Year: 1879

Political Cant.


There are certain things which are
tradtionally repulsive to a free people,
and among them is military govern
ment. 1t represents the irresponsible
action of one man, and the history of
liberty is full of illustrations of popular
resistance to it. Indeed, liberty has
made its way over the efforts of kings
TO enforce their will by arms. Litera-
ture and oratory TEEN, therefore, with
thrilling appeals against military des-
potism or the whim of one man, and
with splendid praises of the steady and
wise and equal operation of law. When
our fathers formed our National Gov
ernment, which is none the less ma
tional because they did not call il SO,
they abolished everything like mon
archy, and they made regal tyranny i'm
possible. The plan of Charles the First
to make the country support stand
ing army which he should use for his
own purposes, and that of George the
Third to quarter troops at his pleasure
to enforce upon the people laws which
they had no voice in making, were full
in the minds of our fathers when they
provided that the army of the United
States should be used by the Comman-
der-in-C Chief, whom the people should
elect, only for National defense, and to
enforce the laws which the people
themselves by their representatives
should enact. The instant President
should undertake to issue single or
der to military or naval officer unau-
thorized by law, he would be held to
the strictest and sternest account.


This being the situation, to call the
enforcement of laws made by the people
for their own protection military des-
potism is political cant. Just now there
is great deal of loose and vague talk
about bayonets at the polls, elections
held at the point of the sword, and mil
itary supervision of the ballot. How
and whereP The laws of the United
States under the severest penalties pro-
hibit military interference of any kind
at the polls. Not single newspaper
nor single orator has attempted to
show in what way the President as
Commander-inC Chief, or any officer of
the army or navy, can interfere with
the perfect freedom of elections. The
cry of bayonets at the polls has been
raised by those who have been baffled in
an effort to protect fraud and violence at
the polls. They seek to prohibit the
| enforcement of laws made by the peo-
pie for their own security. The cry is
raised simply for the purpose of deceiv-
ing ignorant and needless voters, and
helping those who raise it to secure
control of the Government. A canter
\ -, I,A xy,,.lA =, all.
snuffling brother who pretends sane
tity and a feeling which he does not
possess, and all for his own selfish pur-
poses. He is, in a word, a hypocrite.
And he is precisely the same thing in
the political world. What American
citizen who reads these words has ever
known the polls to be surrounded by
soldiers, or a sword or bayonet to
coerce single voter? What citizen
who knows the laws is not aware
that such coercion is most vigorously
prohibited If man should stand up
in the city of New York or in any
Western or New England village and
commiserate his -citizens for be-
| ing obliged to vote under military SUI.
pervision, he would be laughed into
silence. But it such an orator were
shown to be trying to make cheating
easy under pretense of denouncing
tyranny, there would be a tone in the
laughter that he would not like.


The Democratic politicians who are
trying to excite the country upon the
subject had no. cry" and they were
at their wits ends to find one. A false
one was better than none, and this ol
bayonets at the polls seemed to offel
the best chance of a successful appea
to ignorance. They wish to elect tht
J next President. Their chances woulC
be increased by removing the defense,
of honest voting, and making fraud anC
violence easy. To do this they mus
arouse hostility to those defenses as in
vasions of popular liberty. So they
are in the ridiculous position of passen
gers on steamer solemnly declaring
to their fellow passengers that the safe
ty valve is a perilous contrivance, ant
that to sit upon it is the only way to in
sure the safety of the ship. The coun
try wants, above all things, repose
and no excitement but that whicl
naturally springs from legitimate in
terests and questions. But politicians
lDI lHOlt OWn OnelSS dI6 trying W hiHul
party feeling upon wholly factitiou
issue. There can not be military inter
ference at elections. The law forbid
it. Popular opinion sustains the law
The Administration heartily agree
with the people. Nobody desires o
proposes such interference. And sud
denly Democratic politicians, Messrs
Thurman and Beck at the head, shou
out Justify that there shall be no bayo
nets to overawe the elections of fire.
people. Of course not. There are no
and will not be any bayonets for such
purpose. This attempt to raise an is
sue upon hayonets at the polls is bu
another illustration of Democratic con
tempt for popular intelligence. Josepl
Surface and Mawworm professed tn
finest sentiments only because the
despised the people around them.
the American people really were wha
the tone of many speeches and news
papers implies-a stupid multitud
who believe every thing that knave
tell them-a republic would be the mos
ridiculous system of government con
ceivable. But, rigid as party rule is
experience constantly shows that ther
are both popular intelligence and char
acter enough to justify the contidenc
and the pride of the truest American. =
HarPer's Weekly.