The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-12

upright man, with an honest record upon fnan-
cial questions, a man who is above repr0ach the
chances for the Republicans electing their can-
didate will be, should say. seven out Of ten.p
The Senator went on TO say, as he stroked his
beard thoughtfully: 'The Democrats have a
certain advantage in the Presidential campaign
which cannot be overlooked. They have a solid
South, obtained, as We Republicans believe, by
intimidation and gross frauds There are few
outrages of violence now. yet we believe it Ger
tain that the ballot of the South is not
free, and that will be one of the coming
issues upon which the Republican party will
make its feht--a free ballot and an honest
count The Democratic party, as the situation
now stands, can command in any emergency
and In the light OF any circumstances the entire
vote of the solid South. All that is necessary
beyond that is to carry New York"
The Senator was asked what he thought OF
the Presidents exercise OF the veto power The
Senator replied; Il am pretty sincere believer
IN the vitality of the constitutional division of
the powers of this government. 1t is distinct
provision of the Constitution that the President
shall approve and sign all bills passed by Con
eress before they shall become laws. do not
question his right to disapprove, and the veto
means nothing more nor less than that-a disap-
prevail
What do you think of his vetoes OF the pen
sion bills~
IT think they are fair subjects for criticism
The President has signed great many weaker
cases than those he has disapproved. In the
very nature or things ne could not personally
examine many, il any of these cases. To be
consistent he either should have refused to sign
all of them, in my judgment, upon the theory
that Congress should not pass special bills or
this class or he should have vetoed none of
them. He might have held that the general
law upon the subject of pensions should be
made to cover all granting of pensions, and
that where the law was defective it should have
been amended. This is the actual state of af-
fairs Most OF the people interested in these
pension cases had previously made application
under the general law to the Commissioners
OF Pensions, and upon his rejection
of their claims they appealed to Congress- Then
when Congress approved of their claims they
were sent to the President and he in turn sought
the opinion of the power which had just rejected
the same claims. OF course he could not know
anything about these claims; he had to rely upon
the Pension Office. In other words. the very
court which had given an adverse decision in the
case was called upon to review, as q conrt OF ap.
peal the action OF Congress-"
Mr. Edmunds was asked what he thought of
the President. He was asked if he knew him
very we'll He said: IT never have been very
much ia the habit of going to the White House
under any administration, as | do not do Tauch
business in the Office seeking way. have never
seen the President except in social way, and
have not had any special opportunity for form
ing an opinion as to his general knowledge of
public questions or of his ability as statesman.
have to Judge him by his acts, and in my crit
icsm of those acts have indirectly given you
my opinion of him.