New-York tribune., 1880-03-02
DEUOCRATTC DISLOYALTY.

of the laws by United States Courts has
already been seriously embarrassed, and would
have been wholly arrested long ago had
Democratic rebels had their way. This thing
has beeo done deliberately, persstently, and
with full knowledge of the consequences.
Not by neglect; of that there has been
enough in other directions to brand the party
III power with incompetence, but it cannot be
said that appropriations for the pay OF officers
of the United States Courts has been neglected.
Not 10y stupidity and bundering, OF which
there has been more than enough to disgrace
any party; but III this case the consequences
have been fully understood. Not by difference
of opinion as to the proper method Oi enforc-
ing law, though no party tit to govern would
ever permit such difference to cause failure
to enforce law in any way but in tins case
there has been no such difference. The Demo-
Gratis i'm Congress have refused appropriations
with deliberate intention to stop the enforce
ment OF certain laws which they 90 not Ike,
but have not the constitutional right or power
TO repeal There the laws still stand Oh the
statute books, as binding upon every citizen and
upon Congress itself as any other laws of the
United States; and yet, IN order to nullliy
deliberately and persistenty refuses to make
appropriations which the laws require, and
winch are absolutely necessary to the enforce
ment of any law whatever. The party openly
avOws its intention to stop the enforcement
of any law, III order to prevent the enforce
ment of certain laws which it cannot repeal.
The attention of Congress has recently been
called to the matter IN special Executive
communication. Therein il is stated that the
Mnrshals of the United States have been with
Out Day, or provision for the necessary eX-
prnses involved III performing their duties,
ever since June last. Without the services OF
these officers and their suhordinates, no law
whatever could be enforced by the United
States Courts. Public crimes would so un-
punished. private wrongs would ask for jus
tice in vain, ali the machinery for compelling
respect to the civil authority would .be power
less. and utter lawiessness would LOW have
absolute impunity, had not the officials faith
fully and patroticaiiy labored to perform
their duties at thrr own cost trusting to
the honor and decency OF Congress to COM
pensate them as the law requires But has
Democratic Congress either honor or de-
cency
The question must be asked, for it was re-
peatedly promised, by the Democratic leaders
m Congress- that the necessary and lawful
appropriations for this purpose should be
made at once, when the regular session
arrived. This promise was made when apprO-
pration bills were defeated at the extra
session, and repeated again and again before
the people during the last campaign, when it
.1o .4.
0osely blocking the wheels of government.
Men N high position in the party and i'll
Congress, men who have been thought decent
md honorable, made these promises, and the
Cnited States officials have done their best
70 preserve the country from the disastrous
consequences Of paralysis of the civil
authority. Far more than could have been
required of them, in law or i'll honor, they
nave done to help the Government in con-
tinuing Its necessary functions. But not
dining has been DONE not an effort has been
made, by those profesSedly honorable and
decent leaders of the Democratic party to
redeem their pledges. to obey the law, or to
save the country from lawlessness. 1t is
time for the people to know what this
means. Not many years ago any party
which attempted to stop the enforcement
81 any law, while it stood unrepealed,
would have been crushed by popular indigna-
ton for that thing alone, if there were no
other reason. But Democratic rebelisn and
notification has gradually so accustomed the
public mind to law-defying and revolutionary
acts that very few persons now realize what
a crime has been committed.
1t is q crime in a member of Congress as
in private citizen. 10 resist and defeat a law
of the United States. 1t is of all crimes the
most dangerous TO conspire for the nullifca-
ton of laws which are disliked, at the ex-
pense of defeating the enforcement of all law
Naked MexicanizatiOn differs only in the
method chosen for The overthrow Of law.
Early notification, which President Jackson
ground to pieces under his heel, was not more
wicked, or more dangerous to free govern
ment. For this crime the Democratic party
will be held to strict account, in the coming
when the loyal and lawabiding
people of the country come to review what it
has done and what it has refused to do.
1t is 10 excuse for the Democrats that only
n norton of them deliberately intend to null
lily the laws which they have failed to repeal.
True, the motive which governs many
members is that they do not dare to
insist upon the enforcement Of the rev.
enue laws against their tar-hating and
whiskey- loving constituents. The hope that
the revenue laws may incidentally be
rendered impotent probably influences quite
as many members as the desire to force a
repeal of the election laws. But the motive
is of no consequence. The thing done is
b. h. of,n of
those who run Illicit stills at the South, or
for the promotion of schemes to run fraudu-
lent elections anyUhere. The crime is in try
ing to nullify laws OF the United States by