Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-07-15
mEr AND AsswERsD.
rns Facts About sovsrnor tisvelsna's
vetoss.

Philadelphia Times.
The grounds upon which It Is sought 10
create prejudice against Governor Cleve.
land are his vetoes Of the five cent fare
bill, the mechanics lien bill and the bill
regulating the hours of labor Of drivers
and conductors OF horse oars.
The bill fixing the fare on the elevated
railways at i've cents abrogated a right
vested In the corporation by q previous
Legislature. In that act the regulation OF
fares Was distinctly surrendered BY the
state until the net earnings should reach
given sum. In spite OF this agreement in
the contract the Legislature OF 1883 passed
q bill making q uniform rate OF fare OF
five cents. The governor vetoed 1t on the
ground that the Legislature could not
abrogats vested right There was not
the sliQhtest doubt that the courts OF tue
state would have taken the same view.
That tho proposed reductions were only
of the slightest interest to workingmen is
shown by the fact that the rate had long
been Ave cents from half-past five to half
past eight q. m, and from half'past four
TO half-past seven p. m. The reduction
Of fares at other hours in the day was q
manifest advantage to bankers, brokers,
business men and amusement seekers, but
not Of the smallest interest to laboriDg
men aud mechanics, who already had the
privileges the vetoed bill conferred
Opposition to the veto was short lived, aud
q feeling OF satisfaction followed that one
man had been found who had the pluck
and the intelligence 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 origina
intention Of this bill was to give meohan
los power to secure their wages by the
means Of liens. But, 1t was so amended
that it's purpose was either obscured or
lost. 1t gave parties four months after
performance of work or furnishing OF
material to file lien, aperiod ridiculously
prolonged. 1t also allowed the same costs
small bills would have been so onerous as
to eat them up entirely. But, worst OF
all, it repealed existing mechanics lien
laws which were far more favorable to the
working people than the new law. 1t was
found to be q scheme to make increased
lawyers' bills and to diminish the proteo-
tion afforded the mechanic. The governor
very properly accepted the lesser evil and
vetoed the defective bill.
The bill making twelve hours a day 8
work for conductors and drivers on street
oars did not in any way prohibit the max
ing Of q contract requiring any number OF
hours work, aud il it had the governor
very aptly objected that it was an inter.
ference with the rights Of the employees as
we'll "a employers. 1t was plain that ii
the car drivers and conductors worked
fewer hours they would receive less pay,
and the bill neither did nor could prevent
that. The governor concluded his objec
tions by say ing cannot think this bll
is In the interest of the workingmen."
One charge remains against Gov. Cleye
lands vetoes. The last Lsgisla' a'ure made
small appropriation for charitable iusti
tuition known as the Westchester Catholi
Protectory. The governor struck it out
and the charge has been made that he wa
hostile to the Catholic church as such. Mr.
Henry L. Hoguet, president of the Pro
tectory, says on this question
We never doubted the sincerity of tn
motive which induced Governor ClevelsD
to withhold his signature to the appropri
atom Ito the ProtectoIy. We thought thei
and think now that he was not actuatet
by any feeling of bigotry or of hostility Il
Catholics or to the Catholic institutions
On the contrary, Governor Cleveland il
liberal in the extreme, and we are of the
firm bslief that he was led to withhold hi
approval Of the appropriation solely by a
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 obj ction to
him amoug the laboring aud religious ele'
nenfa