Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-08-19

and the slli greater danger Of rejection, not for
moment, but forever, oil the plan which shall be-
proposed 10 them? notwithstanding the oppress.
ion and injustice experienced amongst US from De.
mocracy, the genius Of the people must be con.
suited. He could not but consider the Federal
system as in effect dissolved by the appointment,
oil this convention, 10 devise better one. And
do gentlemen look forward TO the dangerous in.
tefval between the extinction OF an old and the
establishment OF new government, and to the
scenes Of confusion which may ensue7 He hoped
that nothing like monarchy would ever be at.
tempted in this country. hatred 10 its Cypress.
IONS had carried the people through the late Rev.
olutlon. VIII 1t not be enough 10 enable the
Executive TO suspend offensive laws till they
shall be coolIy revised, and the objections TO them
overrued by creator majority than was required
in the first instance? He never could agree to piys
up all the rights OF the people 10 a single megis.
trate. II more than one had been fixed ON, grea
ter powers might have been entrusted to the Ex.
ecutive. He hoped this attempt to give such DOW.
ers would have wei ght hereafter rs an argument
Tor increasing the number OF the Executive"
After this, DR.. Franklin again spoke
against the veto power, treating this ques-
ton as If 1t involved that of monarchy or
republIcanlsm; and one passage of his
speech contains prophecy SO remarkable
that must read it to the Senate:
1.-The first man at the helm (of State) will be
good one. Nobody knows what sort nav coma
afterwards. The Executive will be always in:
creasing here, as elsewhere, TILL 1T ENps IN A
MONARCHY"
Thus then, it appears that the opinion of
six out of nine who participated in the de-
bate was that an absolute and unqualified
veto would introduce great monarchical
feature into our institutions; in other words.
that the Executive would be converted in.
to monarch by its adoption. That was
the opinion of Franklin, OF Mason, of Sher-
man, Of Bedford, of all excep, the ultra
Federalists of the day. Now, where are
WEI What is the party which now main
talns the ultra veto power7 The party tina.
arrogates TO itself the name of democrat
ic That is the party which places in the
foreground OF its political platform the doc
trne of the bsolu, and unqualified veto
power. That is the party which sustained
The absolute and unqualified exercise of the
veto on the land bill in 1888. That bill 10
distribute the nett proceeds of all the pub
lie lands among the States. which passed
both Houses in March, 1888, was bill
which would have given the people of each
State in this Union the means of educatino
all their children without taxation. and Of
improving their harbors and rivers. These
funds have been since wasted upon land
jobbers and party favorites, on Governmen,
contractors and fiice.hoders, and not a
dollar Of these unnumbered millions has
been given to those who owned them az
righlfulIy as any man on earth ever owned
his own house. By an absolute veto-"a
pocket veto"-a vile trick and fraud up-
on the people and their representatives.: this
bill was defeated after the representatives..
of the nation had passed it by yeas ninety
five, nays torty-more than two.thirdsl--
The bill passed within the last ten DAYS of
the session, as three-four,hs of all the laws
of Congress always have, and always will
pass. Experience shows US that the labors
of Congress are consummated within the
last ten days of each session and that bills
which have been discussed or matured for
months are generally signed at the close of
the session. If, therefore, the President
can, for the want of ten days, within which
the Constitution allows him TO retain bill
for his signature, withhold his sanction and
refuse 10 return The bill, he can defeat il.
although two-ihirds of each branch should
be disposed to pass it as the Constitution
authorizes them TO do. The Senate as well
as the House, in March, 1888, stood ready
to annul the veto on the land bill. The SEN
ators from North and South Carolina, (Mr.
Mangum and Mr.. Calhoun,) as well as nv.
self, ware present at the time in the Senate.
and we are oil here now ready 10 ATTEST
this TO be true. The President obtained Sc.
cret information of the spirit of the Sem
ate against his veto power, and pocketed
the bill, in defiance of the whole spirit of
the Constitution. This was a gross case
If the exercise of the absolute and unoual-
fled veto, which has never been condemned
but always approved, by your psuedo de-
mocracy; and il is fatal precedent, which
may virtually annul the whole power of
Congress. The qualified rule or power of
revision recognized by the Constitution.
subject to the will of two-thirds of each
branch of Congress, has been exercised in
The cases of the bill to pay the interest due
the States for expenditures in the last war,
the various bills for Improvement of rivers
and harbors. the bill TO rc-charter the bank.
the bill to equalize the sessions of Congress,
the French spoiation bill, and so MANY 9th
er cases that it is difficult TO enumerate
them. These vetoes have been sustained
by Executive influence. Congress has fall.
len beneath the Executive arm, strengthen.
ed as that is, and always will be, by venal
and subservient press, and the ready aid
of the Post Office Department, with hun
dred thousand office holders, MANY of whom
will always "crook the pregnant hinges of
II