The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-07-08
THE vEroEs.

war, or snatch away the morsel OF bread
which the country offers disabled veteran.
Ii can stop the erection of fine public
building in Podunk, OF it can deprive Pr
waite John Smiths little orphans Of shoes
and stockings and school-boOks. The i'm
mense and the insignificant, the generous
and the mean are equally within its scope,
and President Cleveland seems bent on find
ing out just what are its capacities for small
forms Of injustice. We say "small with
reference TO the amounts involved in these
Vetoes-not in regard to their consequences
to the unhappy individuals. To MIR. Cleye-
land, clad in metaphorical purple and real
fine linen, and faring sumptuously every
day on his income of $4,000 a year, with
house, furniture, and many other necessaries
supplied by the people, it doubtless seems
very small matter whether Private Peter
Brown or Corporal 81 Klegg gets an allow
ance of Sc or IS month or not. Six dol
lars month is but So year, or what Mr..
Cleveland gets for about three hours Of the
time he deyotes to business He could not
only lose So month, but sc week-S6 a
day even, without feeling it in the slightest.
He would not smoke one cigar less, or econ
omize in bottle of wine.
But to Private Brown or Corp Klegg, Sc
month may mean everything. 1t may
mean the only source from which bread and
meat can come for 80 long days. 1t may
mean medicines for the sick, shoes for the
barefoot. and even burial for the dead.
The objection to the Presidents veto does
not rest wholly on this ground. The veto
power is something that has always been
felt as near mistake as anything in
our organic law. The graEest fears have
been entertained in regard TO itby all students
of the science Of Government. Consequently
every President who has been keenly alive
to the prophecies Of his high Office has used
the veto power very sparingly. He has felt,
as he should feel, that the main response
bility for legislation lies with the men whom
the people have chosen for Legislators, and
that 1t savors Of presumption-if nothing
worse-for him 10 set up his individual con-
science, and his personal opinions as some
thing much superior to those Of majority
Of both Houses Of Congress Mr.. Cleveland,
on the other hand, has used the veto power
trivially, when he has not used it spitefuIly.
lie has vetoed for frivolous reasons, and ac-
companied his yetoes with messages belittled
by lame efforts at wit and sarcasm.
Naturally this has been very irritating to
the Senate and House Of Representatives,
and the Senate Committee on Pensions has
spoken its mind very plainly:
So great has become the number OF such vetoes
iuterPosed by the present Executive all within a
few weeks past and 80 extraordinary the censure,
sometimes rndsly expressed and in nearly every
instance severely implied Of ihe action Of the two
Houses Of Congress and Of their committees upon
whom has deyolVed the weaFisome and generally
unhppreciated labor Of investigating these claims
accompanied In many eases by such ridcule Of and
evident disgust with the claims themselves that
your COMMITTEES feel that they are justified in q
brief review ofthe circumstances involved.
IN doing this strong effort viii be made 10 re-
strain NOT unnatural feeling Of Indignation which
II permitted 10 assume the proportions which the
prOrocafiOn juslifes would wholly destroy those
E fsrfF q
tanned Ia official intercourse between the different
officers and Departments Of the Government. Thi.
becomes the more necessary in proportion ne il ID
rendered the more difficult by reasons Of the unjust
and uneXaniiled style IN which some Of the
messages Of the President are expressed. II shall
be the eiiou II The COMMITTEES 10 get on IN thi.
difficult matter without violating the oourtesies O.
Official intercourse by initiating an example which
70 far AZ we are aware Is without president, and
which, 10 far IA we concerned. shall remain 50
The committee proceeds to show that q
per cent Of the Senate bills and only 81 pei
cent Of the House hills submitted TO the
President have been vetoed, and says il il
not insensible TO the special condemnation
which this disparaging contrast inaicts. II
goes on to say:
Much criticism hns been indulrcd IN tv The PreaI
dent Of the methods ~ legislation pursued by IN,
two Houses Or Congress, and however uninforrnel
+ hs may be upon the subiect. and however uninteb
tioually by reasOn 81 want Of knowledge he may
have misFepreseuied 70 the country the methods O
legislation which have been pursued In Ike casea
ever since Congress- and l'aIliaments have ex
] listed, and which have since I,nrlnments bccam,
free, been safe from Hingly and Presidential inter
fcrcnce, all lie same the people arc nislcd by th
unwaFrDHted statements 81 the President az 10 IA,
manner IN which Legislation upon pensions claim
and the like "a and ~ necessity must be conducted
The pension business Of the senate ha
never been better done 0ian during this session
Those members Of ths committee who have per
formed the moa have been az careful IA any An,
dcrision 81 their patient, considerations and e1
hauatlng lab0rs 10 help along those nohest an
bcst portions Of God poor and the c0untTys banc
factors can originate only Ia a wise and noble IA
ture which Il misied. or Ia one lint II Informed
sadly needs reconstruction recreation.
The feeling in the House, though not )
openly expressed as in the Senate, Is stil
deep and strong and 50 the President Wi
likely discover.
AN ECONOMIC SUGGESTION.