New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-21
ltTrTATOR.

TT 4ho prasident we're not the ffeSluenJ men
II .o,, dot HE Muster and bullying Of last
roar owe ratrralI, followed by the shabbiest
49, - oo,,,ordice as his term draws near an
ord For IL is natural that one VINO DllSters
when he thinks himself invincible shouid crawl
and shirlS when beaten. And 1t IS nothlng but
ao.,,ord,co ~ shrink from the recorded re-
Onorsibility Of a public veto, and prefer to XII
LII. Giving reasons the bills he does not
El,o According to Washington reports the
President has directly inspired the niiousterng
in the House by which, it is hoped the most
important measures Of the session may Do 50
DELAYED that failure on his part TO sign them
will operate as "pocket Veto without reasons
given. AS to most Of these measures IL Is not
TO be doubted that enough OF the PRESIDENTS
nartisans in one House or the other would sus-
tain him 70 make an ordinary veto effective,
If he prefers to kill these without an open
veto. IL must be because he is unwilling to
put his reasons on record.
The pocket yetoD so-called, originated in a
proyision designed to secure TO the Executive
reasonable time for examining measures On
the theory that he could not know the char
acter of bill until it had been formally sub-
mitted to him for signature, and that in the
closing hours Of n session he might not have
time to examine satisfactorily all the measures
50 presented. II was provided that any which
reached him within ten days Of tho close Of
session should fail to become laws il he did not
sign them. The theory is long exploded
humf ug, for the President can now follow
with the printed copies and daily reports every
bill pending, so as 10 know before ii reaches
him exactly what ii embraces. In just this
way the President claimed that he had followed
the River and IIarbor bill submitted at the
end Of the last session, when its unprecedented
appropriations were supposed to be needed 70
help his election and he approved the bill
without DELAY Yet il is said that he will fail
10 sign similar bill this year, on the plea that
It comes to him too late for proper examination.
The provision which was designed TO guard
against hasty action has come To DO potent
force in the hands OF the Presidents partisans
for giving him despotic power. Throughout
this session. for example, measures which the
President and his partisans wish to defeat have
been studiously delayed by every kind Of par
liamentary trick. The discreditable neglect
OF duty by some Republican absentees has in
several cases made these efforts successful
where they would have been defeated had all
Republican members attended to the work in
trusted TO them by constituents. So IL comes
TO pass that the last ten days Of the session
have arrived and now the President alone has
power to defeat bill which more than two
thirds Of the Senators and Representatives may
support.
The Direct-Tax BILL the CowleS Revenue bill
and The Territorial bills are said to be among
those which the President means TO kill without
giving Congress n chance TO override his veto.
IL is known that a considerable minority Of his
own party has favored these bills Probably
the revenue reduction measure and possibly
the Territorial bill might be passed over a veto
by two-thirds vote in both houses. At all
events, Il is considered at Washington prob
able that both will be killed by pocket veto.
The Democratic minority in these cases hap
pens to be composed in part Of men who cen
sured the Presidents tariff policy. To defeat
them and these measures without giving Con-
gross n chance to act upon a veto would be TO
a man Of President Cleyeland's temper n salts
factory performance. So the country has for
ten days dictator, and it's elected lawmakers
are impotent. But Mr.. Cleveland ought TO be
aware that the threatened use Of his power
would intensity the public qualification at his
departure from Office.