The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-26
THE LAST VETO.

WARRINGTON, June 25.-The last veto Of
the Fraudulent President may be said to ex-
coed in nbsurdty and arrogance his previous
performances In this line OF business. He at
tempts to justify it on the plea that Congress
has refused 10 make an appropriation to pay
deputy marshals for political service. Or. in
the words OF the mcssage-whch Mr.. Devens
wrote-"W Is the duty OF the Executive to en-
iorco all laws. There is n law requiring tho
appointment OF deputy marshals under certain
prescribed conditions. This bill deprives tho
Executive OF the means OF enforcing that pro-
vision Of the statutes; therefore. l cannot up
prove It,"
The Constitution docs not say IT Is the duty
Of tho Executive to enforce all lars " but that
Tho shall taks care that the laws no faithfully
executed" which is q very different thing.
Who is to provide the means Tor their execu-
tion3 Congress-. OF course. Therefore. II Con-
gress In its wisdom. and for sufficient reasons.
does not choose to vote an appropriation for a
specific object, or thinks proper to limit the
grant. or to qualify with conditions how money
appropriated shall be expended. tho Executive
has no responsibility or duty connected with
the acts Of the law making power.
He executes the laws with the means that Con-
Cress gives him. and II Ia not his province to
complain OF or TO resent the exercise Of that
discretion. Adopting his own false theory in
the message. II would be n sufficient answer to
oil corners. II the Executive was reproached for
not enforcing all laws" active or obsolete.
that Congress had not voted the money for that
purpose. Tho responsibility belongs exclusively
to Congress and the Executive has nothing to
do with 1t. Therefore. this false pretenco set
up by Mr.. Devens cannot be made to stand on
crutches.
Everybody knows that from 1870 down to
1878 these deputy marshals have been nothing
elso but an organized partisan force. main
tanned at the public expense. and usually
drawn from the worst portions Of the commu-
nifty. They have cost the taxpayers already
about two millions OF dollars. leaving entirely
out of view the pay for supervisors. They may
receive fifty dollars each for olectoneering SER
vices This abuse was as conspicuous last
year under Mr.. Dcvens as il ever was under
Landaulct Williams.
Now Congress says the plumber must stop
and Hayes and Dcvens say it must 20 on. be-
cause these political agents are needed in Cali
fornia and in several Congressional districts OF
other States this fall. Herein is the marrow Of
the question, stripped Of the shams with which
the Fraudulent Attorney General has sought to
cover up IA partisan scheme.
1t is an open secret here that Mr.. Evarts do
clared without reserve, last Saturday, that this
bill would be signed. because a veto could not
be justified merely on the ground that Congress
had refused 10 vote money for n special item.
Mr.. Schurz has opposed all vetoes. on a rule
adopted for his own guidance. Mr.. Sherman
and Mr. McCrnry both concurred with Mr..
Eylrts. and made no concculment Of their opin-
ions.
Tho cause and the author Of the veto are
united In the person Of Mr. Devons. The qucs-
}. al
and he gave 1t substantially in the form en-
bodied in the message. when he found that
his colleagues radically differed from this view
ne took the ground that. rs the law adviser Of
Hayes. his opinion ought TO he adopted. after
having been Invited. and II would bo personal
indignity 10 him II any other course should be
pursued. In the latter contingency his resig-
nation would nj once be- handed IN.
This threat had the desired eiIoct upon HAYES
and as the other Cabinet Ministers as Schurz
delights to be called. had no thought OF resign
ing. they swallowed the pill withop' -!iaugin,, a
muscle. and are now defendir., the veto as a
great State pqpcr There is II strong suspicion
that Dcyens is a Grant man In disguise. and
has been acting as n secret omissary Of the
third term while sitting side by side with John
sherman at the council board Of tho Great
Fraud.
Hayes has made record which will return
to plague the inventor before he is much older.
/. He vetoed an appropriation bill. for tho first
time in our history.
?. He vetoed a bill repeating an obnoxious
statute. for the first time in our history.
8. He vetoed an appropriation for the judi
ciary. because it omitted q particular item. for
tho first time in our history.
lie sets up 10 make tho Constitution bend 10
arbitrary and selfish construction. and he au-
daciously tolls Congress that the appropriations
must bee passed to suit his caprces or they will
not be signed.