Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-05-18
ras Array s,n veto.

The veto of the army bill by Mr..
Hayes 10 pronounced, by the great
majority Of our Republican cotem-
poraries, a master stroke of states
manship. They chuckle over it
and congratulate each other on the
defeat that Democratic machina-
tlous have sustained at the hands
Of this, just now, brave and patri-
otto. President.
'If Congress does not make the
necessary appropriations" they
say, .'the wheels of government,
must stop, and the Democratic
members and Senators will stand
convicted at the bar of public opin.
ion Of having stopped them"
The public are solemnly assured
that the action OF Congress in max.
Ing its appropriation contingent
upon the repeal Of an obnoxious old
law or the passage Of desirable
new one is unjust, unprecedented ed
and revolutionary, and only when
completely overborn by q weight
Of proof and innumerable instances
both in this country and in Eng
land will they admit that there
ever has existed any precedent
for 1t.
When forcsd to admit that the
action of Congress is not an entire
" "original SIM" they tell US that
IL Is none the less wrong and
should be stopped. and into this
phase OF the question we propose
now 10 enquire.
From time immemorial the con-
troll Of the Brltish purse has been
lodged In the House of Commons,
and all appropriations must origi-
nate In that body, and in this we
In America have followed the ex-
ample Of the mother country. Now
why was this power lodged in the
hands of the popular branch of the
Legislature, and why has it always
been kept there? Why did the
Rsitish people never give the Sov-
ereign this power? Were the Com
mons not as likely to abuse 1t as
Congress? Why did the fran el 8
OF our Constitution follow the ex-
ample Of England in this particu-
lar II they didn't think that that
branch Of the National Legislature
directly representing the people
was the proper custodian OF
the peoples money? Has not
this power of Withholding supplies
which is vested, as nearly as posi-.
ble, in the people themselves, been
ever looked upon as the proper
weapon for restraining the en-
croachments of the Executive
upon the liberties of the people?
These are questions which we SUBJ
NIT to the calm and sober judg-
ment OF oil who take an intelligen Mt
and enlightened interest In Ameri.
canpoIitIcs.
Mr.. Carlyle, mem Der of Congress
from Kentucky, in recent spec ecb,
took some pains to show how fre.
Quently the Republican party,
when in power In Congress, had
hinged contingent legislation upon
appropriation bills, especially dur
ing the administration of Mr..
Johnson. Did Mr.. johnson ever
veto one Of these bills? What
would have been the consequences
II he had? Does anyone doubt
that he would have been denounced
from Maine to California and fro m
the lakes to the gulf as the greatest
enemy Of his country that ever dis.
graced human nature? Would his
enemies have stopped with I'M
psachlng him, or would they not
have clamored for his life?
The simple truth of the matter
Is that Congress In placing what
are called "riders" upon the late
appropriation bill, exercised only
the power vested in 1t by the franz
ers Of the Constitution, aud for the
very purpose they intended.