The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-05-21

crease.
THE Presidents second veto mes.
sage is even stronger than his first,
and shows up so plainly the insolent
demands of the State rights Democ-
racy, that they are tearing mad and
badly demoralizsd 1t is evident
from their conduct that they for once
realize the fact that they "bit of more
than they can chew" and are now
looking anxiously for some knot hole
through which they a creep sway
from their egregious blunder. The
doctrine Of State sovereignty led to
the rebellion and it ives supposed
had been settled finally aud forever
by the result of the war, but no sooner
does the Democracy gain a foothoid
than it sgain arises to trouble the
country. As it had to come again
We are glad that ii is here now, as it
gives the President the opportunity
to plant himself and The Republican
party on the bedrock of the Consti-
tuition.
The President very properly claims,
and the people will sustain him there
in, that the Federal government has
the same right to protect itself in all
its powers and functions that any
individual State has. The caucus
bill was so cunniDgiy drawn as to
make it lawful for federal troops to
be present at an election to uphold
the authority of the State where the
election was held, but not to uphold
federal authority, and it is the ex-
posure of this trick and its defeat
by the President that makes the Re
publican party solid" for the veto.
But as is well said by the North
american
The great question at stake is not
whether Federal soldiers shall or
shall not, under any circumstances.
be stationed at the polls, but whether
the President shall be allowed to ex-
ercise the prerogrative conferred up
on him for wise purposes by the mel
who framed the government of the
country. BY successive acts of leg
islation, cited by Mr.. Hayes in his
message, the President is empowered
to employ the military and naval
forces of the United States TO compel
the observance Of the Federal laws.
This has been the law Of the land
from the time Of Washington down
TO the present day, and this is the
law the operation of which the Dem
ocratic party in Congress takes upon
itself 10 c.rcumscribe. That there
should be no interference on the part
of the military with the exercise of
the voting privilege every one will
admit, and no one more readily than
does Mr.. Hayes 10 bis message but
to prevent such interference lies quite
beyond the scope of Congressional
action. Such prevention is a duty
which devolves upon the President
himself, and the President himself,
should be fail in its execution, is to
be held responsible. 1t is in the lu-
cid, emphatic manne in which be
expounds this principle that the
strength of the Presidents message
lies.
He makes, however, another strong
point 10 directing attention to the
manner in which the bill discrimin-
ates in favor Of the State and against
the national authority. 1t mentions
two cases in which the Federal
forces may lawfully be stationed at
the polls: the n is to repel armed
enemies of the United States, and
the other is to uphold the authority
of the State government upon *
press invitation. Referring to the
last provision, Mr.. Hayes %pertinently
asks What is this but the substi-
tuition Of the discretion of the State
governments for the discretion of the
government of the United States as
to the performance of its own duties 2"
The President deserves honor for
the stand be has taken, and we want
no better platform for the next cam
paign on which to fight and win it
than this message. The fact is the
Democrats could not have played
more surely into Republican hands,
if they had set up OF nights devising
a plan for cur benefit. No wonder
they feel like kicking themselves for
fools, when they red the two t
messages, and reflect upon their wi
stupidity.
Coal Breaker Burned.