Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-04
A Power the President Ought to
Have.


The adverse report of the Judiciary
Committee OF the House on the bill
authorizing the President to veto Items
in appropriation bills is exciting consid-
cradle comment. The general impression
seems to be that law giving the Presi-
dent the power which this bill proposes
to give him would be good one.
1t is, undoubtedly, true that great
many millions Of dollars are voted away
/ in appropriation bills TOR which the peo-
/ pie receive little or no benefit. One mem
her wants an appropriation made for one
thing and another for another thing, and
they get together and agree to assist each
other in getting what they want. la
other words, a combination is formed to
get from the Treasury money that
couldn't be got If each member of the
House or Senate acted in accordance
with his judgment and his oath.
Anyone who listens to a debate on an
appropriation bill will not be long in
reaching the conclusion that the peoples
representatives are exceedingly liberal
with the peoples money, and that the
man purpose of their hberalty is TO
strengthen themselves with a few of their
influential constituents.
The committee in their report say that
''the money Of the people is more sale in
the keeping of their Representatives and
Senators than OF the one man whom the
voice OF the whole people calls to the
Presidency" 1t is by no means certain
that this statement IS correct. The lone
man" is in a position that is so exposed
that the chances are not one in a thousand
that he would swerve from the strict line
of duty to serve any particular
interest or section. The Representatives
and Senators, however, who act together
in lOg-rolling their little jobs into the APP
preparation bills are shielded from indi-
vidual responsibility by the body of whIoh
they are members. Congress is blamed
for making this or that appropriation,
while those through whose management
the Objectionable items we're gotten into
the bill escape cehsure.
A strong argument in favor Of giving
the President the power Of vetoing items
is that several of the States, including
New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois,
have amended Jcer constitutions so as to
give thar Governors the same sort o:
power with reference to State apprOpria-
ton bills. Its exercise has been very salts
tactory-so satisfactory, in fact, that in
no one of the States in which 1t is now ex-
ercised is there the least opposition to it.
1t IS worthy Of notice that all OF the Terri
tories that are applying for admission to
the Union, have provided in their consti-
tutions thas their Governors may veto
portions Of a bill without vetOing the
whole of it.
1t is pretty certain that President
Cleveland would use the power Of Veto
ing parts OF bills freely if he had it, judg-
ing from the way he uses the power to
veto that he now has. Within the last
week or two he has sent three veto mess a.
| ges to Congress, all of which commanded
such respect that the attempt to override
them failed utterly. 1t is not improbable
that the time IS not distant when the veto
power OF the President will be extended.
| in accordance with the provisions of the
| bill which the Judiciary Committee OF
the House sjust reported against. Con-
gressmen, OF course, dislike to lose any
of their privileges or powers but they
must obey public sentiment.