The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-04-30

the natlonai elections. Nosufficient reason
has been given for this discrimination in
favor OF the State and against the national
authority. II well.founded objections cx-
list against the present national election
| laws, all good citizens should unite in their
| amendment. The laws providing the safe.
guards OF the elections should be impartial,
| just, and efficient. They should. il possible,
| be so non-partisan and fair in their opera
| ton that the mnority-the party out
OF power-will have no Just ground
| to complain. The present laws have, in
| practice. unquestionably conduced to the
prevention Of fraud and violence at the
| elections. In several OF the States members
OF different political parties have applied
| for the safeguards which they furnish. It
! is the right and duty OF the National Gov
eminent TO enact and enforce laws which
will secure free and fair congressional cleo
| tons. The laws now in force should not
be repealed except in connection with the
| enactment OF measures which will better
accomplish that important end. Believing
that section OF the bill before me will
| weaken, il it does not altogether take away,
the
POWER OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT TO PRO-
TECT THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS
conclusion that it ought not TO receive my
approval.
This Sectien is, however, not presented to
me as q separate and independent measure,
but is, rs has been stated. attached TO the bill
making the usual annual appropriations for
the support Of the army. IL makes vital
change in the election laws OF the country,
Which Is in no. way connected with the use
OF the army. II prohibits, under heavy
penalties, any person engaged in the civil
service OF the United States from having
any force at the place OF any election pre-
pared to preserve order. to make arrests, to
keep the peace, or in any manner TO enforce
the laws. This is altogether foreign 10 the
purpose OF an army appropriation bill. The
practice OF lacking to appropriation bills
measures not pertinent to such bills did not
prevail until more than forty years after the
adoption of the Constitution. Tt has be-
come common practice. All parties when
in power have adopted it. Many abuses and
great waste OF public money have in this
way crcpt into appropriation bills. The
public opinion OF the country IS against It,
The States which have recently adopted
constitutions have generally provided a
remedy for the evil by enacting that 10 law
Stall contain more than one subject, which
shall be plainly expressed in its title. The
constitutions OF more than hall Of the States
contain substantially this provision. The
public welfare will be promoted in many
ways Ey
A RETURN TO THE EARLY PRACTICE OF THE
GOVERNMENT,
and to the true principle OF legislation,
which requires that every measure shall
stand or fall according TO its own merits.
II 1t were understood that to attach to an
appropriation bill measure irrelevant to
the general object Of the bill would imperil
and probably prevent its final passage and
approval, valuable reform IN the parla.
mcntary practice OF Congress would be ac-
complishcd. The best justification that has
been offered for attaching irrelevant riders
| 10 appropriation bills is that it is done for
convenience sake, to facilitate the passage
| OF measures which are deemed ircXpcdicnt
| by all the branches OF Government which
participate in legislation. 1t cannot be
claimed that there is any such reason
for attaching this amendment Of the election
laws to the army appropriation bill. The his
tory OF the measure can'radicts this assumE-
ton. 4 majority OF the House OF Repre-
scntativcs in the last Congress was in favor
OF section Of this BILL 1t was known that
q majority OF the Senate was opposed to it,,
he adopted. 1t was attached 10 the army
appropriation bill to compel the Senate to
| assent to il. 1t was plainly announced to
the Senate that the army appropriation bill
| would not he allowed to pass unless the
pro posed amendments OF the election laws
| were adopted with 1t. The Senate refused
to assent to the bill on account OF this ir-
relevant section. Congress thercupon adj
iourned without passing an appropriation
bill for the army, and the present extra scs-
sion Of The Forty. sixth Congress became
necessary to furnish the means to carry on
| the Government.
THE GROUND UPON WHICH TIE ACTION OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS DEFENDED
has been distinctly stated by many OF its
advocates. A week before the close OF the
last session OF Congress the doctrine in
question was stated by one OF its ablcst de-
! tenders as follows:
at is our duty to repeal these laws. 1t
is not worth while to attempt the repeal en-
cept upon an appropriation bill. The Re-
publican Senate would not agree to, nor
the Republican President sign, bill for
such repeal. Whatever objection to legis-
laticn upon appropriation bills may be made
! in ordinary cases does not apply where free
elections and the liberty OF the citizen are
concerned. We have the power TO
yot e'money; let us annex conditions to it,
and insist upon :he redress OF grievances"
BY another distinguished member OF the
| House it was sand
"The right OF the representatives OF the
people to withhold supplies is as old as
English liberty. History records numerous
instances where the Commons, feeling that
the people were oppressed by laws that The
Lords would not consent 10 repeal by the
ordinary methods of legislation, obtained
redress at last by refusing appropriations
unless accompanied by relief measures"
That question OF the gravest magnitude,
and new in this country, was raised by this
course of proceeding, was fully recognized
also by its defenders in the Senate. 1t was
said by distinguished senator:
! "Perhaps 40 greater question in the form
we are brought to consider it was ever con-
sidercd by the American Congress in time
merits or dement's of the laws which the
House bill proposes to repeal, but involves
the rights, the privileges, the powers. the
duties of the two branches OF Congress and
| of the President OF the United States.
TITS VAST QUESTION.
| It is q question whose Importance can
| scarcely be estimated; it is a question that
never yet has been brought so sharply be-
| fore the American Congress and the Amerl-
can people as it may now be. 1t is ques-
ton which sooner or later must be decided,
and the decision must determine what are
the powers OF the House OF Representatives
under the Constitution, and what is the
duty OF that House in the view OF the trainers
of that Constitution according to its letter