Year: 1879




Message.


WASHINGTON, June ll.-At the meet
ing of the House Judiciary Committee
to-day chairman Knott submitted mis-
report on the message of the President
vetoing the bill to prevent military in
reference with elections. After the
reading OF the document some discus
sion arose, during which the Republi-
can members gave assurance that they
would not object to the presentation OF
the report to the House for the purpose
OF having it printed and recommitted.


The report begins with an allusion to
the danger TO be apprehended from the
presence OF armed troops at the ballot
box, and says that even the author OF
the message under consideration him
self admits that any military interfer-
ence whatever at the polls is contrary
to the spirit OF our institutions, and
would tend to destroy the freedom Of
elections.


The present Congress, in the exercise
OF its undoubted right to prescribe the
purposes for which the land and the
naval forces OF the government shall be
used, saw proper, in making appropria-
tons forthe support of the army, TO enact
that It should not only be clearl y un-
lawful but penal offence for any
Federal official to employ troops
or armed men at a State election FOR any
purpose whatever, except TO repel
armed enemies of the United States.
That bill the President returned to the
House of Representatives without his
signature. His reasons for Objecting to
the bill seem to have been these:


lst. That in his judgment the repeal
Of the clause in question was unneces-
sary.


2d. Because it would prohibit all
civil officers OF the United States from
employing any adequate civil force to
enable them to preserve the peace and
execute certain laws at Congressional
elections.


3rd Because the manner in which
the repeal was proposed did not happen
in that particular instance 10 be in har-
many with the Executive taste,
and was therefore considered
by the author of the message as furn-
ishing a suitable occasion to deliver to
the House of Representatives a
gratuitous lecture on the methods in
which it should discharge its cOnstitu-
tional functions As the President has
twice called the attention Of the House
TO these objections, the first two may
be referred TO hereafter, but with re-
gard to the third it is, perhaps, sufficient
to say that the manner in which Con-
gress chose to repeal the clause in ques-
ton was not only in strict conformity
to the Constitution and rules of the
two Houses respectively, but justified
bv numerous precedents in the annals
Of Federal legislation. Impressed with
the importance of removing the last
shadow of prcteXt for any interference
whatever with State elections by armed
forces Of the L. $. and desiring TO obviate
if possible the Presidents objections to
the measure already proposed for that
purpose, the House of Representatives
promptly passed a separate bill, which
was as promptly concurred in by the
Senate, simply providing that it should
not be lawful TO bring to or employ at
any place where genera! or special
election is being held in any State any
part of the army or navy, unless such
forces should be necessary TO repel
armed enemies of the United States or
TO enforce section 4, article 4, OF the
Constitution and laws made in
pursuance thereof and repeating
all provisions inconsistent with the pur-
pose of the BILL This bill was speedily
returned with the message from the
President assigning his objections to its
approval, which are now to he con-
sidered. The first of these objections is
the simple repetition of the one as
signed IN the message vetoing the army
appropriation bill. Noone can read the
two messages without being struck by
the marked difference in the tone of the
two documents in respect to this OBJ
lection.


The report continues at great length,
but the late hour at which it was re-
ceived prevents its publication in full
the morning