St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-15
THAT VETO AMENDMENT.

The mistakes of the federal conStitu-
ton are not many, and yet some of them
are so glaring it is wonder that no at
tempt has been made to correct them.
Probably the most serious mistake
made by the constitution makers was
in regard to the veto power to be eXer-
cisedby the executive department of
the government. The purpose of the
veto is to use it as check on the legis-
lative branch, and yet, owing to the
skill with which parliamentary tricks
can be perpetrated, the purpose of the
veto is entirely thwarted in many in
stances where its exercise would not
only be justifiable, but is absolutely es-
sential to the protection of public in
terests. The fault lies in the constitu-
tional provision which conferS the veto
power upon the executive, in that
it fails to give the president discretion
airy power in approving part of a bill
and disappearing the remainder of it.
A notable instance of the public wrong
inflicted by this mistake in the consti-
harbor bill lately passed by congress.
In the main the appropriations men
toned in the bill were reasonable, and
demanded by public necessity. Yet
there were other items which were not
only unreasonable, but are an absolute
waste of public money. The president
was conscious of this fact, and if it had
been in his power would have vetoed
the Objectionable provisions. But if he
Of oil ha hor hoI 10 -
in the lump. Under the constitution he
had to veto the entire bill, or none of it,
To have diSapproyed the bill would have
been to have defeated appropriations
that were imperatively demanded. Yet
his conscience would not allow him to
give the executive approval to the items
which he knew to be fragrant waste of
public moneys. So the only thing he
could do in this dilemma was to with
hold his signature and allow the bill to
become law 10y operation of law. This
single instance illustrates the necessity
for an amendment to the federal cOnSti-
tuition comforting upon the executive a
discriminating veto power, by which the
president will be authorized to approve
certain provisions of a bill and to dis
approve others. The necessity for
this amendment is made all the more
imperative by the formidable growth of
the ''lOgrolling" system in congress-a
system which, if permitted to endure,
will always be nothing more or less than
a system of legaliZed thievery. 1t has
now come to pass that appropriation
bills are not constructed upon any i'll
telligent idea of the public wants, but
they are largely made up with items
that may concern the local interests of
this and that congressman. The mem
bers get together, and upon the princi-
pie of "You tickle me ana I'll tickle
you," they agree upon appropriation
bills that annually drain the public
treasury of great amount OF
money that ought to be devoted
to better purposes. They are shrewd
enough, generally, to embody in the bill
appropriations that are essential to the
maintenance of some branch of the
government, or to further some improve.
ments that is imperatively demanded
by public eXigencies. Thus they force
the executive into an approval of con
gresSlonal extravaganza which his
judgment and his conscience rebe
against.
1t is time, and high time, that the con
stitItion was being amended in thi:
particular, and the member Of con