The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-04-19
The VETO POWER,

The ipcopsderate manner in which legis.
Iative bodies lately override the veto Of
imnortapt measures, aud make laws in op.
position to, and in defiance Of, the Execu.
tive may well excite apprehension in the
minds ofthose who regard the restraints i'm.
posed upon legislatures as something more
than mere conventional rules, which may be
adhered to OF departed from as the prevail.
ing tastes Of Legislators may dictate. The
idea that in democratic government the
will Of the people as Legislators may assume
10 reflect it, is the highest law Of the land,
is dangerous fallScy, and more general
and more deeply rooted in the minds Of
portion Of the people Of the United states
than many people suppose. The important
aud essential element Of constitutional forms
and reslrai nts has come to be almost entlfeIy |
omitted by our legislative bodies, in estIms.
ting their powers. They forget that they
are the creatures Of the people, acting IN.
der constitutional restrictions, and that they
may not do everything which may seem
proper and cIpedient, and which they be.
heye their constituents would to-day in
dorse.
The constitution OF the United States is
delegation by the whole people oftbe MON
Of all the power with which j. Was thought
safe at the time Of its formation, to en'rnst
the national government All powers
not expressly delegated or necessarily I'M
Piled from those expressly enumerated, are
reserved to the people, and cannot be exer.
cised without usurpation. The powers thus
delegated are distributed TO the legislative, =
executive and Judicial branches, to each Of 4,
which is assigned It's proper sphere, in such il
manner that each may act as a check or re- ?
strant upon any attempted abuse or usur.
patton Of authority by the other. Among -
the important duties and privileges of the s.
Executive, is the veto power, which was cv. !
identity intended as safety.valye 70 the 5
hasty and passionate action Of the legisiu.
tive department. The constitution not only A
requires, bat the dignity and importance Of Il
legislation aud respect for the Executive
demand, that the legislature should deiber.
a,e.y reconsider its action in the passage Of ID
q measure which has called into exercise the .,
veto power and shall also calmly and di,. f
as..onately consider the reasons and arpu. h
menis adduced by the Executive against the l
proposed legislation. The proceedings Of u
Congress for the past four years are fun Of 4
violations Of this requirement For IN not 4
d single instance in which the President in. d
,erp9sed his veto, did that body devote itself
to the reconsideration Of the vetoed measure,
but in all cases, hurried it through the forms t
Of q two thirds vote, when it had been orig
iua'Iy passed by such a majority. Thus
during the last administration of the gov.
eminent, the veto power lodged with the
single representative Of the whole people
has been Of no value to them in protecting
them from hasty aud unwise legislation,
except in a very few instances.
The proceedings Of the Illinois legislature
since it convened, on Wednesday Of last
week. in respect to the indecent haste with
which it has passed important measures
over the Executive veto, Illustrate the dan.
gerous character of the congressional pre-. .
cedent. Several bills of great Importance, t
many Of them unconstitutional, have been J
rushed through without any consideration d
whatever and all Of them in violation Of the !
spirit and meaning Of the fundamental law
Of the land. Happily III this case, the
courts are open aud unobstructed, where
much Of the mischief which would otherwise
result may be arrested. Some of the meas.
ures, however, which are unwise and :
frau ht with mischief, though not unconsti p
tuto>al, are beyond the power of the courts, 81
and will be enforced ill a future legislature n
can be persuaded that they should be re. :" ~
peaed. cI