.
8 In addition to the sections of the stat
! ute above quoted, the following provis
ions of law relating to the use. of the mil
itary at elections are now in force:
s'SEC. 20O3. No officer of the army o
navy of the United States shall prescrib
or fix, by proclamation, order, or other
wise, the qualifications of voters in an
State, or in any manner interfere with th
freedom of any election in any State, Q
with the exercise of free rights or SUI
frage in any State.
s'SEc. 5529. Every officer or other pei
son in military or naval service, who, b
force, threat, intimidation, order, advie,
or otherwise, prevents or attempts to pr
vent, any qualified voters of any Stat
from freely exercising the right of su
frage at any general or special election
such State, shall be fined not more tina
$1,000, and imprisoned at hard labor n
more that five years.
y ''SEc. $500. Every officer of the arm
or navy, who prescribes, or fixes, or a
tempts to prescribe or fix, whether
proclamation, order or otherwise, tt
qualification of voters at any election
any State, shall be punished as provide
\ in the preceding section.
stSEc. 5531. Every officer or other pc
son in the military or naval service, VIII
by force, threat, intimidation, or othe
wise, compels, or attempts to compel al
e officer holding an election in any State
receive a vote from any person not leg
" qualified to vote, or who imposes or
. tempts to impose, any regulation tor CO
4! ducting any general or special election
any State, different from those prescrib
by law, or who interferes in any manr
with any officer of election in the d
charge of his duty, shall be punished
mt described in section 1929.
F'SEc. 5532. Every person convicted
any of the offenses specified in the f
preceding sections shall, in addition
punishments therein severally prescrib
. be disqualified from holding any office
honor, profit, or trust under the Uni
States; but nothing in these sections ST
be construed to prevent any officer,
dier, sailor, or marine from exercis
the right of suffrage in any election
trict to which he may belong. if otI
wise qualified, according to the laws
the State in which he offers to vote.'
k. The foregoing enactments would s,
to be sufficient to prevent military in
ference with elections. But the last {
= q gress, to remove all apprehension of 6
." interference, added to this body of
section Is of an act entitled can act N
ing an appropriation for the supper
opt the army for the fiscal year ending J
80, 1879, and for other purposes
proved June 1s, 1873, which is as follc
H SEC. 15. From and after the nassau