Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/180

 146 LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS posed to deny to the United States even the neces sary civil authority to protect the national elections. He pointed out also that the tacking of legislative provisions to appropriation bills was a practice calculated to be used as a means of coercion as to the other branches of the government, and to make the house of representatives a despotic power. Congress then passed the army appropriation bill without the obnoxious clause, but containing the provision that no money appropriated should be paid for the subsistence, equipment, transporta tion, or compensation of any portion of the army of the United States &quot;to be used as a police force to keep the peace at the polls at any election held within any state.&quot; This President Hayes ap proved. The two houses then passed a separate bill, substantially embodying the provision objected to by the president in the vetoed army-appropria tion bill. This &quot;act to prohibit military interfer ence at elections&quot; President Hayes returned with his veto. He said: &quot;The true rule as to the employ ment of military force at the elections is not doubt ful. No intimidation or coercion should be allowed to influence citizens in the exercise of their right to vote, whether it appears in the shape of combina tions of evil-disposed persons, or of armed bodies of the militia of a state, or of the military force of the United States. The elections should be free from all forcible interference, and, as far as prac-