The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-05-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.

THE VETO OF THE ARMY BITI.-THE DEMO
GRATIS wRATTFrL AND DEMoRALIZED-
THE PRESIDENT MASTER OF THE sITUA-
TIoN-THE PROBABLE DEMOCRATIC PRO
GRAMME-MR. RoBEsONS SrEECII-HIS
POWER As \ DEBATEE-MR. cox SMoTII-
Frs \ DIsTASTEFUL PETITION.
WAsHINGToN. ID. G.. May II, 1879.
Mr.. EDIToR:-The passage Of the Dem
ocratic caucus army bill. prohibiting the
use of troops at the polls by the Senate,
on Friday last. right after the close of
senator Edmunds' speech, was a little
surprise. rs it was expected the debate
would have been continued several days
longer: but the Democrats finding dis
cuSsion dangerous abandoned the field.
and the bill passed just as it came from
the House Your readers are familiar
with
THE TENT OF THE BILL.
OF course the President vetoed it. Mem
bcrS of the Administration. i'll speaking
of it. say that it is more inSidious meas
ure than appeared on the surface. and
that careful analysis of its meaning
showed that it aimed to revive the old
States Rights doctrine. and left no other
course for the President but to veto it.
He and his Cabinet maintained that the
doctrine this bill proposed to enforce was
as violent and aggressive as any ever ad-
vanced by the most extreme States
Rights advocates; that under its pro
visions the Federal Government would
be restricted in the use of its conStitu-
tional power. i'll eases where it was re-
quired to the agencies of States; i'll other
words that the Federal authority could
only be enforced subject to the permits
sion of State. The operation of such
Il law would in all cases debar the Presi
dent from the exercise of his executive
authority. and no matter what the action
of the State might be to restrict the cleo
ton of members of Congress, he would
be rendered powerleSS to interfere. There
is no doubt that the President was i'll
clned to accept tllis; bin as a compromise,
but after carefully examining it and con-
sulting with his Cabinet. he realized that
to accept what it claimed, would he a
concession of weakness dangerous to the
stability and force of Federal authority.
which. i'll effect, would render it power
less and imperative at times when most
needed. Democrats at present. are III a
STATE OF CONFUSION.
and, in the excitement of the moment.
full of the widest threats. Some of the
leaders say that Congress has the right
t. say Just what use the army and navy
shall be PIT to. and that if the President
will not obey its Instructions n must do
without them.
Unless King Caucus shall rule other
wise, this viii be the Democratic pro-
gram:ine for the immediate future. They
Will go ahead under the programme
mapped out by the caucus committee
before the military interference bill was
passed. that is to pass the Legislative bill,
wait for the veto which is expected. then
pass the supervisors and deputy marShals
repeal law III separate bill. and the .iur-
orS test oath in another. 1t is expected
that the President will veto them all
Then one of two plans will he adopted
Either pass the disputed bill without the
riders. or pass i joint Resolution eX,
tending last years appropriation bills
until January next If the latter plan is
adopted, parting shot Is 10 he fired at
the President i'll the shape Of Joint adj
dress from Congress to the President.
am told that under the rules this can be
done. and if it is done. the address will
he drawn up as Il petition for a campaign
paper. One Of tlip three things will Ger
tainly be done. BIT the outiu4k is GER
tainly full of angry furehoding<: and no
one can AZ present predict what will be
the next turn il the wheel pf re-uiutinn,
and unless sume compromise is a%reed
upon, there is no telling the length Of
the session. So far the President Is
MASTER OF TIE sITr AriGS.
and his immediate advisors say that he
will yield no point that the law compels
him to adhere to- \ few days. however.
will develop what the Democrats will do.
They are t.t~ driven 10 the wall. and
nothing but surrender can save tilem.
E4-Secretary Robeson;s last speech in
the House Is rnnrr,ird 10 he one of the
ablest made on the Legislative bill, and
the fact that his time was extended one
hour was an evidence of the spirit in
which it was received. No man ever
entered Congress with SO many preill-
dices against him, and of whose real
abilities The co,1ntry knea >u iitttr. and
yet in the space of one month he has dis
played powers of debate that few Of the
oldest members of either branch of Con
gress can aspire to. 1t all goes to show
that il he could have had an opportunity
of defending his official action before the
House AID !hr ronriTy. different judy
mcnt than the one made az, NY tiIr false
, l,,,,. ,,,,,,II La,o fll ,n.oI ,,d tl,+
,,'tt ~ " sN " "N' "tt" ''i','
( tie htell Nliq ti!i'it ftpiltiiloli OUT OF Sucl
7 cOWartliy proceedings sJu1t Iie,er have
,l,reJ to meet him face Ia f1ca He *
i f''' -
one OF the hbiest men ~ me House, ana
his "entlcmanly treatment of t,otu sides
Of , Question ILL f,;,. 70 Loon,,, ;,,.t a..
WI I'' 'i''' i''' w ''''iie just "s
popular.
lott. DAMNED SPOT
The following is petition which was
/ introduced in thG tiG.s,.. .,l. ,,s,.r,iay
. 49, l, NJ N ga Xxi y.
i'c'' ~ WI, w "f'' Hi't tl"ttS' ~ NC
printed III the Rff0fH.