Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-07-18
DEMOCRACY DEFENDED.
The Eloquent Speech Of MIR.
Hurd on the Closing Day Of
Congress.

prevent the enactment OF 4 genera APP
preparation bill Certainly never before
was the veto power exercised to prac-
tically take away from one of the two
houses of congress power which IS
conferred upon it sepa' ately by the pro-
visions of the coust luton Itself. The
power to originate bills OF revenue is u
power which belongs to US, and 1t is q
power which, If the president interteres
with it as he has done by this veto, in
this case, he can absolutely take away
from US.
What reasons have been urged for
these extraordinary vetoes? Chiefly that
the bills we sought to pass took away
from the executive authority the power
TO enforce the law. Because we would
not let him use the army on election day
TO keep the peace at the polls he said we
took away from him the power to en-.
force the laws.
Sir the army is the creature of con.
gress. The constitution declares that
the congress may raise an army. The
constitution declares that appropriations
for the army shall not last longer than
two years. The constitution declares
that congress may make rules and regu.
lations fer the government of the army i;
rules and regulations, "rules" coming
first, regulations" aflerward There.
fore the army is absolutely the creature
of congress Whether it shall be used
to execute the laws or not is for congress
TO say and not for the president. APP.
plause on the democratic side. He
must take the army us we give it to him,
for the purpose which we declare it
shall be used for we being the power 10
create it,
Strange to say, the president and his
advisers and the gentlemen on the other
side of the house seem to have lost sight
of the constitutional provisions which
give the president the power TO execute
the laws The language of that instru.
ment is that the president of the United
States may call upon the militia of the
several states TO execute the laws. There
is the power given TO him for the exc.
cution of the laws; not the army, unless
congress says so, Int the militia of the
states, because the constitution so pro.
vides.
Never for an instant did our bills in.
terfere with the power of the president
over the militia OF the states, but only
over the army-this creature of ours.
The president has the militia of tho
states from one end of the United States
to the other to aid him in executing the
laws on election day or at any other
time, at the polls or anywhere else.
What IS the result now after the We.
toes? Some gentlemen have said that
the democratic party has backed down,
has surrendered. Sir, when we entered
upon this fight we did not expect to gain
the victory in day. When power has
for twenty years been intrenehing be.
hind all possible legislation, we cannot
dislodge it in moment. We entered
upon this contest knowing that many a
battle must be fought, many victory be
gained, before the ultimate triumph
could be achieved.
In the Forty.fflh Congress we said TO
the president, your army-our army l
mean-our army shall not be used rs q
posse comitdtus. In the Forty-sixth Con.
gress we have said our army shall not be
used as part of the police force. And
before the Forty-sixth Congress shall
have closed its term | say to gentlemen
that we will have taken from the statute
book every law which proposes to use
this creature of ours at the polls to IN.
timidate American citizens in the eNer-
else OF their highest prerogatiye. Great
Applause on the democratic side.
| would have gentlemen on the other
side and the country remember that there
has been no surrender Of the principle
with which we began this contest. We
claim that the representatives of the
people, by virtue OF their power to orig
mate appropriation bills, can secure re-
dress of their grievances by stopping the
supplies for the support OF the govern
ment, either CT the president or of any
other branch of the government unless
our views on the subjects to which the
appropriations relate are carried out. l
say TO gentlemen on the other side and 10
the country that so long as the demo-
cratic party is in majority in this house
IL will never surrender that grand health
full power which more than any other
made England free nation, and which
was put into our constitution in order
that the legislative authority might have
wholesome method of controlling cx.
ecutiye power.
Mr.. Chairman, this extra session has
made up the issue between the two par
ties. The democratic party declares that
the army shall be kept from the polls;
that iuries shall be imrartally drawn !;
that the test oath shall be repealed, and
lhdt lllS nv Ih'NA-
iere in elections within the state. Upon
that question the republican party takes
issue with us. Confidently appealing
only to the patriotism of the country,
the democratic party goes into this con
test Never in all the history of this
land have more important questions
been submitted TO the American people
for their determination. They relate TO
the proper administration Of justice; they
concern the grayest questions of consti-
!onal law; they affect the fundamen;.
al principles of civil liberty. Every
man who runs for any office in any state
and every citizen who goes 10 the polls
to deposit his ballot Is interested. The
whole method oi ascertaining the popu-
lar will in the republic is involved in
the issue.
SO far .reaching are these principles
that if upon this issue the republican
party shall be successful, then all the
power over elections in states would be
drawn TO the central government. The
states would lose their places ia the
federative system, and whether the army
shall be used at the polls or not would
Al