d consequently responsible for
the proper conduct and support of the government, that unless the
Executive would consent to legislation not by him deemed wise or
just, there should not be provided means for maintaining the several
departments of the government--that the government should be "starved
to death." In vain were precedents sought for in the history of
England for such suicidal policy. The debate in both branches of
Congress ran high, and there was much apprehension felt by the
people. Mr. Blackburn of Kentucky, speaking for his party, said:

"For the first time in eighteen years past the Democracy are back
in power in both branches of this Legislature, and she proposes to
signallize her return to power; she proposes to celebrate her
recovery of her long-lost heritage by tearing off these degrading
badges of servitude and destroying the machinery of a corrupt and
partisan legislation. We do not intend to stop until we have
stricken the last vestige of your war measures from the statute-
book, which, like these, were born of the passions incident to
civil strife and looked to the abridgment of the liberty of the
citizen."

Others threatened to refuse to vote appropriations until the "Capitol
crumbled into dust" unless the legislation demanded was passed.
President Hayes' veto alone prevented the legislation. It is not
here proposed to give a history of the struggle, fraught with so
much danger to the Republic, but only to call attention to it.
The contest lasted for months.

Senators Edmunds, Conkling, Blaine, Chandler of Michigan, and other
Republicans, and Thurman, Voorhees, Beck, Morgan, Lamar, and other
Democrats participated in the debates. In the House Mr. Garfield,
Mr. Frye, Mr. Reed, and other Republicans, and Mr. Cox, Mr. Tucker,
Mr. Carlisle, and other Democrats took a more or less prominent
part in the discussion. I spoke against the repeal of the election
laws on April 25, 1879, and against the prohibition of the use of
troops at the polls to keep the peace on election days, on June
11, 1879. The necessity for the pay of members for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1880, had the effect, finally, after many vetoes
of the President, to cause the Democratic members to recede, for
a time, from the false position taken. The whole question was,
however, renewed in the first regular session of the same Congress.
Precisely similar riders to appropriation bills and new bills
relating to the use