Year: 1879

ARMY HHLL WITHOUT M1s
SIGNATURE,


| snbJection of the National Authority
to That OF the state.


| WASHINGTON, May t2.-The President has
prepared his message yetoing tho Ladd bill
| TO prevent the use OF troops at elections, and
Will return the bill, accompanied by the mes
sage, at neon to-day. The message ID about
], ono-half the length Of the last one Il is now
being printed at the Treasury Department,
and will be given TO the public as soon as pre-
sented to the House.


THE MESSAGE,
The following 1s q synopsis of the Presi-
| dents message vetoing,the L.add bill
| To the House of Representatives.


After careful consideration Of the bill en-
| titled aAn act to prohibit military inter-
| ference at elections, I return It to the House
OF Representatives, in which 1t Originated.
with the following objections to its approval
In the communication sent to the House OF
Representatives on the twenty-ninth OF last
month, returning to the House without my
approval the bill entitled "An act making
appropriations for the support Of the army
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1880, and for
| other purposes | endeavored to show by
quotations from the statutes OF the United
States now In force and by brief statement
| OF facts In regard to recent elections In sew
| eral States that no additional legislation was
necessary to prevent interference with cleo
tions BY the military or naval s9 force OF the
conclusion that the bill before me
| lis not only unnecessary to prevent such in
reference, but is q dangerous departure from
long settled and important constitutional





rloyment Of a military force at the
elections is not doubtful. No intimida-
| ton or coercion should be allowed to control
| or influence citizens in the exercise Of their
! right to vote whether 1t appears In shape Of
combinations Of eyi-disposed persons or
armed bodies Of militia OF q State, or OF the
| military force OF the United States. The
elections should be free from all forcibie in
| reference, and, as far as practicable, from
all apprehension Of such interference.
| No soldiers, either Of the Union or Of the
State, should be present at the polls to
take the place or perform the duties Of the
ordinary civil police force. There has been
and will be no violation OF this rule under
orders from me during this administration,
but there should be no denial Of the right of
the national government to employ its mill
| tary force on any day and at any place in
| case such employment Is necessary to enforce
the constitution and laws OF The United
States.


fThe President then quotes acts authoriz-
Ing the use OF the military power
by the Executive at considerable length, and
further said that the whisky rebellion In
Pennsylvania and the Burr conspiracy, the
notification in South Carolina, where it was
| crushed by the Federal government acting on
this principle, and that on the same authority
| President Lincoln issued his proclamation
| for troops to save the Union In 1861.


| Another grave objection to the bill is It's
discrimination In favor OF the State and
| against the national authority. The presence
or employment Of the army or navy OF the
| United States is lawful under the terms Of this
held In q State, to uphold the authority OF the
| State government then and there Ia need Of
such military Intervention, but unlawful to
uphold the authority OF the government Of
such military intervention Under this bill
the presence and employment OF the army or
navy OF the United States would be lawful,
and might be necessary to maintain the con-
duct Of q State election against the
domestic violence that would overthrow it,
| but would be unlawful to maintain the con-
| duct Of national election against the same
| local violence that would overthrow it. This
| discrimination has never been attempted In
any previous legislation by Congress, and Is
no more compatible with the sound principles
Of the constitution, or necessary measure
and methods Of our system OF government
on occasions Of elections than at other times.
| In the early Legislation OF 1892 and OF 1885, by





military power resorted to for the execution
OF the constitutional power in support of
State or national authority, both func-
| tions OF the government were put on


be s hg spa1sn fe2ns by 81 the she arx ast and
navy was authorized for the performance OF
| both constitutional duties In the same terms.
In all later statutes on the same subject mat
ter some measure OF authority to the govern
ment has been accorded for the performance
both fhpaa IrfinQ n nrpcadpnf has been
found In any previous legislation, and no suf-
| fiefent reason has been given for the discrim-
ination In favor OF the State and against the
national authority which this bill contains.
national government is effectually shut
out from the exercise OF the right
and from the discharge OF the
| Imperative duty to use its whole executive
power, whenever and wherever required foI
| the enforcement of Its laws, In places and
| times where and when It's elections are held
| The employment OF It's organized armed foree
for any such purpose would be an offense
against law, unless called for by, and there
/ fore upon the permission Of the authorities Oh
| is this but the substitution OF the discretion
OF the State governments for the discretion q
the government OF the United States as to tht
performance OF its own duties?


It's obligations by the national government
and subordination of national authority
and the intrusion of State supervision ove1
national duties, which amounts In spirit and
tendency to State supremacy.


i Although / believe that the existing statutes
are abundantly adequate to prevent military
interference with electors In the sense II
/ which the phrase is used In the title In thiE
bill, and as employed by the people Of thi'


country, I shall find no difficulty In con


curing In any additional legislation liInitee
to that object which does not interfere VIII VII


the Indispensable exercise Of the power OF TN


government and the constitution and laws


RUTHERFORD 3. HAYES.
u Executive Mansion, May II, 1879.


Negro Emtgrants NOT Wanted In Kansas


New YORK. May 12-In regard to the negr'


migration into Kansas and Missouri, d 81 y an
derbilt, who has just returned Iroia .iioss