Democratic banner., 1848-09-25
From the Louisville Democrat.
VETO POWER.

rIotlc effusions upon.' The one Mdn p0,rer
sxclaims an ecstatic orator. The kingI,
|prerogative, shouts another, whilst all the
small try Of the wing press Join in the choru.
and ring the incessant changes with aston.
ishing volubility. The will Of the people
expressed through Congress, should be car.
Iried out without the interference Of the Elk.
|~ecutive veto. This is adcaptandsm, mere
|ly because Of the false assumption that Con-
|gress expresses the viii Of the people,
That, In fact, q majority Of Congress and a
majority of the people are identical; that
Congress is an exact index Of the popular
will. This is a mere fsllacy, which snybody
can correct upon q moment's reflection. It
is strange that the wing party should thus
stultify themselves. The twenty.ninth Con.
.gress approved by large msjorities every
act Of the Executive almost; and yet the
wing press assured us all the time that the
people were opposed to the measures Of the
administration. 81 One Congress voted that
war existed by the act of Mexico; and an
other voted that it was begun unnecessary.
ly and unconstitutionally by the President.
One Congress established the tariff of '42.
and another repealed it. One Congress
passed a bankrupt Law, and the same Con.
gress repealed it. Does any sane man as.
sumo that the people changed in all these
Besides, the States Of Vermont,
Massachusetts, and Connecticut, gave a
democratic vote Of l0O,72s in 1914, and q
wing vote Of l27, l2O, yet the wings have
IL representatives in the, lower house of
Congress, and five wing Senators, whilst
States send but one democrat to the
Senate, and one to the house. Every one
that this proportion in Congress bears
no proportion to the populs- vote. Ia Penn
about two to one wings are elect.
ed to the lower house Of Congress, whilst
there are two democrats in the Seaats.-|
Every one knows that this is no, the pro.
Of the popular vote Of P.nnsylvsnia
in the lower house; and that between the
house and the Senate, as far % that
State is concerned, there is apalpable con.
tradiclion. We need not 60 through the
other States. In Missouri the wings have
no representative at all. Their voice is not
heard in the councils Of the nation. Til.
is true Of South Carolina; and, en- the
hand, Massachusetts is entirely wing
Congress, notwithstanding . large and re-
spectacle minority Of demrc.ats. In Con-
necticui, too, where the parties are about
divided 10 The popular vote, the
have not a single representative
Of their views In the lower house. Yet
assume, in all their senselessI
gable about the one man power, that the
voice Of Congress is the voice of the peo-
This silly assumption is made and
passes current with the inconsiderate, to
give point to tile demagoguery about the
veto power in the hands Of the President.
The trainers Of our constitution were
men Of practical sense. They intended
hat the ultimate sovereignty of the coun-
Try should be in popular opinion, and they sol
FAMED our government that the sober sec.
'nd thought Of the mass should ultimately
control the policy Of the nation. Majority
should at last be the King that could do no
wrong within its sphere. But they also
thst minorities had rights which no
'ower should invade, and they placed divers
restraints upon King Majority in the exer.
Use of his prerogative. There were some
llings he could not do. In fact, there are
comparatively few things in which he can
unlimited control.
Washington and his compatriots knew,
hat, ir framing q government, somebody
must be entrusted with power, that might
Ne abused. They were not silly CROUCH to-
:onfound men elected BY the people with
he people themselves. Their object was
o secure equal justice to every Individual
-equal rights 10 all and exclusive privi.
eyes to none. They foresaw that repre-.
entatives elected by majoritiss Of particu.
sections were not the people themselves.
knew that men TINS elected had abus-
d their power, and they took care to guard
gsinst that abuse. They gave limited
over to these representatives. Of the 'peo-I
te. They provided another body (the
elected in a difereat manner, toll
ct asa cheek upoa these representatives
{ the people, ss they are called. 'Tr'yli
laced the Exscutiye with The veto power
; another.resiFaint. Lastly they gave the
Iuprems Court Q veto power upon both
lesa bodiss, shsnsvsrs they should trans.
end the limits Of their authority. 10 In.
uss with power to iegislate, they
new the .aerezsite:bf thea cheeks iionnfi