American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-06-05
The Recent Veto.

1uc hcCcuJ vetOs
Mr.. Hayes has occasionally been de
scribed as weak man. 1t very often
happens that a man who knows or sus-
poets that his neighbors regard him as
a weak man takes pains to convince
them of his real strength by adhering
with peculiar Obstinacy to some scheme
he has formed or some opinion he has
announced, in the face of evidence
that the scheme is crazy or the opinion
absurd.
The Presidents course in regard to
the Immediate Deficiency bill will seem
to many persons fresh illustration of
this trite truth. 1t is reported that his
veto was received with disappointment
even by the Republicans in the House
who had voted and spoken against the
bill on the same grounds as
those alleged by the President for
his veto. They were perfectly aware,
ly, and they had excuses which the
President had not. Many of them were
men of no sort of political standing or
responsibility, and nobody would think
of holding the Republican party to ac-
count for what they said or did. Mr..
Garfield, who is recognized by the coun-
try as the leader of the minority in the
House, is SO far from sharing the aver
sion of less responsible persons for the
clause on account of which the Presi-
dent has voted the Deficiency bill,
that he is himself the author of that
clause, which he drew. no doubt, in the
hope that the Democrats would put
themselves in the wrong by rejecting it,
but which the Democrats promptly ac-
eepted and put Mr.. Garfield S own party
in the wrong, as factious opponents of
fair measures. Another excuse the Re-
publican members of Congress had
which the President has not. They did
not bring forward their objections be-
cause they themselves were so foolish
as to believe in them, but only in the
hope that they could make irritating
speeches about them, and IVORY the
Democrats into indiscreet replies,
which might be effectively used before
the country in the coming canvass. 1t
is noble work for a grand old party"
no doubt, to stake its hopes upon its
success in haunting Southern men to say
something which can be used to excite
sectional prejudice in the North. What
ever its character, the attempt did not
succeed, and the men who made it must
be surprised as well as disguised to see
tactics which they had adopted for a
definite object which they had decidedly
failed to attain.
But for the curious condition of mind
which it shows in its author, the mes
sage has neither interest nor value. A
State paper cannot be a very effective
" campaign document" when it only
tempts people to discuss what could
have induced its author to deliver it.
In point of fact Mr.. Hayes last message
is worse than worthless to "the
party" as the representatives of the
party in the House had sense enough
to see. The people of this country are
not particularly scrupulous, not as scru-
pulous as very likely they ought to be,
in the means they adopt for the attain
ment of what seem to them desirable
political ends. If Mr.. Hayes had
pitched into the brigadiers and drawn
picture of the horrors which would be
let loose on the enfranchised negroes
If the Democrats were allowed half of
The election officers, he would not have
lacked for applause from his own par
ty. But to try to fire the Northern
with the proposition that riders on ap-
bills are always objection
sble, SO Objectionable that the Presi-
lent is justified in depriving public Of
Ulcers of their pay rather than pass
hem. is prepostel GUS attempt. There
S not man in the country, of course |
Mr.. Hayes. who would not
7ote with cheerfulness for a rider on
IN appropriation bill if it would give
lin anything he much wanted and saw
10 other way of getting. Much less is
here any party or any faction of any
party which would hesitate to use all
he means which the control of the leg
stature put into their hands to coerce
N executive officer of an opposite par
y or faction, even if the legislators
bought that riders on appropriation
ills were in the abstract improper.
Nobody except Mr.. Hayes does think
% or pretends to think so. Everybody
lse knows that the President would be
he absolute ruler of the country if Con-
.ress could be made to pass all the
1t is the power to
supplies that gives Congress
IS control over the Government, and if
congress should relinquish this power
congress would deserve and incur the
ontempt of the country. The radical
Mistake of Mr.. Hayes message is the
that the stoppage of appro-
riations is more to be deprecated than
ny use which can be made of the APP.
This is altogether I'M
rue. 1t would be much better for the
ublic that there should be no Federal
upervision of elections than that the
ederal Supervisors of elections should
e INSCRIPTIONS Civil-Service Reform
rs bent only upon securing by hook
r crook the nomination of the Admin
tration candidate and his election, or !
pom counting him in if he failed to be :
lected. Congress has taken the ground
lat deputy marshals shall not be SO ;
ppointed or SO used. If Mr.. Hayes
hooses to insist that in that case I
equity marshals shall not be paid, Con-
ress is apparently powerleSs to pre-
emit him from stopping their pay. But :
g gains nothing by putting his refusal !
pass the appropriation for their pay i
tent on the ground that he personally t
Djects to the practice of all parties in
lis country, which is and always has y
cen the practice also of all parties in /
1 countries where representative gov :
.nment has been established.-N. r. 2
7Orld. 9
The Story OF the Great ExOduster. a