Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/181

 RUTHERFORD BIRCHARD HAYES 147 ticable, from all apprehension of such interference. No soldiery, either of the United States or of the state militia, should be present at the polls to per form the duties of the ordinary civil police force. There has been and will be no violation of this rule under orders from me during this administration. But there should be no denial of the right of the national government to employ its military force on any day and at any place in case such employ ment is necessary to enforce the constitution and laws of the United States.&quot; The legislative, execu tive, and judicial appropriation bill passed by con gress contained a legislative provision not, indeed, abolishing the supervisors of election, but divesting the government of the power to protect them, or to prevent interference with their duties, or to pun ish any violation of the law from which their power was derived. President Hayes returned this bill also with his veto, referring to his preceding veto message as to the impropriety of tacking general legislation to appropriation bills. He further pointed out that, in the various legal proceedings under the law sought to be repealed, its constitu tionality had never been questioned; and that the necessity of such a law had been amply demon strated by the great election frauds in New York city in 1868. He added: &quot;The great body of the people of all parties want free and fair elections. They do not think that a free election means free-