Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-06-05
A THIRD VETO MESSAGE.

prlHuOu Olll 70
The President, in his message, after stating
the main purpose of the legislative bill which
he returns without his approval says: "This
money is needed to keep in operation the es-
sential functions of the great departments of
the Goyernment-Legislative, Executive and
Judicial. If the bill contained no other pro-
visions, no objection to its approval would be
made. It embraces, however, number of
clauses relating to subjects Of great general
interest, which are wholly unconnected with
the appropriations which it provides fore The
objections to the practice of tacking general
legislation to appropriation bills, especially
when the object is to deprive co ordinate
branch of the Government Of its rights to q
free exercise of its own discretion and judg-
nent touching such general legislation, were
set forth in special message in relation to
the House biz No. /, which was returned to
the House of Representatives on the 18th of
last month" He regrets that the objections
which were then expressed to this method of
legislation have not seemed TO Congress Of
sufficient weight to dissuade from renewed In
corporation Of general enactments in the. APP
preparation bill, and that his constitutional
duty, in respect to general legislation thus
placed before him, cannot be discharged with
out seeming delay to the necessary appropria-
tions by Congress for the support Of the Gov
eminent: He then quotes the clauses. repeal
ing sections of the revised statutes in relation
TO supervisors Of elections and deputy mar
shals, and states that the bill. if approved,
would repeal or amend sections Ut the act.
approved May 36th, 1870, and amended Feb
ruary Goth, 1871, entitled IAN Act to en-
force the rights of citizens in the United
States to vote in the several States of this
Union, and for other purposes" and says the
true meaning and effect Of the proposed leg
islation are plain. The supervisors, with au-
thority to observe and witness the proceed
ings at Congressional elections, will be left,
but there will be no power to protect them, or
to prevent interference with their duties, or
to punish any violation Of the law from which
their powers are derived. If this bill is APP
proved, only the shadow of authority of the
United States at the National elections will
remain.the substance will be gone. The
supervision of elections will be reduced to.
mere inspection, without authority on the
part of supervisors to do any act whatever to
make the election fair one. All that will
be left to supervisors is permission to have
such an oversight of elections as political par
ties are in the habit of exercising, without
any authority of the law, in order to prevent
their opponents from obtaining unfair adyan-
tages. The object of the bill is TO destroy
any control whatever by the United States
over Congressional elections. The passage Of
this bill has been urged upon the ground that
the election Of members of Congress is a
matter which concerns the States alone; that
these elections should be controlled exclu.
sively by the States; that there are and can
be no such elections as National elections, and
that the existing laws Of the United States
regulating Congressional elections sis without
warrant 10 the Constitution. He thsalote
the Constitution to show that the framefs of
that document regarded the election Of MEM
bers of Congress- in every State as justly q
matter of political interest and concern to
the whole country, and refers to the law pass.
ed in 1865, which prescribes full and detailed
regulations for the election of Senators by
Legislatures of the several States, and says:
This law has been in force almost thirteen
years. In. pursuance of it, all members Of
the present Senate of the United States hold
their seats. Its constitutionality is not called
in question, and it is confidently believed that
no sound argument can be made in support
of the constitutionality Of national regula-
tion of Senatorial elections which will not
show that the elections of members Of the
House of Representatives may be also consti.
tutionally regulated by National authority.
The bill before me itself recognizes the prin-
ciple that Congressional elections are not
State elections, but National elections. 1t
leaves in full force the existing statute under
which supervisors are still to be appointed by
National authority to 'sobserve and witness"
Congressional elections whenever due appli-
cation is made by citizens who desire said
elections to be guarded and scrutinized." If
the power to supervise in any respect whatev-
er, Congressional elections exist, under Sec
tion 4, article l of the Constitution, it is a
power which. like every other power belong
ing to the Government Of the United States.
is paramount and supreme, and includes the
right to employ the necessary means to carry
it into effect. 81,
He concludes: "This bill recognizes the
authority and duty Of the United States to
appoint supervisors to guard and scrutinize
Congressional elections, but denies to the
Government of the United States all power
to make its supervision efectual. The great
body of the people of all parties want free
and fair elections; they do not think that
free election means freedom from wholesome
restraints of law, or that the place of election
should be q sanctuary for lawlessness and
crime.
On the day of election peace and good or
der are more necessary than any other day
of the year. On that day the humblest and
feeblest citizen, aged and infrm, should have
a reason to feel they are safe in the exercise
of his duty, and their most sacred right as
members of society-their duty and their
right to vote. The constitutional authority
to regulate Congressional elections which be-
longs to the Government of the United States,
and which necessarily exists to secure the
right to vote to every citizen possessing the
requisite qualification, ought to be enforced
by appropriate legislation. So far from pub
lie opinion in any part of the country favor
ing any relaxation Of the authority of the
Government, I believe it demands greater
vigor, both in enactment and in the execu-
ton of laws framed for that purpose. Any
oppression, any partisan partiality, which ex-
perience may have shown in the working of
existing laws, may we'll engage the careful
attention of both Congress and the Executive