Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-22
on record as pledged to monarchism III

America.
The debates in both houses of Congress
have resulted in placing the parties on trial.
Only this and nothing more. But that is
enough. It has established certain facts that
it is not too early to impress upon the minds
of citizens. These facts are pregnant with
great results. They comprise no less issues
than those of republicanism and monarchy.
The Democratic party has taken decided
stand on the questions at issue. 1t has de-
clared that all the vestiges of monarchism
that crept in during and succeeding the war
authorizing the use of troops at elections I'M
republican, the Democratic party sought to
repeal that law. 1t was defeated by veto
from a man who OK cupies his position by
virtue of the exercise of that unrepublican
and unconstitutional prerosative. It
seeks, in the bill now before Mr. Hayes,
to repeal laws that were designed
to defeat tho will Of the people in prevent
ing the freedom Of elections, and to give to
the people of the South the constitutional
right of trial by jury of their peers. The
Democratic position needs no defense. 1t is
thoroughly and radically the policy of repub-
licanism upon which the government was
founded.
But what shall be said of the attitude of
the Republican party? Its leading members
have stood up in the House and the Senate
and defended the laws which the majority of
those, coming directly from the people,
have asked to be repealed. They have de-
manded that the military arm of the govern
ment should DO felt at the polls, insisting
that rebellion was still rampant throughout
the country, though the last vestige of the
rebellion was obliterated fourteen years ago.
They have sought to array the North against
the South politically, though in q business
point of view the North and the South have
been united for many years. They have
insisted that elections require federal
supervision, though it has been shown re-
peatedly that the purest elections for the
past decade have been those held under State
supervision. They have declared that super
visors of elections and deputy marshals
should have arbitrary powers of arrest-pow-
ers only delegated to such officials in mon
arches in cases of extreme emergency.
They have declared that the intelligent por-
ton of one-third of the States of the union
shall not sit in the jury box for the adjudi-
cation of dispute, no matter how trivial.
They have, IN essence, placed themselves on
record as favoring strong central govern
ment at Washington that shall have the
power to override the authority of the sew
eral States, and make of every citizen o
plant tool of the party that happens
to be in power or else prisoner in
duress. They declare that the exercise
of the privilege of the franchise is contin-
gent upon vote for the party that controls
the army and the marshals-that a vote on
the opposite side will subject the citizen tc
prosecution and prescription. Ever!
monarchial idea that has been advanced hal
found a solid phalanx of supporters in the
Republican representation in Congress.
The issue is made up. 1t is simpl..
whether the republic shall remain such il
fact as well as in mama or whether it shall b.
converted into a monarchy. The transition
when it takes place, if it ever does, will b
gradual, but it will nevertheless be certain
1t is not too early to present the issue
bluntly before the people.