Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-07-15
CLEVELAND's VEToEs.

GOt ERNOh CLEN ELAND'S fElOES.
Quite at loss to find tangible issues
against Governor Cleveland, his enemies
are trying to make capital with those of
the laboring classes who are i'll informed,
by pretending that certain instances of his
exercise of the veto power forming part
of his official action as Governor of New
York have been inimical to their interests.
The allegation is untrue, and it only needs
that the nature Of the bills in question We
toed by Governor Cleveland shall be under
stood by those whom they only pretended
to benefit for it's falsity to'be recognized.
The article below from the Philadel phia
Times sets the matter forth clearly and
squarely. Governor Cleveland is friend
to the workinSman, but he is not dem
agogue, willing TO obtain cheap popularity
by Stimulating friendly activity-in his own
interest.
From the Philadelphia Tn,esl
The grounds upon which il is sought to
create prejudice against Governor Cleve-
land are his vetoes of the iive-cent fare bill,
the mechanics lien bill and the bill regu.
lating the hours of labor of drivers aud con-
ductors of horse cars.
The bill fixing the fare on the elevated
railways at five cents abrogated right
vested in the corporation by a previous
Legislature. In that act the regulation OF
fares was distinctly surrendered by the
State until the net earnings should reach a
given sum. In spite of this agreement in
the contract the Legislature Of 1888 passed
bill making uniform rate of fare of live
cents. The Governor vetoed it on the
md hot hn I las, v1fa hrn-
gate vested right. There was not the
slightest doubt that the courts of the State
would have taken the same view.
That the proposed reductions were only
of the slightest interest to workingmen Is
| shown by the fact that the rate had long
been five cents from half-past five to halt.
past eight a. m. and from halfpast four to
half-pa seven p. M. The reduction of
fares at other hours in the day was mani
| fest advantage to bankers, brokers, business
| men and amusement seekers, but not of the
smallest interest to laboring men and
mechanics, who already had the privileges
the vetoed bill conferred. Opposition to
| the veto was short lived, and feeling of
satisfaction followed that one man had been
| found who had the pluck and the intelli-
gence to oppose such futile legislation even
at the risk of mourning popular disapproval.
The Governor also interposed his veto to
the Mechanics Lien BILL The original in
tention of this bill was to give mechanics
power to secure their wages by the means
| of liens. But it was so amended that its
purpose was either obscured or lost. It
| gave parties four months after performance
| of work or furnishing Of material to file
| lien, period ridiculously prolonged. 1t
also allowed thesam costsas in foreclosures,
| which in the case of small bills would have
| been 80 onerous as to eat them up entirely
But, worst of all, it repealed existing me-
chanics' lien laws which were far more
favorable to the working people than the
| new law. 1t was found to DE q scheme to
make increased lawyers bills and to dimin-
| ish the protection afforded the mechanic.
The Governor very properly accepted the
lesser evil and vetoed the defective bill.
The bill making twelve hours a days
| work for conductors and drivers on street
cars did not in any way prohibit the making
| OF contract requiring any number of hours
| work, and it it had the Governor very aptly
| objected that it was an interference with
| the rights of the employees as well as employ
era. 1t was plain that if the car drivers and
| conductors worked fewer hours they would re-
ceve less pay, and the bill neither did nor could
| prevent that The Governor concluded his objec
tons by saying 81 cannot think this bill is in
| the interest of the workingmen"
| Que charge remains against Governor Cleve-
| lands vetoes. Tho last Legislature made a
| small appropriation for charitable institution
known the Westminster Catholic Protectory.
| The Governor struck it ont and the charge has
| been made that he was hostile to the Catholic
Church as such. Mr.. Henry L. Hoguet, president
| Of the Protectory, says on this question:
1--WE never doubted the sincerity Of the motive
which induced Governor Cleveland to withhold
his signature to the appropriation to the Protec
| tory. We thought then and think that he
was not actuated by any feeling of bieotry or Of
hostility to Catholics the Catholic institutions.
| On the contrary, Governor Cleveland is liberal in
| the extreme, and we of the firm belief that he
was led to withholding his ap prevail of the appro-
| priation solely by sense of public duty as he
| viewed it,
Upon these facts are based all the charges made
against Grover Cleveland, by which it is sought TO
| raise objection to him among the laboring and re-
| ligious clements.