Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-04-30
CLEARFIELD, Pa, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1879


, the Senator from Kentucky, not be-
! tween tho Senator from Pennsylvania
and myself. have it here:
Mr.. BECK. As he is chairman Of commit
tee
That is, the Senator from Ohio, MIR
Thurman, =
that Is considering all these questions. and as W,
believe the Democratic party will act wisely, &c,
Then follows:
Mr.. C0NKLING. win the Senator allow me
10 understand him To what committee does he
refer as one Of which the Senator from Ohio is
chairman
Mr.. BEcK. A Democratic COMMITTEES now con.
sidering how Il Is best for this side Of the House
who have the responsibility, to act to determine
how we can best present the measures fairly and
properly.
And then, before any House com.
mirtee was appointed, before there
was any instrnmentali!y of parlia-
mentary character through which they
could be launched, these measures came
out full-fedged from Democratic
caucus.
! Mr.. WALLACE. Mr.. President, l
repeat my statement. The Senator
from Maine and the Senator from Ken
lucky will settle that issue between
themselves. repeat that these bills
came through constitutional processes
in the mode and through the channels
that the Constitution and the prece-
dents point out, and that no Demo
cratic caucus or committee of Demo-
cratic caucus ever considered this bill
or ever agreed that il should be re.
ported.
1t is said that we are trying to co.
cree the Executive. There is no at
tempt here at coercion. Where do
You find it in this bill? II exists only
in the lively imagination Of the gen.
tlemen who assert. Sir we will not
coerce, nor will we submit to coercion,
notwithstanding the fnely-rounded
periods with which the Senator from
Maine concluded his remarks few
minutes ago in the effort TO produce
coercion.
We have our rights under the Con-
stitution, and we propose to follow
them to their legitimate conclusions.
The Executive has his rights, and our
performance Of our duty will not be
by one jot or title in the way of bis
performance Of his duty as he thinks
right to perform it under his oath and
the Constitution. In the exercise of
plain duty imposed upon the legisla.
tive power, which is vested with the
power TO raise armies, to make rules
for their government, and to enact all
laws necessary to carry INTO execution
the powers granted TO it, these bodies
are about to pass this bill in accord
ance with law and precedent. There
is no provision of the bill violating the
Constitution, and no pretense will be
made that any does. Its disputed clause
relates to the employment of the troops
whose pay we vote. We have no issue
with any other branch of the Govern.
ment. We seek to make none. In
tho exercise Of the rule Of the majori.
ty we follow practice, precedent, law,
and organic law to their legitimate re.
suit as we Judge our duty calls us.
Wewill not be driven into any issue with
any other power. Each Of these bodies
must perform for itself, under the oath
that it has taken to support tho Con-
stitution, Its clear and plain duty.
When the Senator taunts us with the
exercise Of the negative Of the Execu-
tive he undertakes to coerce the rep
resentatives Of the people and of the
States, the bodies vested by the Con-
stitution with the legislative power,
The right to place legislation upon
money bills belongs TO the legislative
power. II is nowhere denied in the
Constitution. The propriety of the
exercise of this right is to be judged of
by the two Houses, and by them alone.
No other branch Of the government
can object TO the bill for this reason.
We are the sole and exclusive judges
Of this question, and when we act our
judgment cannot be impugned by either
the executive or the Judiciary. The
subject-matter of the legislation may
be criticised, but the form of its enact
ment is solely within our own discre.
ton. allUI
The bill OF last year conceded all
that is asked by this bill. In conced-
ing the posse comitatus clause every.
thing that is in this bill was conceded,
and vet we have this s'tempest in a
teapot" about nothing, so far as the
mower goes. at least. IL is the removal
Of menace. a threat upon the people,
and the direction TO its form was utter
ly and absolutely conceded away in
the legislation of last year
AFFIRM than fret that ,ha rcht 10
,iaoa lar;sla,;on an .onev h;lls for ,ha
pro,oc,ion [ Of The civil li6erties Of Tho
psonle helonas ~ tho legislativo nower
poJJp pa oonno, ho dan;ed ~ Il III anv
a,har u hranoh os rho rovsrrmar; ssc.
oaJ that ,be eyerc;sa of this r;gbt ia
o"a,,ionod "a, E ~, nrac.;co ,b;rJ ,he, Il, Il
oaa,a;ond ~, Irecoden,s os old as the
s;na 81 Charles +. and foyr1b ,hat
,h;s ioa;sIatian 70 consi;,utional ana
necessary and violates no nrovision Of
the Federal Constitution Let us see,
Th;s mower has been very freouentlv
exercised bv Congress- and The prece.
dan,s sra n,moro5s and wall 'knpyn
In orde, 70 ascorta;n what nronor.
I,ion oflegislation Concerning The Army
If n general and permanent nature had
been enacted previous 70 1874 upon an.
nronriation biils | made an exam,na.
,;on Of tbe Revised Statute of The Uni.
tsd states passed At The frat session
Of tbe Forty.third Conoress--l873-'74
which aembrace The Statutes Of the
/ United States. general and permanent
in their nature, in force on the lst day