Year: 1879

Senator Conkling is entitled to the
thanks of his adversaries for an unex-
pected exhibition Of candor.


At the Republican caucus called to de-
termine the course to be pursued in
reference to the Army bill, he spoke as
follows:


"The Republican party does not want
the President to use the Army as police
force to patrol the localities where cleo
tions are being held, to intimidate voters
and make it appear that this is bayo-
net-ridden country; it does not assert
that he has this right; but it does assert
that he has the right to quell riots at the
polls and prevent free election from
being destroyed by rifle clubs and other
organizations, and it proposes to do all it


can to keep him secure in the exercise of
| it,"


The Inconsistency of the arguments
used by the President is preserved in this
extract from the speech OF the New Y ork
| Senator.


While totally disclaiming any inten-


ton on the part of the Republicans to


use the Army as police force at the


polls, he contends for the possession of a


right by the President, which could not


be exercised without using the Army as


police force.


The inconsistency is inevitable from


the very nature of the claim set up, for


under our system of government nothing


is clearer than that merely local disturb


apces of the peace are to be suppressed


by the local authorities.


If this were not SO there would be no


sense in the provision of the Constitu-


tion which authorizes the Intervention of
Federal authority on application by the


State when the resistance to the latter is


too strong to be overcome by the ordi-
nary methods.


/ The implication is clear that the State
, shall first exhaust its power to repress


disorder. If community were to rely
upon .he national authority to preserve
its members and its property from the
consequences of purely local disturb
ance there would be no necessity for i'll
curing the expense of police force.
Senator Conkling is perfectly wei
, aware of the force of these considerations
: and therefore he pleads that it is not the
, will of his party that the Aarmy should


be used TO do the duty usually devolved
: upon policemen. But his plea is disin
e genuous and ridiculous when he declar-
t es, in every Dext breath, that the Presi'


dent as Comma ader-in-Chief of the mill


tary forces of the National Governmedi
. has the right "to quell riots at the polls.
t Pray wnat are riots at the polls hu
b such breaches of the peace as render the
: institution OF local pol ce regulations


necessary And in a State like New
York, with its thoroughly equipped
it National Guard, of what use is tina
v guard if not to meet precisely such emer
= gencies when their proportions surpas
Il the control of the Sheriff or the Boa,t
u of Police?


e Mr.. Conkling knows as we'll as an
" other intelligent man that the doctrin
:, he sets up is refuted alike by the la'
!. and the reason of the case, and that b
81 advocates it i nply because he consiC
ID ers the power arlogated by the Pres
I'd dent necessary to secure the success {
70 th4 Republican party at the polls. II
~ sinks the statesman and the patriot |
Is the partisan, and consents to be di
in sembler for purbose that honest me
os IT, al parties must despise. We thar
o him, nevertheless, for 50 frankly revea
" ing the ut er unscrupulousness of IL
be Republican programme, AMI for presen


ing it with such sharp and intellgib
bt outlines thai no sophistry Can save
" from popular condemnation.