Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-04-17
A STAND FOR LIBERTY.
MR.. BLAcKBURN's STATEMENT OF THE
DEMOCRATIC POSITION.
Il Hat Called on The Radical Policy Of Con-
StitWtiondt Subpersioa-7He Peopics
Trust Must Not be betrayed
ole Fho Doubts is
DAMNED -

Congressional Record the magnificent
speech delivered by Mr.. Blackburn in
the House in defense of the position
taken by his party with reference to
the repeal of the damnable Radical
election laws. The Democrat who
does not read it disowns his party:
Mr.. Blackburn-Mr. Chairman, trust
that in what may have to- submit for
the consideration OF this committee, /
shall in no wise derogate from or lower
the plane of fairness and dignity with
which in the main this discussion has
been conducted by colleagues on this
side of the chamber. | trust that no
utterance OF mine will give color TO the
charge that in my judgment any sec
tional question is involved in the con.
sideration OF the issue before this COM
mittee.
do not intend, sir, to be personal in
any thing that | may say. There has
come from different members of the
other side of the House, during tAis de.
bate, that which. in my judgment, re-
quires and merits notice, and shall 20
back, before shall have finished, sev.
eral days to reply as best may to the
points that have been made by the dis
tinguished gentleman from Ohio Mr..
Garfield).
take it, sir, that nobody is surprised
at the appearance of the honorable gen.
tleman from New Jersey (Mr. Robeson }
who last occupied the floor. This dc.
bate would not have been complete or
fairly rounded out unless some mernber
of the privy council of that imporislis-
tic dynasty under whose administration
these very vicious practices grew up,
which 10 is now sought by this amend
ment to repeal, should have appeared
upon this floor TO testify in their behalf.
IL is charged. sir, not that the amend.
ment under consideration involves of
itself an unconstitutional piece OF legis.
lation, but it Is urged by various distin.
guished members on this floor that il is
revolutionary in its character that it
has no proper place on an appropriation
bill that il is out of line, and deserves
the condemnation Of the House because
ii is an exotic in this connection and
should have been considered as an in.
dependent bill. 1t is charged that the
tendency and operation OF IL will be TO
restrict the power of the President as
commander in.chief of the army OF the
United States.
Now, Mr. Chairman, hSis but a poor
student of this country's history who is
not able to satisfy himself that from the
very formation of the Federal Consti
tuition down TO the present time it has
ever been held, and that by the highest
authorities of the land, and never sue.
cessfully denied, that it was power rot
only of the American Congress but a
power of this House to control the en-.
ployment of the army by a withholding
of supplies.
The debates upon tho formation Of
the Federal Constitution which lie be.
fore me show that the brightest intel
lects assembled in that convention as.
serted this doctrine in its broadest term
and no man dared gainsay it, 1t is one
of those features of English liberty that
have come down to us by adoption.
1t was 80 stated in the debates upon
the formation OF this instrument, as
given to us, that it is ever and always in
the power of the House of Representa-.
tives, by copying the example Of the
House of Commons OF England in with.
holding supplies, to control absolutely
the employment and conduct Of the
army. You may follow that theory
down at short intervals, and in 1919,
when an army appropriation bill was
considered and passed in this chamber,
and IL was proposed to restrict the
power Of the President by specifying
the purposes to which the appropria.
tions should be applied, the very same
argument was made against it then that
our friends upon the other side hurl
against us now.
IL was upon that occasion that Mr..
Mercer, one of the brightest among
lawmakers of the Government Of his
day, asserted upon this floor, without
encountering contradiction, that IL was
in the power of the House Of Repre-.
sentatives to withhold supplies alto
gether for the main tenance OF the army
If, indeed, that should become neces-
sary to control its operation. Ii was
then that one whose patriotism has
never yet been questioned, though it
has survived through the greater por.
ton OF fading century only TO grow
brighter rs the ages 90 by-it was then
that not only Kentucky's, but Amer.
cas- great commoner, Mr. Clay, declared
in his burning words Of eloquence, ut
tered where we now sit, that he was
ready TO make the issue with the Execu.
tive and offer him bill with the OBJ
jectionabls features incorporated in it,
and TO say TO the Executive: Sign or
refuse to sign IL; but il you do refuse
20 sign it, declaring that we have not
the power TO pass it, then my answer to
you will be. neither has the Executive
the power that you arrogate TO your
SELF" And you may come down from
then till now, and never in the history
Of this Government has IL been denied
that the Constitution itself, which gives
to Congress the right to pass those
money bills to provide means for the
support and maintenance Of military
establishment, carries with II the result.
ant right on the part Of Congress to
IL -.