The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-29


$15O, 600 ,O00 II the bill was defeated
the responsibility would not rest
on the Democratic side of the
chamber 1t would rest ON those Sena-
tors who had put amendments into the
bill with the certain knowledge of its
being vetoed; who had done it with their
eyes open, and with the understanding
that not only consistency but con-
scious sentiment of duty, even although
an election was coming on this year,
would require the same to be done now
as was done last session with a like BILL
MR.. PLUMB ASKS QUESTIONS.
Mr.. Plumb asked Mr.. Faulkner
whether, under the bill as reported by
the committee, person who could per-
form any manual labor would be en-
titled to it's benefits.
Mr.. Faulkner replied in the negative.
Mr. Plumb inquired whether there
would be any grading of pensions under
the bill.
Mr.. Faulkner again replied in the
negative.
Mr. Plumb asked whether he believed
the President would veto the bill.
The presiding officer Qngalls) here in
terfered and said that it had always
been held to be breach of order to refer
in debate to the action of the executive.
Mr.. Plumb expressed his regret that
the char had not thought SO when the
co~a+1xr f,o,,, Uyazt U;rfr;,;a xvac oroal--
ing. The presiding officer-The chair
had intended, before this, to say, and
does take occasion now TO say, that it
has never been held to be in order in de-
bate in the Senate to refer to the opinion
of the executive or to the action of the
executive as an argument for or against
pending legislation.
Mr. Faulkner said that he had no opin-
ion whatever on the subject, and had
expressed none.
MIR. PLUMB sPoUTs.
Mr. Plumb said that he had under
stood the Senator from West Virginia to
say that consistency, if not principle,
''even if there was perhaps an election
pending" (whatever he might have
meant by that would require the bill to
be vetoed, and that there had been an eff
fort to get bill which the President
would sign, otherwise the bill never
of the chamber. And to that complex
ion had it come at last" The Republi-
can side of the chamber had been told
that it was to take the RESPONSE
bility of legislation that might
not meet the views of the
President. If that was not complete
subordination of the legislative to the
executive authority he did not see how
it could be made any more SO. If the
| Senate was willing to put itself i'll that
| attitude he had no objection. He pro-
| posed to discuss the question on its
merits, not considering what the Presi-
dent might think about it. The President
was, in regard to the bill in its present
stage, private citizen-no more, no
less. His opinion might be good or
might be bad, but he could only express
it in the way provided by the Constitu-
| ton and laws. At all events, Senators
were not to put themselves prone on
their fronts, and ask the President in
advance whether he was going to sign
an act.
MR.. TELLER PROTESTS.
Mr.. Teller protested against the Senate
being threatened with an executive veto.
He had never heard of such thing be-
fore in the Senate. and he hoped he
would never hear it again. 1t seemed
to him to be great degradation to the
Senate for Senator to stand up and say
that he proposed to be governed in his
vote by what the executive thought, OF
felt, or wanted.
BECK TAKES THE FLOOR.
Mr.. Beck hoped the Senator from Col
orado would tell the Senate what he
thought of the speech of the Senator
from Nebraska (Manderson,) as to the
action of the Grand Army of the Repub
lie, the beneficiaries under the bill, as tC
what their lodges and posts had deter
mined that the Senate should do. and how
far that was legitimate. The Senator
from Nebraska had told the Senate tina
the action of the Committee on Pensions
in reporting the bill had grown out o.
the action of the Grand Army of th.
Republic. which was to be itself tn,
beneficiary under the bill. The Senatori
speech, he said, was more degrading tt
the Senate than any allusion to the Presi
dents action ON the bill could be.
MR.. BLACKBURN SPEAKS.
Mr.. Blackburn said he deprecated the
, violation of that very proper rule whicl
prohibited Senator or Representative
from undertaking toinfiuence legislativ,
: action by any reference to the presumed
course of the executive. He had hear,
that rule violated by three Senators
} Davis, Henderson and Blair. Thes
Senators had all said the bill had to b
framed and fashioned to avoid a vet
: message at the hands of the executive
He did not know what authority the
2 had for the statement. But he did kno,
: that there was but one political organ
: zation in the country to-day which wa
$ in perfect marching order, ready to tax
| the field with knapsacks packed, and a
e things ready. 1t was the Grand Arm
e of the Republic. which representa-
g the only efficiently organized politics
system on the continent to-day. I'll
Senator from Nebraska who so abl
S championed the bill had told the Senai
n and the country that the bill was d.
t nand made by the Grand Army of IL
/ Republic. and had protested substai
; TALLY against any material amendmer
It of it. Because that organization ha
II | formula ed-uchats Not ifS ,,otitinr