Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-04-10

A,
are permitted to bo employed to preserve
pace at tho pollsg II was of considerable
importance in 1866 whom the act was passed,
which the Democrats ore now seeking to
repeal. because tho work of disbanding the
great armies needed for tho war had then
msdo but little progress, and large force
was kept ou foot for several years after far
maintaining order 10 the Southern States
But our present army is too small to do
any harm or good 10 connection with the
elections. General Sherman is year by
year declaring bis opioion that the army Is
deploraby inadequate for the duties re-
quircd of it in the Indian country. Of our
small aud inadequate army the greater part
is serving iu the Territories beyond tho
Mississippi. There are two or three rcgi
ments, or fractions of regiments, stationed
on the Texas border, and few companies,
or fragments of companies, to man the forts
aud guard tho public property in the arse-
nals scattered along the scaboard States,
We have an inert aud rather phIegmo.io
preee::ssent-more like King Log than King
Stork, who has neyer placed soldier
near any polling place 10 the Uoi,ed States
and would have no disposition to do so if
Wv diuJ was Us " WdS III lCOO.
Mon of sense look on and wonder what
all this furious excitement at Washington
is about. Even if President Hayes were
the reverse of whit everybody knows him
to bc-if he were restless, iotermcdd ding,
uucrupulous. poltioion-wher would he
get troops to overawe tho volers of the
United States OF their eoumcrable polling
places? Is anybody lunsto enough to
believe that he is going to strip the vast
wilderness on 9th sides Of tho
Rocky Mountains OF tho few soldiers
that arc scattered through it, transport
thcm thousands Of miles ut great expense
and distribute them as far as they will go
among the election precincts of thirty eight
States? If he leaves the army scattered for
bard aud vigilant service throughout the
vast expansc Of the Indian country whence
is he to get soldiers to station at the polls?
Was there ever such indescribablc folly aud
such crazy exaggera!iou as is made the
pretext Of this great political hpbbub, this
"much ado about nothing" at Washington?
The stupidity Of tho Democrats in raising
such an issue and the insanity of the Re
publicaps in their cry of revolution about it
arc equally unworthy of men of sense aud
judgment. There GOULD not be more
frivolous subject for SO vehement and 10
aammatory q debate as that which hos been
opened on the army appropriation bill. So
long Us the army is 30 smull that the whole
Of it is needed for service against the In
dian, political zealots triflc with tho under
standings and insult the good sense Of the
country by pretending thut the presence Of
soldiers at the polls is either peril or
protection. If with SO pi.ifully small an
army as ours, with no surplus soldiers out
of the Indian country aud the forts, the
President should attempt to control the
elections of the country by the use of troops
ho would aot like a child with cupfuI OF
silt and teaspoon trying to chungc Lake
Superior into sen water, Aud yet this
heated and acrimonious debate turns upon
this contemplate chmera-upou whether
tho least aggressive of Presidents shall be
permitted to employ nou-existent sold lers
to keep peace at tho polls. ). aa-.4
.gts .l.0H GNco York Herald.