St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-03
DIRECT TAX BILL VETOED.
The President Gives His Reasons
for Not Signing 1t.

WASHINGTON. March 2.-The presi-
dent to-day, in transmitting to congress
the report of the civil service commits
sion, says: 1.-The cause of civil service
reform, which, in great degree, is in
trusted to the commission, regard as
so firmly established and its value so
fully demonstrated that | should deem
it more gratifying than useful if in this
late day in the session of congress
were permitted to enlarge upon its i'm
portance and present condition. A pc
rusal of the report herewith submitted
will furnish information of the
progress which has been made
during the year, to which
it relates, in the extension
of the operations of this reform and in
the improvement of its methods and
rules. 1t is cause for cOngratulatiOn
that watchfulness and care and fidelity
to its purposes are all that are neceS-
sary to insure to the government and
our people all the benefits which its in
auguration promised"
THE VETO OF THE DIRECT TAX BILL,
The president in his message vetoing
the direct tax bill, after describing the
bill in detail and giving full history of
the matter. says: The conceded effect
OF this bill is to take from the money
- now in the treasury the sum of more
than seventeen millions of dollars, or.
If the percentage allowed is not in
cluded, more than fifteen millions Of
dollars, and pay back to the re-
Spective states and territories the
sums they OF their citizens paid more
than twenty-five years ago, upon d.
rect tax levied by the government of
the United States for its defense and
safety. All must agree that the direct
tax was lawfully and constitntlonallv
laid, and that it was rightfully and cor
rectly collected. 1t cannot be claimed.
therefore. nor is it pretended that anv
debt arose against the government and
in favor of any state or individual by
the eXaction of this tax. Surely, then.
the appropriation directed by this bill
cannot be justified as a payment of a
debt of the United States. The dis
burSement of this money clearly has no
relation to the common defense. On
thc contrary, it is the repayment of
money raised and long ago expended by
the government to provide for the
common defense. The expenditure
cannot properly be advocated ON
the ground that the general well
fare of the United States is
thereby provided for, or promoted.
But If the constitutional question in
NOlNS III Tic CODSlucIdllOn Oh lQlS Dill
should be determined in its favor, there
are other objections remaining, which
preuent my assent to its provisions.
The president here edumerates num-
Der of defects in the bill, among them
the following: The fact that the entire
tax was not paid furnishes no reason
that would not apply to every case
where taxes are laid.
The loyal states should not be paid
the large sums of money promised them
by this bill, because they were loyal
and other states were not, nor should
the states which rebelled against the
the government be paid the smaller
sum promised them. because they were
in rebellion and thus prevented the
the collection of their entire quotas. nor
because this concession to them is
necessary to justify the proposed
large gifts to the other states.
The people of the loyal states paid this
direct tax as they bore other burdens
in support of the government, and be-
lieve the taxpayers themselves are con
tent. In the light of these considera-
tions L am opposed to the payment of
money from the federal treasury to en-
Lich the treasures Of the states. The