s a Government control at elections, and most of all
a control by the use of the military arm. The majority of Republicans
seemed to prefer that voters by the thousand should be deprived by
violence of the right of suffrage, rather than that their rights should
be protected by even the semblance of National authority present in the
person of a soldier.

It was demonstrated in the debate that it was only the semblance of
National authority which was present in the South. The number of
troops scattered at various points through the Southern States was not
as large as the number of troops in the Northern States, and, as was
readily shown, did not amount on an average to one soldier in each
county of the States that had been in rebellion. But this fact seemed
to have no weight; and the Democrats, having a majority in both
Senate and House, now appended to the Army Appropriation Bill the
amendment upon which the House had insisted the previous session:
"that no money appropriated in this act is appropriated or shall be
paid for the subsistence, equipment, transportation or compensation
of any portion of the Army of the United States to be used as a police
force to keep peace at the polls at any election held within any
State." As this enactment was in general harmony with the Southern
policy indicated by President Hayes upon his inauguration, he approved
the bill; and the elections in several of the Southern States were
thenceforth left, not to the majority of the voters, but to the party
which had the hardihood and the physical resources to decree any
desired result. But it was well known to all familiar with political
struggles in the South that the white men were not required to use
force after the protection of the National Government was withdrawn.
Colored voters were not equal to the physical contest necessary to
assert their civil rights, and thenceforward personal outrages in large
degree ceased. The peace which followed was the peace of forced
submission and not the peace of contentment. Even that form of peace
was occasionally broken by startling assassinations for the purpose of
monition and discipline to the colored race.

The reform of the Civil Service of the National Government occupied a
considerable share of public attention during the administration of
President Grant and was still further advanced under President Hayes.
The causes which led to the necessity of reform are more easily
determined tha