Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-18
why the Governor of Ohio AAas NO
Veto Power.


Veto Power.
WEsTvII.LE, CHAMPAIGN Co., Nov. l3, 1867.
ED. OHIO STATEsMAN-Wishing inform
alton, and knowing of none as instructive
as through your columns, submit tne loi-
lowing: In some editorial column nave
seen it affirmed that Governor mas no
veto power in Ohio. Wherein and how are
his powers prescribed, and how does IL oii-
fer from that of the Executive, whlch
makes bill from Congress law!
Please inform through your columns ana
oblige a SUBSCRIBER.
The Governor of Ohio has no veto power
under the Constitution, and except the
right to recommend such measures to the
Legislature as he may see proper, he mas
nothing whatever to do with the passing,
or in preventing the passage of laws.
Under the famed "Ordipance of 1857"
which governed this State while territory
and with it the remainder of the territory
northwest of the River Ohio, there were
two kinds of government provided. The
first was to last until the territory acquired
a certain population, when the second form
of government was instituted. Under the
first, the Governor and Judges made the
laws. Under the second, the laws were
enacted by Territorial Legislature, and
over which the Governor had the veto
power.
Governor ST. CLAIR claimed that the veto
power vested in the Governor was absolute
The Legislature denied this and claimed
that by a two-thirds vote bill, vetoed by
the Governor, could be passed over his
head. This led to a quarrel bitter and
fierce between the Governor of the terri
tory and the Legislature, and was one o.
the reasons why Ohio was hurried into the
Union as a State-the Constitution taking
less than a week to frame it. Smartine
under the assumption of almost unlimited
power on the part of Governor ST. CLAIR
the delegates to the Convention which
formed the Constitution of 1902, took from
the Governor all power over legislation anG
assumed for the Legislature power greater
than is u;ually conferred on Legislative
bodies. Among these were the right t.
elect all State officers except the Governor
In the Constitution of 1851, the Delegates
after half century of eXperience-seeine
and feeling the evil of giving to the Leg
islature such powers, while they confined
the power of the Legislature to its legiti
mate function, transferred to the Governo
the power to appoint all officers not elected
by the people. An attempt was made Il
give him the veto power, but it met will
but little favor, for the Whig party, a
that time, stood committed against wha
they called the zone man power" and tn
Democracy saw no good reason why
should be placed in the hands of an Obi
Governor.
Had iG not been for the too free use @
the veto power by Gov. ST.. CLAIR. unde
the territorial government, and his assump
ton that his objections to law passed b
the Legislature would be fatal to its goin
into effect, it is more than probable tha
under the Constitution of Ohio formed i
1902, the Governor would have had th
limited power to prohibit the passage
laws, and it Is probable that the same rigt
would have been continued in the preser
Constitution of the State. This differenC
of opinion between the law makers and th
Executive, while Ohio was a territor,
gave to the Legislature the right to pa.
any law it pleases, without the right of til
Executive to object, and makes it obligs
tory on the Governor to see that it is Ell
forced until repealed by the Legislature
decided unconstitutional by the courts.