Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-05-09
A SOUND VETO.
A PROPER REBUKE TO Ay ILL7IMED
PRETESsE OF PATRIOTISM.
Tho Governor vctoes AN ni-advised Measure
for the burial of Indigent Veterans.
vital Objections to the Bill ana
Very Many of Them.

Following is the full text OF the veto mes q
sage sent to the Legislature yesterday by Gov G
nor Pattison: [
TO ne House Of Representatives. Of he Common. I
wealth Of Pennsyftanio.
GENTLEMEN I hereby return without my |,
signature House bill No. 10, entitled "An act
authorizing and requiring the county COM
missioners of each county In the state to ap-
point sufficient number OF suitable persons
In each township and ward of their county, |
at the expense OF the county, to look after,
bury, and provide headstone for the body
of any honorably discharged soldier, sailor,
orr or marine who served in the army or navy
or any preceding war, and shall hereafter die
in their county, leaving insufficient means TO
defray the necessary burial expenses"
The bill requires the commissioners OF
every county in the state to appoint in every
ward and township In their respective coun-
ties such number OF persons as they shall
deem " sufficient" who shall hold their OFF,
| ces during the pleasure.of the commission
| ers, and be charged with the following du-
| ties To "look after and cause to be buried
| in decent and respectable manner In any |
cemetery or burial ground within the state
| other than those used exclusively for the bur- |
| al of the pauper dead" the bodies of hon |
orably discharged soldiers, sailors, or mar |
| ines who served in the army and navy of the |
| United States i'm the late rebellion, or any |
preceding war, and who may die leaving in
| sufficient means to pay for their burial. For
the cost of every such burial to the amount
of $685. the county commissioners are re-
| quested to draw warrants upon the treasurer
| of the county, to be paid out Of the fund of
the county" After such burial, the COM
missioners are required to erect over every
such grave headstone Of such design and
material as they think proper, inscribed with
the name Of the person and the organization
in which he served and Tor the payment of
the expense of every such headstone the
commissioners TO draw warrant to the
| n ~ III
the funds of the county i'm which said soldier,
sailor or marine died"
UNwARRANTED AND PREPosTERoUs.
This bill is a remarkable exhibition of the
unwarranted and prcposterous extent to
which most laudable and patriotic senti-
I | ment may be carried. That principle which
! induces governments to pension and pro-
vide for injured and destitute soldiers Is
founded in wise policy as well as dictated by
aspirit of liberal humanity. The United
| States and our own commonwealth have
carried this principle into their laws with no
: niggard hand. Thoughtful patriots have not
+ hestated to say that all has been done in
q this direction that the most generous and
a grateful of governments ought TO do consis-
tently with common prudence and wise
J. public policy, and that the limit has been
h reached beyond which liberality will become
d extravaganza and benevolence breed abuse.
II | The bill herewith returned is striking
Al proof of the justice of such warnings, and an
70 credulity that may characterize legislation
oi enacted under the pressure of misguided
% charity. BY this bill any man who fought
az | in the United States army i'm any war, and
IN | who dies in any county of tho state without
,o | leaving sufficient means for his burial, imme
. diately becomes charge upon that county
y for his burial TO the amount of $50. lie may
n never have had n residence in the county ht
IS may even never have been citizen of tht
state he may not have been wounded oI
become diseased or disabled in the public
service; he may die as the result Of his vice'
IA or his crimes, by accident, or by his Owl
:" hand he may have enjoyed and wasted tht
bounty Of the federal government or of th'
"a state for years he may die in the perpetra
ne justice of another jurisdiction but, N
I'd matter who ho il or what else In
has been, IL he served i'm the arm!
It's or navy of the United States in any war ant
o. dies destitute in any county, that count.
4, must bury him at an expense OF s35, ant
erect a headstone over his grave at n cost @
+, Sl5 destitute soldier of the Mexican
az m war, who enlisted from the state of Ne,
n Jersey, and who all his life has been res
I'll dent of that state, may go into Philadephi
VI and die there or one from the state of Ne,
York may wander into and die in any cour
ys ty on our northern border, and in each cas-
ist tho county in which the soldier dies become
ne liable for an expenditure Of $50 for his buTia
ks And so of destitute soldiers coming into on
Tic commonwealth from any other state-n
matter how they come or what caused thei
Ill destitution, so that they get into our state an
'as die there, this bill operates to charge til
mt counties, which may be so unfortunate as I
ch be the places of their death, with the cost {
ck their burial. Could any bill be more void
intelligent Ii!; principle Or based upo
of kind is provided to protect the cour
"a. ties from imposition, and no account wha
fer ever is taken Of any of the many circuu
nm stances that in the most liberal pension Law
that were ever enacted are always made a
indispensable condition for the enjoyment
hair laIfs
AT any reason why n soldier who was nevt
ct credited to Pennsylvania who never n
~; Elected any honor upon her arms; who nevt
n nu contributed by industry, citizenship or oil
ay erwise to her prosperity, should by the mel
accident OF death within her horders be ei
ie, titled, no matter what his lite or charactt
his have been, TO the burial this bill provides
ro- the expense of one OF the counties. The lowl
by citizen of our state, who, though not soldie
IN has spent all his life within our common
ay wealth, supporting her institutions and d.
he Tending her reputation by virtue, sobriet
m and industry, and who, through misfortune
dies pauper, can claim no such privilege
an | this bill gives indiscriminately to the strai
xa gers OF whatever character He must receiy
te, pauper's burial; It tisquite possible to col
ali ceive, if this bill should become law, tn;
of | neighboring states might rapidly be relieve
mt | of much of their unproductive soldier pop,
ed | lation to the marked increase of that class i
by | our own state.
ELABORATE MACHINERY.
y, | lue iuacHiiieIy proNlueu ny tne Dlil It
ose carrying out its provisions also calls tor m
~ ~ tice. 1t authorizes and makes it the duty
of the commissioners to appoint an indefinit
an number of persons in every ward and towI
his ship of the state who are to be the officer
of having i'm charge tie burials in their respe,
ge, tive wards and townships. This means tn
creation of many hundrods-possibly thous
mt ands-ofiicials and while the bill provide
at that they shall serve without compensation
ne yet experience shows that official duties il
ok variably entail official expense, and it is NJ
ms probable that these official functionarie
le- would be any exception to the rule. Apai
M from this, however, it is always an obiectio
We when legislation creates an undue number
ill officers, which this bill undoubtedly does.
ut 1t may well be questioned also, whethe
ty, the provisions of this measure fall within tn
~d scope of the legislative power. 1t will b
observed that IL does not appropriate tn
NV money OF the state, but attempts to direct tn
is bounty of the counties. 1t commands ths
certain political subdivisions of the stat
'ut shall perform certain charitable acts-no
nd generally, as in establishing poorhouse O
ire the like, which is am exercise of the genera
er police power of the state-but especially, i'm
IL special manner, with reference to specis
II