, 1888-10-04
BLAINE All DETROIT
lie is Welcomed by Thousands
of Citizens.
CLEVELAND AS A VETO ARTIST,
IN one Term He Exercises This Power
Three Hundred Times Other I'm
portant Issues Discussed,

DErRoIr Oct. 3,-The republicans of De.
troit turned out by the thousands to-day
70 listen to Blaines opening speech In
Michigan. The rink was crowded an hour
oeforo the time set for the opening. From
the moment the Maine ststeaman appeared
AZ the entrance until he stepp,d on the
platform the great audience maintained a
continuous cheer. Gov. Algier introduced
Blaine, who spoke as follows.
Mr.. pLAIsEs SPEECH.
MrChairman and fellow citizens Despite
the honorable Don Dickenson men, New
England will still venture to call the men
OF Michigan their fellow citizens. ZAP.
plause ana laughter). 1t was said at the
beginning OF our government that veto
power was au anomaly In
tne republic. In assuring the
representation and constitutiOnality
OF liberty in that great document our
ancestors largely copied from British pre-.
cedents, which their ancestors had bought
with them when they came to America.
In England there has not been a veto by
the crown Of any act oi parliament since
the revaluation Of 1888, 200 years ago this
year. so IL struck the mass of people In
the colonies accustomed as they
were to the British law, aud that
to give the president the right to veto any
act OF congress and to require veto OF two.
thirds OF The senate and two.thirds OF the
house to override II, was to confer upon
the president the most extraordinary
'wer' 1t gave him power in the senate
and In the house equivalent to one.si1th OF
the whole legislative power of the govern
ment. The difference between the major
ity OF one and a vote Of two.thirds
amounted to one-sixth OF the whole
power OF congress. So that our
president to-day wields legisla.
tive power OF thirteen senators
in his executive capacity he vetoes a bill.
A power so exordinary was naturally
used with great caution by our earlier pres
idents. General Washington In eight years
used 1t twice first Adams never used 1t at
all. Jefferson considered 1t very errone-
ously, but still 1t Is considered by the
modern democracy as their great protype.
Madison, in eight years, used 1t three
times. Monroe used IL once and John
Quincy Adams never. So that in the past
40 years the national government, measur-
ing from Washington to Jackson, from
l7s0 to 1873, the veto power had been
| used but six times.
| don't intend to dwell on the subject oil
pensions and have introduced 1t now in
| order that it might be placed together
with another subject, the great surplus In
the treasury of the United States, a part oi
| WnlCn, tnlnk, nlgnt nave gone TO that
poor soldier without endangeriug the sta
bility OF the governmsnt,-[appla aud
,aughterl-but that has been organ.
ized for the last sixty years. Gen
eral Andrew Jackson, upon mention
of Jackson and number of vocferou,
democrats in the corner set up an applause
To- which Blaine replied General Jack
son was man worthy for you to cherish
ke-alss, ls./,veyss. 1's- -dossessss Possrstv, OF
| those who have succeeded him, differed
| from him on certain great questions, they
remem Dered that the first efforts Of the
disunionist were strangled in the cradle by
that grand old hero"
(This quick and happy rctort upon tn,
| would.be disturbers of the meeting was
received by the great audience with an out
burst of hearty cheers.
! After these had sunk into quiet, Blaine
continued as follows: In the next forty
years the veto was used sixty times, and o
these sixty, over fifty OF them were By
democratic presidents. [Applausel s.
that the party which Processes to be in
tensely democratic has been uniformly
one which reserved to one man the powe
to thwart the popular will. Up to Marcl
L. 1886, when the present president OF the
| United States was inaugurated the vetC
power Of the government had beed useC
in all about seyenty-hve times. Tha
was from 1850 to lSS5-one hundred year
lacking four.