New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-07
THE OFFENCES or 4 FREE B4LLoT

A CARD FROM ABRAM g. HEwITT-HE HAS PUB
LCLY OPPOSED, FIRST, LAST AND ALwAYs, THE
USE OF TROOPS TO KEEP THE PEACE AT The
PoLLs-rHE TRIBUNE MISTAKEN IN THINKING
his ZEAL SUDDEN AND TARDY
To the Editor Of The Tribune
SIR: In the very courteous article in to-day's
TRIBUNE in which You refer to what you regard as
my needless fears" as to the improper of
troops to keep the peace at the polls" You have
fallen into n serious error, which take the liberty
of correcting without delay. You assume that my
fears are of recent origin. and you complain that
did not, on my entrance into Congress four years
ago insist at once upon the repeal of all laws which
authorze the use of troops for purposes for which.
prior to 1sG5, the civil power alone was relied upon
The fact is that prior to my election III 1874
had repeatedly denounced the use to which the
Army had been put in sustaining the carpet-bag
Governments Of the South and made my first can
vass manly upon the issue that the military power
must in time of peace be altogether subOrdlDated
to the civil authority. As soon the XLlVth Con-
grcss met, in December 1875. urged upon my assO-
ciates that steps should he taken to repeal all the
force" statutes which the sad fruit OF civil
war, necessary perhaps at the time but rcproach
to self goycrnment so long after the close OF
the struggle, when all the States had been
restored TO their proper positions III the Union.
But, as YOU well Know Il new ue!nDtI MUS u 'tlJ
difficult to initiate and perfect legislation, and il
required the most dihgent effort Oh my part to
make this subject sufficiently prominent in order
to get favorable action. But the startling use of
the military power in SUSTAINING the Chamberlain
Government i'll South Carolina and the Packard
Government IN Louisiana, caused the prOylso to be
inserted in the Army bill of 1877 which for
babe the further use of the troops for
any such purpose and caused the loss OF
the bill and the call of the extra session
If 1873. At the regular session following the
posse comifQtu8 clause secured, the farthest
limitation III the of the Army which 1t was
then thought judiciOus TO attempt and insist upon
In the Army bill of this year the repeal of the police
provision was inserted and to its explanation ana
necessity devoted my Introductory speech, deliv-
cred IN the House on February q 1879. In the
speech used the following language For one. /
came 10 this House to the XLVth Congress- with a
determination not 10 allow any question, pubic OF
private TO interfere with the restoration and the
recognition Of the right Of Congress to control the
Army. 10 me it was the question OF questions"
You will see therefore. with how little justice yOu
charge NE with having walked up only In me last
hours of expiring session 10 me TACT ihat there
ar. laws Oh the statute bOOds the continuance Of
which must be fatal 10 the night OF sell govern
ment."
2 a marked copy Of winch | lnclOSe you Will be
able to form a more correct estimate OF the
date and depth Of my convictions on thlS
subject and realize that II Is no new born zeal
which induced me 10 fOregO efforts IN other dlrec-
tious more attractive perhaps, "a tue popular mlnu
but which can be deferred until the foundations OF
civil liberty may be repaired and made secure III
time to prevent the fall of the structure OF Tree gov
erumeut. -,
Lei me add that by the admissions Of Messrs.
Garfield, Foster, Hale and other leading Republ-
cans il is quite clear that they do not defend the
further Continuance of these ODnox Gus provisions,
and would be willing. II not glad, TO sec them ex-
plunged from the statute books.
Nep- oyk, March u, 1879. ADRIAN S. HEWITT.
MIR Hewitt shows very satisfactorily that his
was not sudden awakening to the Importance of
immediately repeating the clauses III the statutes
which permit the use of the Army TO keep the
peace at the polls. We cheerfuly make the correc-
ton We believe it is true, however. that Mr..
Hewitt never before treated the matter as of such
an alarming nature as to warrant resort to revo-
lutionary meaSures.-Ld.l