Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-05-14
MONTPELIER. VT.
The Wind Mill,

One of the most interesting episodes of
the extra session was the presentation a
couple of days ago by an Iowa congress
man of a petition from some OF his con-
slituents praying congress 10 go home and
bring to an emil its "profitless session"
Sunset Cox the next day had the petition
expunged from the record because of its
insulting language-and nobody blames
Sunset for wanting so bold a statement of
the truth not to appear.
The bill to prevent military interference
at elections as the democrats call it passed
the Senate last week. Senator Edmunds
Analysed it and showed that it did much
more than its title indicated and went far
beyond its protested object and crippled
the power of the president to execute laws
that have been on the statute books since
the days of Washington.
On Monday the president sent his veto
of the bill to the House. His objections
are in substance that the bill cripples the
power of the executive and establishes
state supremacy. lie closes by saying
that he has no objection to signing bill
that shall do what the title of this bill in
dicates rs its purpose, although he believes
present laws are all sufficient TO prevent
interference of the military with elections.
As matter of abstract principle no
doubt the doctrines laid down by Mr.. Ell
munds in his speech and by the president
in his veto message are correct. As
practical matter, however. we do not be-
leve it makes straw's difference whether
IL bill like that vetoed should or should not
BE- passed. If we had a large standing
army and the same party controlled both
the legislative and executive departments
The principles might have some effect.
As it is the democrats are fooling away
their time-for they control the legislative
branch, and the executive says he now
holds the law 10 be just what they claim
they are trying TO make it.
The extra session which the democrats
forced on the country is becoming more
and more of n nuisance and we have no
desire to have it continue although It's
continuance is at the expense of political
opponents. The debates bring out more
and more those traits and opinions of south,
erners which tend to make the north solid
and though this works to the political adj p.
vantage of the republicans it does not help
the business interests that need the whole
attention of the people.
For instance the speeches of Blaine,
Chandler and Hill during the last week
have been such as to stir up northern
feeling to n high pitch. Blaine and
Chandler talked "blue ruin to the
southern senators, and the latter told them
that an even dozen of them held their
seats by fraud and violence.
But these denunciations by northern sem
ators, however Just and well founded, do
not help the party tenth part as much as
such a speech as Ben Hill made Saturday
Hill in substance gloritied the south and
its great rebellion, characterized Unionists
AS monarchists and generallymade just the
worst kind ola speech for his own side by
letting out his honest opinions.
The present session of congress is mine
ofpoitical capital for the republicans. Their
opponents have succeeded in exhibiting
themselves to country that don t like the
looks of them and rs practical matter in
doing but one thing, uniting Hayes and
the " stalwarts." The re-actionists have
been out-argued by Elmunds, talked to
dreadful mean" by Z,ch Chandler, and
finally stepped on by that man in the
White House whom they have affected
TO despise. Wiping out the legislation
caused by the war hasn't made much
progress-and the man with the sponge
don't really know what to do about it..
However he can continue to roar-and
probably will.