The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-05-11
VETO OF THE DEFICIENCY BILL.

The full text of the message accompanying
President Hayes veto of the Deficiency Bill
is given in another column. After their I'M
fortunate experience in the last extra session
and more especially after the very decided
condemnation pronounced by the intelligence
of the whole country upon that species of CO.
ercive legislation it might well be thought
that our Democratic statesman had had
enough oftag-ing riders to appropriation bills,
but this it seems is a mistake. Iftlev have
learned nothing from their experience in the
blunder of a year ago they have forgotten
nothing of the stupidity that led them into
that blunder. and once more We find them
record in the attempt of a Congressional ma
jority to force a coordinate branch of the
government into compliance with its views.
The Deficiency Bill with its rider was a
Democratic measure and as such it might of
course be expected that it would receive the
support Of every Democratic journal, but to
receive that support it should first deserve it.
1t is a narrow conception of journalism Which
reduces a newspaper to such a degree of par
tlsanship that its judgement on all party
measures can be told in advance. But this is a
is adiscussion o fmethods ratherthan measures.
The question is not should the Federal Elec-
ton avs be repealed or allowed to stand,
but, should the artifce of tagging a repeating
clause to an appropriation bill be allowed? To
This question We think there can be only one
.-.. r.l l., -. ~
even were the repyehensfble practice of Dem
ocratic origin instead Of being a distinctly Re-
publican invention. And that it so OF iginated
is tacitly admitted by the President when lie
litical parties when clothed with power"
Concerning the Federal Election laws we may
be firm in our opinion that they are simply
a survival and extension of war legislation
into times Of peace W may even consider
them all out-anQ out infringement of the
tenth amendment to the Constitution, which
declares that ''powers not delegated to the
United States are reserved to the States res
pectively or to the people," but for all that we
should not be anxious to see an evil abol.
ished by the preparation OF a still greater
evil. And that tile continued gIOwth and
extension of tins system of 'rider" legislation
Would be a greater evil than the existence 0 1
the statute book of laws even so Objectionable
as those the Democrats are attempting to re-
peal will be acknowledged by any one giving
the matter a little attention. Ours is a gov,
eminent Of three coordinate branches, the
judiciary, the executive, the legislative. bu,
how long will this co-ordinateness be main.
tanned if the legislative branch be permitted
to 'smake attacks upon the Independence an,
constitutional power of the executive by all,
nexing "a condition to the passage of needed
and proper legislation"
In several of the newer states a recognition
of this evil has led to the provision of con
stituIional safeguards against il. An amend
ment of similar tendency may perhaps i!
time be added 10 the Federal constitution, but
for the present the full benefits Of such All
amendment eoald at once be assured if those
who mould public opinion could So far + Sc
above party az to denounce what each IN his
heart knows to lie one OF The most vicious
practices OF modern legislation.