The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-09-12
IT is WORSE
THAN SECESSION
Attorney General Harmon Renders
Public Opinion Of Bryan's
Letter.
UNCLE SANS CONSTITUTION
Must Be Upheld at All Hazards-Bry-
ans Views Of the Exercise Of Pow
er to Suppress Riots the Most
Serious Question.

Washington. Sept. 11.-United States
Attorney General Harmon today fur
nished the following for publication:
Il have concluded to give a public
answer to many Inquiries made Of me
upon the subject OF great moment to
which general attention is now direct
ed. Mr. Bryan in his letter accepting
the nomination for president by the
convention at Chicago amplthes the
protest which that convention made in
its platform against federal interfer-
ence in local affairs. So far as could
possibly apply these protests were in
tended and are understood to be d.
rected against the recent action Of the
president in forcibly suppressing the
riotous disorders which had stopped the
carriage Of mails and interstate COM
merce and were defying the civil off,
GERS OF the United States.
This is in my judgment a far more
serious matter than the money ques-
tion or any Of the other questions now
before the people, grave as they all
are.
"The prevention and punishment Of
offenses connected with the mails. with
interstate commerce. with the admins
tration of justice in the federal courts.
are committed to the general govern
ment and to It alone. Such offenses
in nowise concern the government Of
the state within which they are COM
mitted; therefore the state cannot re-
quire protection against them. 1t
would be absurd to claim that the
United States must neglect its own
Interests because in protecting them
those Of a state may be incidentally
protected. Congress has accordingly
by Section 52s7 Of the Revised Statutes
authorized the president to use the
armed forces Of the government in the
aid OF state authorities when request
ed by them. as provided in the consti-
tuition. and has also, by the following
section. 52sS, authorized him to employ
such forces upon his own judgment
alone against unlawful Instructions,
combinations or assemblages Of per-
sons. in whatever state or territory
thereof the laws Of the United States
may be forcibly opposed or the execu-
tion thereof forcibly obstructed.
'It was under the power conferred
by the section last named that the late
rebellion was suppressed. Bryan's doc
trine that this law is unconstitutional
is more dangerous than that Of seces-
sion. The latter at least left the gov
ernment some power and authority in
the territory which chose to remain.
Bryan's would reduce it to the idle
mimicry of a state.
"The action of the president and his
administration has the fullest sympa-
thy and support of the law-abiding
masses of the people of the United
States, and he will be supported by
all departments of the government and
by the power and resources of the en-
tire nation.
1T must be that Mr.. Bryan, amid
the many demands on his time and
attention, has fallen into an inadver-
tency I cannot believe that he really
thinks the president has no power
under the constitution and laws to
maintain the government entrusted to
his charge. Nor can l believe that
Bryan means to promise. or to make
or permit others to think he has prom
ised. not to interfere If he should be
elected. and situation Of riots SINH
lar to those of 1894 should arise during
his term"