National Republican., 1888-02-29

was made to get bill which the President
would sign, and, that was to be tho limit,
the verge Of what the Senate was to do.
Mr.. Blair said that, as O member OF the
committee on pensions, he was constrained
to recognize the fact that II the bill con-
tained the amendments put into It, 1t would
be vetoed. He was coerced to support the
BILL as IL came from the committee by
knowledge Of the fact that unless the SEN
ate passed II ia that shape they would get
nothing whatever In the way OF remedy for
the men who were suffering-20,000 OF
them. He could not ignore the fact that
the President was coordinate branch OF
the government. The ex-soldlers who
would be relieved by the bill were appeal
ing. to Congress to iegislate In view OF the
facts, and not In relation to the campaign
OF next autumn.
Mr.. Teller protested against the senate Of
the United States being threatened with an
executive veto. He had never heard such
thing before In the Senate, and he hoped
he would never hear II again.
IL seemed to him to be great degradation
to the Senate for senator to stand up ani
say that he proposed to be governed In his
vote by what the Executive thought, or felt,
or wanted. The President was q co.ord-
nate branch OF the government, but was not
the legislative department OF the govern
ment. II the great high body which had
maintained for 100 years decent, dignifled
position among the people was to be threat
ened with Executive disapprobation there
would be an end, and there ought TO be an
end, to the American Senate.
Mr.. Beck intimsted that the g. A. X.
had determined the extent OF the legisla-
tion, and the insinuation was promptly
met by Senator Manderson, who, In the
course OF his remarks, ridiculed the idea
OF an immaculate and unapproachable
President. He claimed the right, not only
In bis capacity as senator, but as citl-
zen, to criticize even the acts OF the Presi-
dent. He had not discussed the probable
action OF the President on the bill, except
to suggest the desire to have a bill passed
that would probably become a law. 1t was
that which he felt to be a degradation to
the Senate, and he thought that every sena-
tor ought to feel that It was degradation.
He did not mean to say that the President
was responsible for that. II he was he
ought to be impeached. The President had
no business catching the ears of senators
before the bill was presented to him.
Mr. Blackburn said that he deprecated
the violation OF that very proper rule which
prohibited senator or representative from
undertaking to influence legislative action
by any reference to the presumed course Of
the Executive. lie had heard that rule
violated by three seuators-Mr. Davis, Mr..
Mapderson, and Mr.. Blair. These senators
had all said that the bill had TO be framed
and fashioned to avoid veto message at
the hands Of the Executive. lie did not
know what authority they had for the state.
ment, but he did know that there was but
one political organization In the country
to-day which was In perfect marching or.
der-ready to take the field with knapaacks
packed and all things ready. 1t was not
the Democratic uarty. Flushed with its
recent victory, it had lost something of Its
realization and Of the appreciation of the
necessity for it. 1t was not the Republican
party. Crushed by its long expected
and well earned defeat, It's dislnte-
grafton had made 1t anything ex.
cept an efficient organization to-day.
1t was the Grand Army Of the Republic
which represented the only efficiently Or
ganized political system on the continent
to-day. The senator from Nebraska, who
SO ably championed the bill, had told the
Senate and the country that the bill was
the demand made by the Grand Army Of
the Republic, and had protested, substan.
TALLY, against any material amendment Of
1t, because that organization had formu-
lated-whatP Not It's petition to an Ameri-
can Congress, but It's demand on an Ameri.
can Congress for legislation In which las
his colleague had saidl 1t was itself to be
the beneficiary.
After further debate by Messrs. Teller,
Hoar,. Blackburn, Blair, and Mauderson
the bill went over without action, and the
Senate proceeded to executive business,
and at P. m. adjourned.