The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-04
! serious attach on Lite and propsr.y made. is !

speech. and stated that so far as the State OF
Arkansas was concerced, order and quiet had
prevailed there since the Democratic party came
into power IN 1874
Mr. George, a member of the judiciary COM
mittee. recognized the bill as presenting ques-
tons of the very gravest Importance, which de-
served careful, calm and dspassionate considera-
ton and he declared himself ready to go into
the discussion of the bill, but on the condition
that no day shall be fixed for adjournment until
the discussion is over. He asked that the SEN
ate would determine now whether it would con-
slider the bill at this session or not
Mr.. Dawes approved Mr.. Hears position In the
matter.
Mr.. Gibson expressed his surprise and regret
that the Senator from Massachusetts, TMr. Hoarl
should have brought into the Senate at tnis hour
of the session subject calculated to create sec
tional debate. The speech was like an iceberg
coming from an arctic region into an atmosphere
of general warmth. shed by sunny and gener-
Gus patriotism. 1t was Indictment against
the entire population from the Potomac to the Rio
Grande. It WAS an apple Of discord thrown into
the Senate in the closing hours of the session.
AS to his own State he bore testimony to the
peace and quiet that prevailed there while, on
the contrary. the country had seen the peace of
society stirred to its lowest depths in the city of
Chicago and the territory adjacent to it. There
they had heard the murmurnes Of deep discon-
tent, threatening the entire framework Of society
itself And yet In the presence of such disor-
ders. threatening all the elements of society, the
Senator from Massachusetts turned aside aud di-
rected his attention to the Southern section.
where peace and quiet prevailed; where there
was not ripple on the surface, where God was
blessing the people with abundant crops, where
the relations between capital and labor were I'M
disturbed whore there was not strike, not a
tumult not a disorder. and where life and prop
erty were protected under the laws.
Mr.. Hoar, in answer to criticisms him by
Senators Kenna and Salisbury for precipitating
this subject on the Senate without notice or
warning traced the several steps by which the
bill had been reported from the judiciary COM
mittee had been indicated by the Republican eau
Gus as one of the important measures to be
pressed at the present session. and had been
mentioned by himself on various recent occa-
sions as matter which he would ask to have
considered before adjournment
Mr.. George asked him whether it was his pur-
pose to ask the Senate to take UP the bill now in
an orderly way.
Mr.. Hoar replied that of course it was. and
suggested that under the explanations which he
had just made, the Senators from West Virginia
AID Delaware would withdraw their criticisms.
Mr.. Kenna said that. so far as the Senator's
declaration of a purpose to have the bill consid-
cred was concerned. he had no issue with him:
but he could not see any cause or pretext for
the Senator'S speech when he knew that his bill
could not be and would not be- considered
Mr.. Hoar went to defend the bin. What
was there in it that was going to stir up section
al strife or that was an indictment against a
whole people? 1t simply provided that if three
citizens of the United States inhabitants Of any
district), should, under OATH declare to a court
that there had been homicide, or other serious
offense against life property by reason of race
or polticsl. the Judge should. thereupon, do what
is done in the case of every coroner's inquest
throughout the land-inquire into the facts and
report them to the Attorney general and to Con-
gress. Why should such a bill be described as
an indictment against whole peoples 1t in
cluded the North as we'll as the South. It de-
E1.r1
Tended the Democrat in Vermont as well as the
Republican in Louisiana Was an American cit
izen to be safer in Mexico than in Mississippi
Was the Mexican flag TO give more safety to
American citizens than the stars and stripesg
Mr.. Riddleberger denounced the bill
Mr.. Blair objected TO the further considsra
ton of the adjournment resolution and it was
placed the calendar.
Mr.. Blair then called I'D the report of the com
mittee on pensions in the case of the vetoed bill
giving pension to Mary j. Nottage, and he pro-
ceeded to state the merits of the case.
Mr.. Platt said the President, who conceived
that he should veto every bill which, as mem
Der of the Senate or House, he would feel called
upon to vote against, had mistaken eastirely the
purpose of the veto and the circumstances under
which it was inten 3ed to be exercised. it was
in no sense legislative function. The very
first sentence of the Constitution was, "Legisla-
tive power is conferred upon Congress" If the
President could veto any bill then this decara-
ton of the Constitution delusion and a
snare. With a minority one third faction the
President could prevent legislation, and then the
days of the rule of the majority were over. The
President should recollect that all legislative
power was conferred upon Congress and none on
him.
Blr. Whitthorne, a member of the pensions
committee, addressed the Senate in support of
the veto. President Cleveland realized the great
danger of special legislation and had the nerve.
wisdom and courage to grapple with it, although
raj n fOrn al
sion bills
Mr. Teller argued against the idea of any leg
islative power being vested in the President
The trainers OF the Constitution had not in
tended to vest any legislative power in the Pres
ident: otherwise they would not have confined
it exclusively to Congress. The veto power was
q shield, and not a sword. 1t was negative
power. He likened the position of the President
engaged in examining and vetoing pension bills
to that of an "eagle catching flies.n and said
that the people of the United States did not ex-
pect their eagle to be so employed.
The debate was interrupted to allow the con-
ferees on the river and harbor bill to report an
agreement
Mr.. Cullom expressed his disapproval of the
conference report particularly in regard to the
way in which the Hennepin canal matter was
treated The Secretary of War was instructed
to have the canal surveyed. That was mere
tri6ng with the subject The government had
been surveying that canal as long as he could
recollect In his candid opinion the Henne pin
canal Improvement was of more importance to
the commerce of the country than all other
items in the bill-except that for New York
harbor.
For some unexplained reason several of the
items for bayous in the South were increased,
but this Important improvement had disappeared
from the bill He could not consistently with
his sense of duty, submit to the passage of the
Dill reported.
Mr.. Gibson called attention to the fact that
while appropriations were made for the Mssis-
sippi and Missouri rivers, there was not dollar
appropriated for the compensation and expenses
of the Mississippi river commission
Mr.. Cockrell-Then the bill ought not to pass.
Mr.. Gibson-No such bill as this ought to pass.
The conference report was agreed to without
division
The Senate resumed consideration of the
vetoed bill granting a pension to Mary J. Not
tage, the question being on its passage, notwith
standing the objection of the President The
vote Was taken, and resulted-yeas &c, nays 10,
party VOTE except that Mr.. Wilson, of Mary