Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-05-14
Another Democratic Rlnnder.


It was conceded, even by their sup.
porters, that the Democratic leaders IN
Congress blundered in their course on
the Army bill at the extra session in
1879. Il is plain that they have blum
dered again They made so bad rec
ord a year ago that the vote Of the
Northern States was cast against them
last fall. They have made worse
record now, on the eve Of Presidential
election.
At the extra session, or in May, 1879,
political rider TO the Army bill was
presented in this shape;
Il shall not be lawful to bring to or employ
Mt any place where general or special cleo
tion Is being held in the state, any part of the
army or navy of the United States, unless
such force be necessary TO repel armed enc
tion 4, of Article OF the Constitution of the
United States, aud the laws made in pursu-
anoe there, ON the application Of the Legisla-
be used; and so much of all laws as is incon-
sistent herewith is hereby repealed.
This bill was vetoed May II, 1879, on
the ground that it "shut out the Ma
tional Government from exercise of
right and from discharge of an inn
perative duty to use its whole executive
power whenever and wherever required
for the enforcement of the laws" In
the words of the President, the bill
substituted the discretion of the State
Governments for the discretion of the
Government of the United States as to
the performance of its own duties"
The effect of the bill, it was argued,
would be an abandonment of its obliga-
tions by the National Governments
| subordination of National authority and
an intrusion of State supervision over
| National duties, which amounts in
| spirit and tendency to State supremacy.
There was a square issue made be-
tween the two parties, and they went
| to the country on it. The verdict
against the Democrats was so emphatic
| a condemnation of their notification
| schemes that it was said they would
abandon their position. A few weeks
ago, however, the old scheme to pre-
vent the use of troops at the polls came
up in the House, and the Appropriation
| bill with its notification rider passed.
On Thursday the bill came up in the
Senate as it left the House, and was
passed by a strict party votel
! Section of the bill, as it came up
for discussion, provides that no money
appropriated Ia the act is to be paid for
subsistence, equipment, transportation,
or compensation of any portion of the
army to be used as a police force to
keep the peace at the polls at any cleo
ton held within any State; provided,
that nothing in this provision shall be
construed to prevent the use of troops
to protect against domestic violence in
each of the States on application of the
Legislature or Executive thereof.
A motion to strike out the section
was rejected by a vote of % to 20. An
amendment providing that the section
should not apply to any case in which
| the employment of the military power
of the United States is authorized by
the Constitution and laws was rejected
by vote of q to 10. An amendment
declaring that nothing in the provision
should be so construed as to prevent the
use of troops when necessary for the
lawful execution of any law of the
United States by the Executive thereof
was voted down, as was also an amend
ment declaring that the section should
not apply to the sections of the Revised
Statutes which authorize the President
to use the militia or land and naval
forces to enforce the Civil Rights act
and suppress insurrectiOn.
Each amendment was presented as q
distinct proposition, and the Democrats
are on record against allowing the
President to use the troops 10 preserve
peace at the polls, against the employ
ment of the military power even when
authorized by The Constitution, against
the employment of troops to enforce the
lawful execution of law, and against
the employment of the military to en-
force the Civil Rights act or to suppress
insurrectiOn.
The rider of 1879 said in so many
words that the President should not en-
ploy troops at the polls unless they
were called for by the Governors or
Legislatures of the States. The rider
of 1880 declares the same in round
about way, or, as Mr.. Edmunds put it,
, "the act says that if on election day
there is domestic violence against the
| authority, which is the law of the State,
the Governor may still call; but, if it be
: violence against the laws of the United
States, or its Constitution, the Presi-
dent shall be disarmed. That is what
it is, and it is nothing else, and that is
what is intended"
The Democratic purpose is the same
now as it was Il year ago The leaders
have not learned any lessons, but, hav.
ing recovered from the panic into which
! they were thrown by the uprising Of the
people, they hasten to reassert their ole
, determination to nullify the power OF
; the National Government.-Chi Chicago IN
ter Ocean.