Peace At The Polls

Permit the presence of Federal troops at the polls and the bayonet may supplant the ballot at the next election. A man may insist on the right to earry arms ; he does not intend to shoot anybody ; he only wants the power to defend himself if assaulted ; he only wants to earry a pistol as a peacemaker. Experieïice has proved that such a power is always dangerouü. The Democrats insist that the civil anthority shall be supreme in time of peace. They would leave eaeh State to preserve peace and order at elections. They would deprive a possible dictator of the power to upset the liberties of the people. The Republicans are flghting for a lost cause. And they are waging a losing battle. The history of the legislation on this subject shows that they are in the wrong. The Constitution gives Congress the entire control over the army. In 1795 Congress passed an act defining the way in which the President should emoloy troops to put down an insurrection in a State at the request of its Legi slature, or, if that body be not in session, of its Governor. In 1808, the authority to use the Federal troops to suppres3 domestic violence, upon the requisition of the Legislature, or during its adjournment, of the Governor of a State, was given to the President, the Commander-in-Chief of the new army. During the civil war, in 1861, Congress gave extraordinary power to the President, but before its close, in 1864, Senator Powell, of Kentucky, introduced a bilí to prevent military interference of elections. Senator Pomeroy, of Kansas, proposed to incorpórate in thia bill, which forbade the use of troops at the polls save "to repel armed enemies of the United States," the words "or to keep the peace at the polls." Thig amendment was opposed by such staunch Republicans as John P. Hale and Henry Wilson. Howard, of Michigan, explained that "in respect to all persons who are friends of the Government, who wish to uphold the Government, but who may happen to differ upon questions of administration, the report does declare - very properly, certainly- that there should be no interference, either of the military or other persons, in the free enjoyment of that valuable privilege." With this explanation the bill was passed and approved by President Lincoln. The explanation has been forgotten by the party that made it when Lee's army was spreading consternation through Pennsylvania and the whole North. Federal troops may not have been used, but they have been stationed at different points before election in order to overawe the people. The Democrats in Congress now deinand that these words, giving a dangerous power to the President, which were incorporatedin the act of 1865 in opposition to the wishes of Hale and Wilsan and other Republicans, shall bo strickan out. The demand is obviously reasonable. It is in the line of economy. It is required by the public safety. It is in accordance with the spirit and principies of our Government. And it is an issue on which the Democrats can go before the country with the certainty of being sustained.