Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-04
VETO POWER.
Mr.. Blaine Discusses President
CleVeland'S Abuse Of II.
And Compares with Predecessors.
The Pitiful Pittances Denied Soldiers
and the Gratuities Granted Bankers.


DETROIT, Oct. g.
| Blaine spoke about 2S minutes this after
noon to an audience of 5000 people in the
Detroit rink. The cold weather preventing
a meeting in Recreation Park. He was
loudly cheered, but quite a large contingent
of democrats made their presence and sym
pathies known when in the course OF his
speech he referred 10 Gen. jackson and
President Cleveland. Gen. Alger presided
over the meeting. Mr.. Blaine spoke of the
veto power, and referred to its use by vari-
Gus Presidents from Washington down. and
commenting on the fact that Cleveland had
used it over 800 times agaius 15 times
by all his predecessors. Continuing he said
And of those vetoes by Cleveland, 206 have
been used to prevent the pitiful pension OF
SIC a month. or SIS 90 a month"; few,
believe of SIP 90 month TO worn
down and starving soldiers of the United
States, Cheers, and cries of "hear, hear,
and he is the first President of the United
States that ever vetoed bill for the relief of
a soldier that had offered his body to cannon,
shot and shell of the enemy of his country.
Cheers. There was not in any one of
these vetoes, believe, a charge that the
men to whom pensions were 10 be given had
not been soldier of the United States.
There was not single question that they
who were to be relieved by the pension
sought, were in sore and pressing need of
bread. There was not in any single
case the slightest question involved
of the constitutional power of congress TO
grant pensions. All OF. .Clevelands yetoes Of
pension bills read precisely as though they
were decisions of the Commissioner of PEN
sions for an application for pensions under
the existing law. We all know that from
nf Ia, ,ba
al pension law provides for a general class
of cases. We DO our best by general law TO
reach all cases but in generaltzing there will
always be found exceptions and every one
of those FOG that met veto from the Presi-
dent came outside the general law, but not
outside of the personal merit OF the men
who applied for relief. Applause Every
case has been before committee of the
republican Senate. Every case has been
before a committee of the d tmocratc House
and every case has been passed through the
republican Senate and democratic House"
Blaine then turned to the surplus which he
said the President had been industriously
accumulating for the LIST year and half
More than sixty millions had been loaned
without interest to the various banks
throughout the country, resulting in an an
nual gratuity of So 900 given by the
President aud secretary of the treasury to
rich bankers when it might more worthily
have been bestowed upon the soldiers.
Upon the close of his speech three cheers
were gwen for Mr.. Blaine. Gen.
Alger stepped to the front of the platform
as Blaine took his seat andinquired What's
the matter with james G. Blaine," TO which
the audience responded thunderously, Hes
all right" and then there were further
cheers. Blaine was followed by Gen. Adam
King of Mary land and others. Blaine will
go by special train tomorrow morning to
Adrian where he will address mass meet
ing.