The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-13
HARRIS0N'S POLICY.
A PROTEST FROM A LEADING NOR
THERN NEWSPAPER.
The Constitutional Restrictions That
Environ the President Elect and That
Are the Sure Guarantee OF the Rights
and Liberties. OF the States.
From the New YORK Evening Post.

| In speech at Grand Army posts
meeting in Indianapolis last week Gen.
Harrison said "The parting request
would make OF you would be that each Of
you, il the bugle.call should sound again,
should stand shoulder to shoulder, as we
did during the war, ropreserye q free and
honest ballot" This enigmatic remark
OF the President-elect has been taken as
| the text Tor many editorial articles in Re-
publican papers. II was generally consid-
cred by the Republican politicians to
mean, in the words Of an indianapolis
correspondent, that "Gen. Harrison means
to have a rigorous Southern policy" aud
the Republican editors have been trying
to explain what rigorous" policy would
be. A fair sample OF these deliyerances
is found in the following extracts from an
editorial article in the Detroit Tribune the
leading Republican organ in Michigan;
"President-elect IIar ison has already
announced his Southern policy. d"
| This tells the whole story. In his naugu-
raj message il will no doubt be repeated
| in different form, accompanied by helpful
suggestions and recommendations, but the
whole essence of the matter is contained in
| the few words here quoted Pub
| lie sentiment is ready for action. aud in
| Gen. Harrison We have n leader who is
courageous enough 10 attack the Nations
greatest present evil Without Tree bal
lot and fair count our elections arc farces
and the results arc tragedies. There NAY
be other great issues pressing upon us, but
how can they be honestly contested aud
settled until we first secnre free ballot
and fair COUNT Let the "bugle-car' for
pure ballot be heard from shore to shore
and the fight begin at once ior the protec-
ton Of this safeguard oil our institutions. "
What do they meant is the question
which inevitably occurs TO any thoughtful
| person when he reads such articles by Re
publican oditors--and, we regret to say,
also such remarks by Republican Presi-
dentelcct. What idea have these people
Of our system OF government? Are they
aware that we live under Constitution?
Have they ever read that instrument? DO
they know that the Constitution IL inter.
| pre;cd by the Supreme Court Have they
ever examined the decisions Of that tribu-
nal rs 20 the scope Of the Constitution, and
particularly the recent amendments to H.?
Or are they reallyas ignorant as an English
writer ON the Saturday Reri1r might well
| be, and do they suppose that q Republican
President and Republican Congress could
devise aud execute any policy" South
ern, Northern, or Pacific Coast-as an
English Prime Minister aud his party
might devise and execute any policy re-
| garding Ireland, for example, which
seemed good 10 them2
The idea of u Presidents having n
Southern policy" Of any sort-"rgor-
Gus or conciliatory--is opposed TO the
whole theory OF our institutions. II l.
worth while TO turn 10 the Constitution
and see what are the prrogatives OF q
President. lie Is made Commandcr-in-
Chief Of the army and navy, and Of the
state militia when called into the scryic,
OF the United states; lac may require the
| opinion In writing OF the heads OF depart
mcnls, lac las power 10 grant rcprieves
and pardons; lac can, with the advice and
consent OF the Senate, make treaties, and
appoint various officials, aud iill vacancies
happening during the recess Of the Senate:
lac shall give Congress information of the
state Of the Union, and recommend meas.
urcs 10 their consideration; lac may con
ycno one or both houses Ia extraordinary
|
cannot agree upon time; hc shall receive
ambassadors and other public ministers
| "hc shall take care that the laws be faith.
fully executed, and shall commission all
the officers OF the United States"
These are all the powon and duties
which the President OF the United Stale
possessed when Washington assumed The
/ office. they are all which the President
will possess when Gen. Harrison is inau.
| guraicd. Il will be seen that they afford
no warrant for any policy" toward any
| particular section. The President "shall
take care that the laws be faithfully exc.
cuicd, and II not satisfied with the exist.
! ing laws, he may recommend 10 Congrcss
/ such measures as lac shall Judge necessary
and oxpedicnt." Congress, in lis turn.
may pass such measures, but these meas
urcs must he uniform in their application
throughout the United States, aud they
are subject 10 annulment for unconstitn.
/ tionality by the Supreme Court.
| What do people mean when they talk
about Gen. liarrison's enforcing a South
crn policyl Apparently, they have no
clear idea themselves what they do mean.
| II Is obvious, however, % that the prcsi-
/ dent cannot enforce different policies i'm
/ different parts Of the Union, since the
only policy allowed him by tile Consiitu
/ ton, from which he derives his sole
| authority, il 10 take care that the laws be
faithfully executed everywhere, and his
Southern policy must be- precisely the
same ~ his Maine policy or his California
| policy 81 that II he Is not satisfied with
existing laws, and recommends 10 the con.
sidcation Of Congress other measures
/ which lac iulupa Unnecessary nuI ewu..Ii-
/ cnt,' these measures must apply To Maine
aud California equally with the South.
/ and must be able TO run the gauntlet of
the Supreme Court when the question of
| their consiitutionalily * raised.
When, therefore, people say that "pub-
lie sentiment is ready Tor action, and ask
20 have 'thc fight begin al once" they
mean one OF two things. either that Gen,
| Harrison II expected 90 enforce existing
Federal laws which the last Republican
President did not enforce, or that hc l.
expected 10 recommend, aud the Rcpubli.
can Congress to pass, new laws which will
secure "a free aud honest ballot through
out tho United States. Tho question.
| What do they mcan2 Therefore resolves ID.
self into this question: DO they mean that
lhorc are existing laws capable Of securing
"a free and honest ballot, which were
not enforced by Mr.. Arthur, but which
can bc enforced by Gen. Harrison; or that
new laws Tor that purpose can be enacted
and cniorccd2
VIII not Republican newspapers drop
their absurd rhetoric about "huglc.calls, y
aud answer this question In language
which conveys some meaning TO tho hu.
man mind2