Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-08-04
HOW THE VETO MESSAGE WAS
Deceived
Surprise and Indignation of Members.
By telegraph to the n. Y. Tribune.

WASHINGTON, August IA more
disappointed and angry body of men
than the friends of the river and
harbor bill in the House of Repre~
sentativeS this afternoon after they
had listened to the reading of the
veto message is rarely seen. Within
the last two days the friends of the
bill had persuaded themselves and
each other that no veto was to be
feared, and they were ready to re-
ceive with patient civility any horta-
tory message the President might
choose to send to Congress provided
it was accompanied by the approval
of the big divide Thus it hap
pened that the members of the
House We're taken by surprise and
thrown into something of a panic
this afternoon when Secretary Pru-
den entered the hall bearing ii writ
ten message and also a prodigious
roll Of manuscript.
1t is vetoed 1T is vetoed" went
round among the members in audible
tones, and at once all interest was
conferred on the portentous envelope
which was carried to the Speaker $
desk. The Speaker, who assured
some of the nervous friends of the
job yesterday that it would in all
probability receive the President S
approval, wasted no time. He opened
the document and handed it to Clerk
Mcpherson, who had taken his place
at the desk of the reading clerk, and
members settled into their seats
anxious to know the worst.
The message was short one, and
was listened to III silence, except a
slight ripple of laughter when sen
tence was read to the effect that the
more Objectionable such bill is the
more votes it can command. There
was no applause when the reading
was concluded, and deep gloom sat
on the cOuntenances Of the Commerce
Committee and other advocates OF
the bill, as the House precipitately
adjourned.
TIL" a tempest of Indignation
burst out. Che rman Page, and some
other members of the commerce
committee, expressed their indigna-
ton i'll language more emphatic than
polite,
what shall we do2 asked a
member of the committee of Chair
man Page
dol Well pass that bill ovel
the veto. That's what we will do.
Would it not be better to wait
until we can rally the friends who
are absent ?" asked another
No, we can do it tomorrow morn
ing easily enough, replied the irate
/ chairman.
do you think so p asked the
| Speaker, who betrayed as much
chagrin and disappointment as any
body.
Yes, know we can" replied Mr.
Page.
''Of course we can, chimed in Mr.
Pound, of Wisconsin.
1T is the most indecent message
any President ever sent to Congress-,
said Western member who had q
very large slice of the pork" and
then he continued: II think the Pre-
sident had better look over the sun
dry civil bill and veto it, because ii
contains some items for extravagant
and luxurious furniture for the White
House
"The message is an insult to Con-
gress, exclaimed another ''The
President wants us to give him the
money to spend as he pleases
Don't he wish he may get it,
Another wrathfully exclaimed;
What does the President mean by
accusing the members of his own
party of profigate Legislation? Does
he expect that kind of talk to help
the party? 1t will ruin him and his
Administration"
! Democrats were not less angry
than Republicans. What will the
Democrats do" asked a Tribune
correspondent of an influential mem
Der of that party.
''Oh, most of us will vote to pass
the bill over the veto, because we
resent Executive dictation,' was the
reply.
What business has the President
to talk to Us like a schoolmaster !?
exclaimed a prominent Democrat.
Yes, assented an equally promi
nent Republican, and added: ii
t he SO stupid that he does not SCI
that, when he speaks with approva
of certain items IN the bill, he throws
a cloud of suspicion upon all TIM
/ others 2"