Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-04-09

The Deficiency Appropriation Bill, as
passed by the House, finally passed the Sen
ate last week. Mr.. Edmunds made strong
speech against the principle involved in the
bill. OF this speech and the issue which
called it out, the New York Tribune editori-
ally says:
The clear, calm and able speech of Mr.
Edmunds on the Deficiency bill had no effect
upon the Senate, but it will have an excel
lent effect upon the voters who make Senates.
The question at issue in the debate had been
purposely obscured; the efforts of the Dem
ocratic party for more than year have been
devoted to confusing and misleading the pub
licin reference to this matter; and the Re
publican leaders in their discussions in Con-
gress, the President in his excellent veto mes
sages have done an important service to
the country in clearing away the mystifca-
tions, and showing exactly what it is that the
Democracy are trying to accomplish The
best possible argument against their scheme
is to make a plain and truthful statement of
it.
THE position of the Democrats year ago
was this law stood upon the statute books
which they disliked but had not the constitu-
tional power to repeal. They threatened, if
the President and the Iepublican party did
y
they would stop the government by refusing
to pass the necessary appropriation bills.
They went so far in the execution of this
threat as to adjourn Congress without max
ing any provision for the support Of the
army, or for the legislative, executive and
Judicial departments of the government.
Obliged at last by storm of popular rebuke,
to withdraw from this untenable position,
they have since applied themselves to de-
vices for obstructing the execution of the
law, so that anybody disposed to violate it
might do so with perfect impunity. They
alleged, in excuse for their former course
that they considered the law unconstitutional.
But within a short time its constitutionality
has been affirmed in the strongest terms by
the Supreme court of the United States
There is nothing to allege now except that
they consider it inconvenient-for the Demo-
cratic party. They have amended it in such
IA way that, as Senator Edmunds demonstrates,
it cannot be executed and now they threat
en- that if we do not assent to the amend
ments they will not allow the United States
government to pay its debts. The Defcien-
cy bill to which they have attached this rider
is to provide pay for services already per-
formed and expenses already incurred, in ac-
cordance with law. Officers of the Federal
courts have been obliged to go without their
salaries and even to advance money to the
government out of their own pockets and
now the Democratic party says to us, If you
prevent our multiplying the election laws we
will disgrace the country and refuse to pay
this account.
Here is the same issue which WAS forced
upon us at the extra session aud back of the
question as to the method of administering
the election laws lies now, as lay then, the
still more serious question of an in
yasion by Congress of the functions of CO.
ordinate branch of the government. The
purpose of the Democratic majority in the
Senate and House has been to seize the whole
power Of the United States, and confound
duties and responsibilities which the eonsti-
tuition carefully separates. The present bill
is an attempt, by irregular and illegal meth