Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-05-01
The Presidents Veto.

sideration until last Tuesday when
it was returned with his veto. The
veto message is carefully prepared
document. The President says that
if the bill contained no other pro-
visions than those making the usual
appropriations it would receive his
prompt approval. But while it is
professedly bill to make appropria-
tons necessary tor the current ex.
penses of the army it has a section
which would make it a heavy penal.
ty for any officer even to have his
men at the place where any election
is held. The President recites the
laws upon the subject and shows
that their whole tenor is against any
interference by soldiers with cleo.
tons anywhere. He shows that
there never had been any military
interference with elections and not
only so but there never was any
complaints of such interference.
Regulations by the Constitution
are cited. Congress may at any
time regulate the laws of the States
as to the time and manner Of elect
ing Congressman. The right of the
citizen to vote cannot be denied or
abridged by the United States or
any State, and Congress has power
to enforce the privilege by appropri.
ate legislation. Under these pro-
visions Congress has enacted laws to
secure the citizens rights as voters
and to prevent fraudulent voting or
violence and intimidation. II this
bill were made a law there is no
power vested in any officer to pro.
tect from violence the officers of the
United States when in the discharge
OF their duties. The National Gov.
eminent will be powerless to enforce
its own statutes. Laws providing
safeguards of elections should be
impartial, just and efiicient-so just
and impartial that minorities will
have no grounds for complaint. The
present laws have conduoed to pre-
vent fraud and violence. Members
of the different political parties have
applied for these safeguards. 1t is
the right and the duty of the Govern
ment to enact and enforce laws
which will secure free and fair Con.
gressional elections. Believing that
section G Of the bill will weaken or
take away the power of the National
Government to protect federal cleo.
tons by the civil authorities the
President could not give il his ap.
proval.
Aside from the Objectionable fea.
lures of the section per se--in prohib-
iting under heavy penalties any per-
son engaged in the civil service of
the United States from having any
force at places of election prepared to
preserve order or in any manner en-
force the laws-it Is out OF place in
this bill. 1t is altogether foreign to
the purpose of an army appropriation
bill. The practice OF lacking army
appropriation bills on measures not
pertinent did not prevail until more
than forty years after the adoption of
the Constitution. Since then abuse
and great waste of public MONEY
have in this way crept into appror-
ration bills. The public opinion Of
the country is against it. No law
shall contain more than one subject,
which shall be plainly expressed in its
title, is now the Constitutional law in
most of the States. The early prac.
tice, that every measure shall stand
or fall on its own merits is the better
practice. This section is put in this
shape for the purpose of coerciug ap.
proval. A member said it was "not
worth while to attempt the repeal ex.
cept upon an appropriation bill. We
have the power to vote money let
us annex conditions and insist upon
redress OF grievances. The mes
sage concludes as follows:
To establish this principle is to make a
yadical. dangerous and unconstitutional
change il the character Of our institutions.
The various departments of the Government
and the army and navy are established by
the Constitution or BY laws passed in pursu-
ance thereof Their duties are clearly de.
fined and their support is carefully p divided
for bv law. The money required for this
purpose has been collected from the people
and is now in the Treasury ready TO be paid
ont as soon as the appropria ton bills are
passed. Whether the appropI iatons are
made or not the collection of taxes will go
on. The public money will accumulate in
the Treasury. II was not the intention of
The trainers Of the Constitution that any sim
gle branch of the Government should have
The mower 10 dictate the conditions upon
which this treasure should be applied to the
purposes for which it was collected. Any
such intention, If il had been entertained,
would have been plainly expressed in the
Constitution. That the majority of the
Senate now concurs in the claim fthe House
adds to the gravity Of the situation, but does
not alter the question at issue. The new
doctrine, if maintained, will result in the
consolidation of unchecked and despotic
power in the House of Representatives. A
bare majority Of the House will become the
Government. The Executive will no longer
be what the trainers of the constitution IT.
tended-an equal and independent branch Of
the Government. II is clearly Ia consttu-
tional duty OF the President 10 exercise his
discretion and judgment upon all bills presen-
ted 10 him, without consIaint or duress from
any other branch of the Government. To
saw tina; the majority of either or both
Houses OF Congress may insist on the ap.
prevail of bill under penalty OF stopping all
the operations of the Government for want
of necessary supplies, is TO deny to the Ex-
ecutive that share of the legislative power
which is plainly conferred BY the second
section Of the seventh article OF the constitu-
ton.
INFRINGING THE VETO POWER.
80 III