Year: 1870


l do not care which. TLaughter.7


Mr.. STEWART. That would put it
on the Democratic party.


Mr.. THURMAN. We are going to
get into the majority in Ohio if you pass
this BILL then l know it will he put on
to you If my suggestion be adopted.


Now, for fear that Judge LeRYitt, in
his gown, with his marshals and fun
kies, will not be sufficient to execute
this law as he goes about the State of
Ohio, here is another section n little
more fOrcible:


SEC. u. Ind be. further Cilllcted. That
it shall he lawfal for the Ppresident of
the United States, or such person as he
may empower for that purpose, to en-
plOy such part part of the land or naval
forces Of the United States, or Of the
militia, as shall be deemed necessary TO
prevent the violation and enforce the
due execution of this act.


The President may. execute the election
laws Of the States where there is no do
mestic violence at 11all, no case arising
under the Constitution for the exercise
of the military power Of the United
States no insurrection, no domestic yio-
lence, but some danger of little cheat
ing at the election; and then to prevent.
he cheating at elections the President
is to call out the military force; and he
may not only command them himself
but he may authorize anybody else to
do It-'such person as he may empOW-
er for that purpose He. may give his
power of attorney to Governor Bullock
of Georgia, and then Governor Bullock
of Georgia, is to become the commander
of the military forces in Georgia, to 90
around and see that there is no cheat
ing at the polls there Sir, where do
you get your power under the Constitu-
ton to do any such thing as that
Where do you get the power under the
COnstitiOn for the President of the Unit
ed States to delegate to me or to to any
other man the power to employ the land
or naval forces in my diseretion-not IN,
the discretion Of the President, but in
my disCretiOn-tO prevent cheating at
the hallOt-bOx, or cheating in registra-
tiOn, where there is no violence, no in
surrectiOn, nothing to prevent the
| peaceful execution of the law Fr ...


Imust say, Mr.. President, that / am
lost in amaZement at this bill. / say it
without any affection. I am lost IN
amaZement that such a bin as this
should be presented by such a commit
/ tee to the Senate of the United States.
/ If you need a law to enforce the fifteenth
amendment, if you have a right to pass
/ such a law before there has been any
obstruction or hinderance in the States,


for the sake of decency at least, pass a
| decent and reasonable law, and not such


a law as this.


Why, sir, everybody knows that in
| England it is punishable Cfense for


any troops to be within & mile Of a vOt-
/ ing-bOOth when an election is going ON.
| It is n punishable offense to have the
| troops of the realm within q mile Of the
place of voting; but under this law, for
sOOth, we are to have the troops Of the


United States surrounding the ballot


boxes to see that the judges of election


discharge their duty You propose to
surround every pOlling-bOOth with the
troops of the United States under the
command of some attorney of the Presi-


dent of the United States, to see that no
v0teF is deprived of his right to vote


say that such a thing as that is wholly
inconsistent with free institutions and


with a republican form government


You are putting the civil under the mil.


itary authority in its most vital point


when, in the very choice of your civil
officers, everything is to be done under
the supervision and liable to the inter


ference of the military, Sir ] have seen
the time when every man would have
been utterly shocked at such an idea,
/ that YOU could surround the-piaee of


election with troops Of the United
States, under the command of SnybOdy


to whom the President Of the United
| States saw fit TO COnfide them, that they


might interfere; because if they are
! there simply as a show they are of no


use at all but only an injury, and if they
| arethere to act, then they are to act BY
| somebody's command This bill does


not provide that they are to act upon
| the call or demand of any eivilauthOFity
/ whatever. Upon whose command, then
are they to act ? Who is to authorize
them to interfere 1t can only be upon
the command of the military officer


who commands them, or this person
! holding the letter Of attorney from the
| President Of the United States, and he
| cBnnOt be everywhere. He must, there
| fore, send his officers; Here a lieuten-
ant with squad of troops at the bal
/ lOt-bOx is to decide, this lieutenant of
infantry, artillery, or dragons is to de-
eide when he shall interfere with an
election of the people that we used to


call the free and sovereign people of the
| United States. Senators, if YOU can pass
such a bill do it. If you can do it in


this country, and quietly and patiently


and spprovingly do it, then all have
| to is that this country is lost to all sense
1 Of freedom, Of liberty, and of love for
the Constitution,