The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-07-07
THE PRESIDENT.

With a nest of hlibusters Ill Congress
and the President cruising about Chesa-
peake bay in the Corsair, some patriotic
citizens solicitously inquire, "Whitner I
are we drifting ?" Scarcely had he been
enticed from his hard work of the past
week, for little recreation, than lie was
again at his desk refreshed for another |
round of executive vetoes Of spurious
pension bills. Some idea may be obtain
ed of the steady, hard work of the presi,
dent lately, when ii is stated that On one
day he approved lightweight pension
bills and vetoed thirty, giving each care.
full personal attention before action. The
veto messages were written by himself
and each averaged over page of fool
soap paper, closely written. In examin'
ing each bills separately, he had for his
guidance the reports from the Senate
and House Committees and the report
from the Pension Bureau. The Treasury
has never had 80 reliable watchdog as
President Cleveland. Not only has he
beaten the record on yetoes, but he
vetoed more bills on one day alone than
any previous President had disapproyed
during his entire term of Office. His
total record is now about seventy-six
while previous to his accession the
whole number of vetoes from the founda-
ton of the Government was only 100.
All but seven of Mr.. Cleveand's vetoes
were of private pension bills. Before
his Administration only one pension
bill had ever been disapproved and that
was by Gen. Grant.
The prospect of an early adjournment
of Congress has also received summary
disapproyal from the President. He has
notified the able legislative politicians
who have been in the habit of crowdlng
through their schemes during the last
gasps of the session, that he intends to
read each bill carefully and inform him
self of its provisions before he signs it.
He asserts that he will not 60 to the
Capitol and approve bills as fast as they
are brought to him for the sake OF ex-
pediting adjournment. With regard to
appropriation bills he deems it as his
duty to consider every item, and he
warns the members of the two Houses
that they need not send him along bills
appropriating large sums of money writ
ten q day or two before adjournment
with the idea that he will approve them
blindly. With his feeling ofresponsibility
he declares that he can do nothing Of
the kind. While the Democrats are de-
lighted with Mr. Cleveland's aggressive
attitude with relation to pension bills,
the Republicans are frothlng with IN
dignation. Representative B.tyne, of Pa,
made vicious attack upon what &c
called the Presidents UNPARALLELED
monopoly of power, and the Republican
side applauded his vituperation. Mr..
Bayne was insulted beyond expression
bv the temerity of this man (the Presi
dent who had sneered at the reports Of
committees of this House and the SEN
ate. This man himself no soldier, but
walking the paths of peace, while these
other men imperiled their lives to save
the Union. Some of the vetoed claims
were 50 grotesque that the President, IN
his messages, could not refrain from pre-
senting their ridiculous aspect, for in
stance this case. A soldier remained
in the army one month and seventeen
days, having entered it as a substitute
at the time when high bOunties were
paid. Fifteen years after this brilliant
service he discovered that an attack OF
measles had some relation to his array
enrolment, and that the disease had
tfsKed a pension UeCause OF Ine ueirT- N
a son killed in action. Being poor he
sent his son to live with an uncle and
afterwards with a stranger. The soa
was killed in '62 but the father did not
know of it until "a. The President
thought after such an exhibition of
abandonment and heartlessness on the
part of father he should not be allowed
any benefits of patriotic sons death.