The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-05
GAe GttekLigsttlen
wnEELING, ", VA JUll o 1856



In the matter Of yetoes President CleVe-
land has broken the record. He is 80 far
ahead that there ia no room for compSri-
son. All the yeloes Of all his predeces'
sor fall far behind his, and he has only
been at It for sixteen months. SO free u
use Of the veto power by . BritiAh SOW
ereign would provoke revolution
The veto power Is placed in the hands
ofthe President of the United States tobe
used at his discretion, but it was expected
that the occasions would be rare in which
he would think it wise and expedient to
make use Of 1t, Carrying out this idea the
VETO power was used sparingly In the
ea,ly days. General Grant excited com'
ment by the freedom with which he put
on the stamp Of Executive dlsapproysIr
but after President Cleveland's ieats IN
tbis lipe there 10 nobody entitled to be
mentioned with him in this connection
President oleyeland's use Of the veto
power has been a veritable slaughter,
A Senate Committee or a House Com
mittee may examine pension claim care
iplly and thoroughly and report 1t unani'
mously; the bill may pass both houses OF
Congress without dissenting voice; in
the Presidents mind this creates no pre-
aumntion in favor Of the measure, He
desires to cut down tho expenditures Tor
pensions, and he does 1t with his veto.
A mere veto does not content him. He
must indulge not very high order OF wit
at the expenae Of the claimant, ofthe COM
mittee or Of Congress, He steps down
from his presidential dignity and becomes
flippant, as though he were making merry
on the floor OF the House. This is the
style which the Senate Committee on
Pensions chaacterzss as rude, unjust and
unexampled, and tho committee is not too
severe in Its Criticism.
Beyond doubt, there are many iraudu'
lent pension claims presented to Congress-
1t Is also true that many are thrown out
But what better taCllitles has the Presi-
dent than Congress TO determine the
merit Of pension claim2 II he meansto
put a stop to oil pension bills while he is
in office, his action ls ineligible though
not necessarily commendable. II he in.
tends 10 pick out Of the batch the few
which he thinks ought to pass, bis course
will work great injustice, for be has no
time or opportunity to investigate each
case. II the whole is as much tainted as
the President assumes 1t to be, he is
as likely to approve one Of the many bad
as Of the few good.
The people Of this country do not want
their money wasted, yet they have always
desired to be fair, even liberal, to the men
who offered their lives to save the Union.
They have desired to be as just to the
private, hiswldow and iatherless children,
as to the general officer or those who may
have been dependent upon him. Millions
have been appropriated for pensions. The
country is willing to appropriate millions
more II that be necessary to pay, SO far as
money can pay, a debt which never can
be redeemed in full.
The President Is in error Il he thinks he
has struck a popular streak In his whole
sale pension yetoes. II he is following the
leading Of conscience, no has conscience
which ought not to be armed with the
veto power.