The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-04-30

tDe udtlohdi dutluiltys IL well OUJecu0nS
exist against the present national election laws all
good citizens should mite in their amendment. The
laws providing the safeguards for the elections
should be impartial, just and efficient. They should
if possible be partisan and fair in their opera
ton that the minority, the Iarty out Of power, will
have no just grounds to complain. The present laws
have in practice PROFESSIONALLY conduced to the pre-
venton of fraud and violence at the elections in
eral OF the states. Members of different political
parties have applied for the safeguards which they
furnish. 1t is the right aud duty Of the National
Government to enact and enforce laws which will
cure free and fair Congressional elections. The laws
now in force should not be repealed except in con-
nection with the enactment of measures which
will better accomplish that important end.
The Bill Anuuls Federal Power.
Believing that Section of the bill before me will
weaken, il it does not altogether take away, the
power of the national government to protect the
Federal elections by the civil authorities am forced
to the conclusion that it ought not to receive my ap
proyal, The section is, however, not presented to
as separate and independent measure, bu. is, as
has been stated, attached to the bill making the us.
ual annual appropriations for the support of the
army. 1t makes vital change in the election laws
of the country, which is in no way connected with
the use of the army. 1t prohibits under heavy pen.
allies any person engaged in the civil service of the
United States from having any force at the place of
any election prepared to preserve order, to make
rests, to keep the peace, Or in any manner to en-
force the laws. This is altogether foreign to the
purpose of any appropriation bill.
A Mischievous Practice.
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. 1t has become common practice All
parties when in power have adopted it, Many abuses
and great waste of public money have in this way
crept into appropriation bills. The public opinion of
the country is against it The states which have
recently adopted constitutions have generally pro-
vided remedy for the evil by enacting that no law
shall contain than subject, which shall be
plainly stated in its title. The constitution OF more
than half the states contain substantially this pro-
vision. The public welfare will be promoted in many
ways by return to the early practice of the govern
ment and to the true principle of legislation which
requires that every measure shall stand fall,
cording to its own merits. If it were understood
that to att ach appropriation bill measure r-
relevant to the general object of the bill would i'm
peril and probably prevent its final passage and APP
prevail valuable reform in the parliamentary prac-
tice of Congress would be accomplished. The best
justification that has been offered for attaching rre
evant riders to appropriation bills is that it is done
for convenience sake, to facilitate the passage OF
measures which are deemed expedient by all the
branches of government which participate in lesis-
laion. 1t canont be claimed that there is any such
reason for attaching this amendment of the election
laws to the army appropriation bill. The history OF
the contradcts this assumption "a majority
of the House OF Representatives OF the last Congress
in favor of section six of the bill 1t was known
that majority of the Senate was opposed to it, and
that as separate measure it could not be adopted
| 1t was attached to the army appropriation bill to
compel the Senate to to t. 1t was plainly an
nounced to the Senate that the army appropriation
bill would not be allowed to pass unless the proposed
amendments of the election laws were adopted with
it. The Senate refused to assent to the bill on &C.
count of this irrelevant section. Congress thereupon
adjourned without passing appropriation bill for
the army the present extra session of the Forty
| sixth Congress became necessary to furnish the
means to carry on the government.
The Argument for this Action.
The ground upon which the action Of the House OF
Representatives is defended, has been distinctly
stated by many of its advocates. week before the
close of the last session of Congress the doctrine in
question stated by of its abest defenders as
| follows:
sit is our duty repealth laws. 1t Is not worth
while to attempt the repeal except upon an appropri-
alton bill. The Republican Senate would not agree
| to- the Republican President sign bill tor such
repeal Whatever objection to legislation upon appro-
priation bill may be made in ordinary cases. does not
apply where free elections and the liberty OF the eti:
zens are concerned. We have the power to vote
money, let annex conditions to it and insist upon
the redress of grievances"
BY another distinguished member of the House il
was said: The right of the representatives OF the
people to Withhold supplies is old English liberty
History records numerous instances where the COM
mon feeling that the people were oppressed by law
the Lords would not consent to repeal by the ordiaa
methods of legislation, obtained redress at last b.
| refusing appropriations unless accompanied by re
| lief measures.
A Grave Question.
/ That question of the gravest magnitude, ant
in this country raised by this course of pro
ceeeing fully recognized also by its defenders
the Senate. 1t was sad by distinguished senator
"Perhaps no greater question in the form we ar
/ brought to consider it, was ever considered by the
American Congress in time of peace, tor it involve
not merely the merits or dement's of the laws which
/ the House bill propose TO repeal, but involves tn
rights the privileges, the powers, the duties of tn
/ two branches of Congress and Of the President O
| the United States, 1t is vast question. 1t is
| question whose importance can scar cely be esti
| mated. 1t is question that never yet has beel
| brought so sharply before the American Congress
and the American people as it may be now. 1t is
/ question which sooner or later must be decided, AM
l the decision must determine what are the powers Q
the House of under the Constitution
| and what is the duty OF that House in view of tn
trainers of that Constitution according to its lette
and its spirit. Mr.. President, should approach thi
question ii I were in the best possible condition
speak and to argue it, with very grave didence and
| certainly with the utmost anxiety, for no one cal
think of it long and carefully have though
l of it, without seeing that we at the beginning
perhaps of struggle that may last as long in thi
country similar struggle lasted for two centurie
before it was ultimately decided. 1t is not likely t
last so long here but it may last till every man
| this chamber is in his grave 1t is the questio
| whether the House of Representatives has tn
| right to say "We will grant supplies only upon con
/ dition that grievances are redressed. We, as tn,
| Representatives of the tax payers of the Re
] public; we, the House OF Representatives, alon
have the right to originate bills which grant tn
money Of the people. The Senate represents States
| we represent the tax payers of the Republic. W
therefore by the very terms of the Constitution
| charged with the duty of originating the bills whc
/ grant the money of the people. We claim the righ
! which the House of Commons in England estab
lshed after two centuries of contest, to say that
will not grant the money Of the people unless Their
| is redress Of grievances.''
Upon the assembling of this Congress in pursuanc
of call for an extra session which made neces
sary by the failure Of the Forty-fifth Congress t.
make the needful appropriations for the support O
the government the question was presented whethe
the attempt made in the last Congress to engraft
construction new principle upon the Constitution
should be persistedin not. This Congress has am
/ pie opportunity and time to pass the appropriation
bills and also to enact any political whic
| may be determined upon in separate bills by tn
| usual and orderly methods of proceeding, but tn
! majority Of both houses have deemed it wise to ad
here to the principle asserted and maintained in tn
last Congress by the majority Of the House of Repre-
sentatves. That principe is that the House of Rep
resentatives has the sole right to originate bills 70
raising revenue, and, therefore, has the right tt
/ withhold appropriations upon which the existence o
/ the government may depend, unless the Senate ant
the President shall give their assent to any legisla
ton which the House may see fit to attach to appro
/ priation bills.
Radical and Dauger0us Champe-