Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-06-26
VETO OF THE JUDICIAL BILL.

The following is summary OF the Presl-
dents message, on Monday last, returning the
judicial expense bill to the House without his
signature:
The President begins by reciting the pas
sage of the original legislative bill repeating
Title 26 of the Revised Statutes and its re.
turn to the House without his approval. The
object of the present bill, he says, is not to
repeal the election laws, but to defeat their
enforcement. Under existing laws the fail
ure of Congress to make the appropriations
required for the execution of the provisions
of the election laws would not prevent their
enforcement The right and duty to appoint
general and special deputy marshals which
they provide for would still remain, and the
executive department of the government
would also be empowered to incur the requi-
site liability for their compensation. But
the second section of this bill contains pro.
hibition not found in any previous legisla-
ton. Its design is to render the election laws
imperative by omitting to appropriate mon
ey for their enforcement and by prohibiting
any officer of the government from incurring
liability under Title 26 of the Revised Statutes
authorizing the appointment of deputy mar
shals for service on election days.
The appointment of special deputy mar.
shals is not, he says, spontaneous act OF
authority on the part of the Government but
is made by Section 2,021 of the Revised
Statutes a popular right of citizens in towns
having twenty thousand inhabitants or up
wards The present bill neither revokes this
popular right nor relieves the marshals of the
duty imposed by law, nor the President of
his duty to see that this law is faithfully exc
cuted He declines to discuss again the wis
dom and necessity of the elections laws, or
what he regards the dangerous and unconsti-
tutional principle of this bill, viz: that the
power vested in Congress to originate appro-
priations involves the right to compel the
Executive to approve any legislation which
Congress may see fit to attach to such bills
under penalty of refusing the means need.
ed to carry on the essential functions of
government. His views on these points
were, he said, presented in previous messages,
and he regards them conclusive as to his
duty in respect to the present bill. This
measure leaves the powers and duties OF su-
pervisors of election untouched, but deprives
the National Government of the power to
protect them in the discharge of their duty at
the polls. The States may employ both civil
and military power at elections, but by this
bill even civil authority to protect congres.
sional elections is denied to the United States.
There are two lawful ways to overturn legisla
tive enactments; one is their repeal, the other
is the decision of competent tribunal against
their validity The effect of this bill is to
deprive the executive department Of the gov
ernment of the means to execute laws which
are not repealed, which have not been declared
invalid, and which, it is, therefore, the duty
of the executive ard every other department
of the government to obey and enforce. He
closes by saying that he is willing to concur
in suitable amendments for the Improvement
of the election laws, but cannot consent to
their repeal, or approve legislation which seeks
to prevent their enforcement.