The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-07-22

made farce; that jurors were drawn 10 c
the interests OF partisanship and that
cases were decided in the interests of par i
tisanship, and that the courts had absolu .
tely failed to administer the laws to the
people in that great section. We referred
to the city OF New York, where on an
election day more than one thousand Ame-
rican citizens were imprisoned by the 3.
authority OF supervisors of election and
afterward discharged bya judge OF the
United States court who decided tnat
there was no authority to arrest ana that
they had been guilty of no crime. ln con-
clusioD, we pointed to the great doctrine
of civil liberty and maintained that the
measures we sought to repeal were mimi
cal to freedom, un-American In spirit, ana
in the end would prove subVerslve OF free
| government.
No more manly, no more dlgnifed, no
more logical debate so far as the demo-
cratic side of this house is concerned was
ever conducted on this floor; but in what
way were our arguments treated by gen.
tlemen on the other side OF the House
With the exception of halt dozen
speeches the pretended answers to our
arguments might as we'll have been made
on any other subject as upon the bill then
before the House for consideration. When |
we said that these measures were vlolative
of the Constitution of the United States
republican orators replied that on this side
of the House the majority were conieder-
ate brigadiers who had attempted to over
throw the Constitution of the United
States.
When we referred to the fact of the
outrages committed on American citizens
under these laws, they replied by citing
the outrages committed at Andersonville
and other prisons in the South during the
war, aud when we urged that the power
of the Army should be so limited and
qualified that it might not be used to over
throw the liberties of the people, they
said, your side was whipped by the Army,
: and therefore you are opposed to it.
l. Never 10 all ny knowledge has debate
been so honestly conducted as this has
been upon our side of the House: never
have arguments been more unfairly met
than have our arguments by gentlemen on
the other side. There are honorable ex-
D ceptions, of course. 1t would be invidious
to name them, but will venture to men
u ton two. and | refer to the gentleman
from Connecticut, Mr.. HAwLEY, and the
e gentlemen from New Jersey, [Mr. ROBE
/ SON. As the result of this debate bills
u have been passed and sent to the Presi-
Is dent of the United States and have been
e vetoed. The veto power was designed by
the Constitution as power to prevent un'
Z constitutional legislation or hasty or Ill
/ considered legislation or to enable the ex
10 ecutive TO protect itself against encroach'
9 ments from other branches OF the Govern
IL ment | defy gentlemen to point me t
H. x1cL, 81,
W adoption OF the Constitution which did no
Oh give in favor Of the provision conferrint
50 the veto power, one or the other of thes,
reasons.
a. And 10 the history of this Government
D. from the day of its foundation until now
ne that power was never before exercised t
q, prevent the repeal Of law or TO proven
40 the enactment of general appropriation
te bill. Certainly never before was the vet
u power exercised to practically take ava
10 from one of the two Houses of Con
ne gress power which is conferred upo
81. it separately by the provisions of tn
De Constitution itself. The power to original
e@ bills of revenue is power which belong
to US as representatives of the people, an
oil it is power which, if the Presidel
Try interferes with it as he has don
Of nv tbe vetoes at this session he can Ans,
sis lutely take away from US.
cl- What reasons have been urged for thes
lon extraordinary vetoes? Not that the legi
tD lation proposed was hastily considered, III
RAJ that it was unconstitutional, nor that it e
I'm croached upon the powers conferred
as the Constitution upon the President, b
10 chiefly that the bills we sought to pa
all took away from the executive authori
Oh the power, which certain statutes COME
rec red upon him, TO enforce the law. B
my cause we would not let bin use the Arm
mas on election day to keep the peace at Il
nat polls he said we took away from him t
ual power to enforce the laws.
'iai Sir, the Army is the creature Of Go
NY gress. The Constitution declares that 4
we Congress may raise an army. The Go
tue stitutlon declares that appropriations
the the Army shall not last longer than Il
rig years. The Constitution declares til
OF Congress may make rules and regulatio
the for the government of the Army; ru
neu and regulations, rules coming fir
iohS regulations" afterward. Thereto
the the Army is absolutely I
creature of Congress. Whether
ueo shall be used to execute the laws or not
nest for Congress to say and not for the Pre-
an dent. Applause on the democratic sid
arty He must take the Army as we give il
L Is him, for the purposes for which we decli
OF it shall be used Congress being the pow
Dur- to create it.
Strange to say, the President and his
we yisers and the gentlemen on the other 81
said of the Hnuse seem m hava loaf s;obt If
Oter constitutional provision which gives {
very President the power to execute the LAY
luse The language of that instrument is Il
I"s' the militia Of the several States may
sEu- called upon TO execute the laws. There
Wer the power expressly named in the Cons
his tuition for the execution of the laws;
the army, but tho militia of the States,
hey the calling out of which Congress has pl
ma vided.
ons Never for an instant did the vetoed bi
ieIe propose to interfere with the power of t
rec President over the militia OF the Stat
reSS but only over this army, this creature
ncl ours. The President has the militia
u IL the States from one end of the Unit
eral States to the other to aid him 10 executi
10 the laws 90 election day or at any ott
lan- tune, at the polls or anywhere else.
Tue What is the result now after the vetot
the Some gentlemen have said that [
the democratic party has backed down, !
act surrendered. Sir, when we enter
sed upon this fight we did not exp
una to gain the victory 10 d
lted WheD power has for twenty years bt
YES inhenching itself behind all possible Il
lhe isatioD, we cannot dislodge tin a nome
lan- We entered upon this contest know
Two that many battle must be fought, mI