The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-12-15

ontstl pi rtlfit>' a'"'iN'S, VI 'HHl t't 'sTuV
; i,y Of the people for 5, If government, whic
) is admitted in its lroadcst .rnse, is con
elusive argument 10 prove the prudence
wisdom or integrity Of their repre- sentative'
The people. l.. tnrir consent nave com,nsn
d,h the president, us ruch Us thew have com
invaded the Legislative branch of the govern
ment TO excuse their will. Tn'y have seld u
him IN h,it { n.t.trt,n hat ilv uguir
h. sha'ltakr SOLEMN oath 10 sun OFT N" con
st 'u''n". III cor crc.s PASS any NIL Viii h
siaIl no. unrrrv', h sht return j. ~ TIE iior 81
~ which It shalt have o. = Gated with his oh
i'c'i.nS thereto" In wirhrotiirG icom II ~
a'Irc,ai and Al ,ni'uir, lie is cIecniirg the vi.
{ vt the IcoI L. - much ms the ccrcrcss Il a
p"sc It. \" hill IN presumed !" hn IN sccnt
dance with N" lrpular vii uotIl II shall fs',
/ raised through nll the hand, Cf thr roveromcn
requisite - make II | ". \ till psssrd hl
/ the ouSr ray be ri 'ctri ~ the scsnlC aud D
/ b'i 'sstdhy the s'nttc r"j'c 81 ty the h"u.r
/ Thus sNr'clsIng N" ,ri' rrwPr over cochnlrer
Congress, and each House hold under the
/ constitution check upon the president. and
lac by the power of the qualified veto Il
check uron congress. When the president
rcCcmmCrtS measures to rcrsuss, hr a.
vows it, the most solemn form his opinions,
gives his voice in their favor End pledges
himself IN advance 10 approve thtmi u pass
cd ly congress. lfle acts with due cunsl-
Iteration. or has been Influenced ty impro-
per or corrupt motives or II from any 9th
or cause congress. or either house oi corg-
resS shall differ with Linn, they exercise
their veto upon his Recommendations and re-
i,'"t them. and there isno APPEAL from their
dec, ION hut TO the people nj the ballot box.
These or. ur>rcr checks; more win be
found to object tn "om, or to wish them
abolished. II is equally .Npor'an' mar 'he
constitutional checks ci the e. "Hl'e upon
the legislative branch Should he p,cs fNe"'
lit Ee,>ail that the representatives III. .
popular branch he chosen directly ly the
people. il is answered, the people elect the
President. II both houses represent the
states and the people So does the president.
the president represents, in the executive
department, the whole rcoplI cfthc United
States, as each member Of the legislative
department represents portion Of them.
The doctrine of restriction under legsn-
tive and restrictive rover, while well set
tied public opinion is enabled within rea-
,ouaule time to accomplish it, ouds, has
made our country whetit is, ane has eren-
cd 10 us a career Of glory and happiness to
which Nll other nations me strangers.
In The exercise Of this power the rrcsi.
dent is reSponsibler not only TO an ohliGct.
encd public opinion, but 10 the people Of the
United StateS-cf the whole Union no
elected him, ~ wei rs the representatives.
~ tne legislative branches who differ with
him, are responsible to particular states ar
districts. 10 restrict the president in The
exercise nf his power. would hc IN rcpral
that rotiori fthc constitution which conferS
1t upon Tim. To charge that lis exercise
nndu'y counteracts the !, ei-lCtvc viii, is tc
complain Of the constitution itself
lfthe presidential veto be objected to on
TIC ground that it checks and thwair> the
public viii, upon the same principle the
equality Of representation Of the states in
the senate should he stricken out Of the
constitution. The vote &C senator from
Delawar has equal weic ht in deciding upon
n most important measure with the vote Of
the senator Of New York and vet tho one
represents state containing, according to
existing appointments of representatives
in the house, representation oi but one ihr-
" fourth pant ofthe population Of The othar.
BY the constitutional composition Of the
senate. majority Of that body frona the
smaller states represent less than enc fourth
Ol the people Of the Union. There are thr.
~ states. and under the existing appnrtiun.
mcnt n! representation. there are two hrn-
dTed and n.netv,in the house of representa-.
tiveS sixteen Of the smaller states are rep.
resented in the house by but fifty members.
and yet the senators from these states con.
siituir majority Of the senators: so that
the president may recommend n measure
to congress and il may receive the sanction
o' more than three-fourthS Of the house of
representatives., and all the senators from
the larger states, containing more than
three fourth of the whole population. aud
yet the same may be defeated by the sena-
TOYS from the smaller states. None. it i.
rrcsun,ct can be found ready 10 change the
ORGANIZATION & the senate on This account,
or to strike that boAy practically ont of ex.
i>tente, by requiring trc' ITS action shall &c.
conformcd to the more nume;ou branch.
Upon the new principle that the veto u
the president shall be practically abolished,
the power Of the vice president 10 give the
casting vote upon an equal division Of the
senate, could be abolished also. The vice
preSiden, exercises the veto poworas cfTec-
tually by rejecting bill by his casting vote
as the president docs by refusing t approve
or sign it. This power has been exercised
in some instances by the vice president, the
most important Of which is tho reiec-
ton Of the bill 10 charter the Bank Of the
United States in 1916. II may happen that
a bill may he passed by large majority Of
the house representatives, IT may he sup
ported by the senators of the largest states,
and the vice president may reject il by Civ
ing his vote with the senators of the small
er states, and yet it is to be presumed that
none are prepared to deny to him the exer-
else Of his power under the constitution.
But it is in point Of fact untrue that an
act passed by congress is conclusive evil
dence that iii an action Of the popular will.
The majority of the whole number elected
TO each house of congress constitutes a quo
rum, and a majority of that quorum is com.
peten, to enact laws 1t might happen that
n quorum CT the house Of representatives
consisting Of single member more than
half Of the whole number elected BY ma.
jority Of u single vote might pass law, and
yet, in that case, fraction more than one
fourth Of the people Of the United States
would be represented by those who voted
for it, 1t might happen that the same bill
might he passed by less than a majority OF
one Of quorum ofthe senate, composed oI
senators from the fifteen sina Her a ates nd