The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-06-03
A FOOLISH VETO.

President Hayes mas V6IOeu ln6 MhI'
shals Deficiency bill, ostensibly because
it contains a political rider that was pro-
posed by Gen. Garfield. The fairness OF
the Garfield amendment was confessed
by dispassionate men Of both sides, and
was promptly accepted y the Democrats
in both houses. 1t provided that Deputy
Marshsls, to enforce the Federal election
laws, should be appointed by the United
States Courts, equally from both political
parties, and it was regarded by the
try as a just solution Of n of the yet
lingering revolutionary wrongs which
survive the war.
II the Democrats should have direct
ed the action of the Executive to serve
their partisan purposes, they could not
have made him better promote their in
terests. They refused to make appro.
pristions for the Marshals at the extra
session, because the Republicans would
not consent to modify the violent and
revolutionary power Of Deputy Marshals
and Supervisors, and the Marshals have
necessarily suffered serious embarrass.
ment in performing their legitimate du.
ties. When the present session took up
the deficiency bill for the relief of the
Marshals, Gen. Garfield presented an
amendment of such admitted fairness,
that ever those who voted against it
could not assail it's merits. 1t was &C.
cepted by the Democrats as a measure of
peace, aud it was believed that all dan.
ger of a conflict between the Democratic
majority of Congress and the Republican
President were ended.
The bill thus amended by Garfield was
finally passed by both houses, and the
President was so far ~forgetful of the dig
nifty of his Office as to permit it to be an
nounced, before the bill came into his
hands, that he would veto it, and on
what grounds he would base his objec'
tions. The bill reached him on Mon
day, and yesterday he responded with
his veto. When it is considered that
the Garfield amendment or political ri.
der to which he now objects, is in sub.
stantial accord with his veto of the ex.
ira session, and hat it is a Republican
and not a Democratic invention, the sin
cerity and honesty of the Executive will
be Justly appreciated, There is not a
line in the veto in which Hayes does not
directly contradict Hayes, both as a
member of Congress who uni ormly ad-
vocated and supported Republican ri.
ders, and as the President, who substan-
TALLY asked for the same law that he
now r jects. Whether his causeless veto
is the result of duplicity or weakness is
of no account to the country, for the
public wrong is the same in either case;
and that it is the logical fruit of one or
the other, is too clear to admit of dis.
pute. | is a foolish veto, foolish in ev.
cry sense. 1t is foolish because likely to
distract the business and peace of the
country; it is foolish as a party measure,
for it puts the Republicans clearly in the
wrong and it is foolish as an attempt to
obstruCt toe enactment of honorable
election laws.
The Democrats have now a plain path
before them. The President is to be re-
cognized as one of the integral parts of
the law.making power, and the rider to
which he pretends to object, should at
be sent to him as a separate bill. If
he shall veto General Garield's election
law, the responsibility will be fairly upon
himself and his party. The Marshals'
Deficiency bill should then be re.enacted
with the vetoed rider retained, and if he
shall again veto it, Congress will haye
done its duty, and all apprJ priations for
that department of the government
should be r~esolutely refused. 1t is the
first t me in an issue with the present
Executive in which the Democrats have
been clearly and squarely right, and they
can well afford to go to the country on
Gen. Garfeld's platform for honest cleo.
tions. 1t would seem that the follies of
the Democrats at the extra session had
been transferred to the Republicans,an and
they shall persist in their madness,
they must be prepared to accept the pop
ular reprobation that met the Democrats
in 1879.-Phia Times, (Ind) May 10th.