Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-07-05
That Veto.

The Washington correspondent of the l New York Sun gives the following history of the veto of the Maricopa railroad sub sidy bill and the influences that prevailed at the White House:
 President HarrisOn's latest veto, that of bill to authorize an Arizona county to issue railroad bonds, Is likely to become one Of the sensations of the day. A vigorous effort will be made to pass the bill over the veto, and large number of republican congressman have already been pledged for this purpose. The men who are here urging Congress to override the veto make somewhat startling charges against the President They allege that the bill Tn question was vetoed by Presi- dent Harrison at the request of C. P. Huntington, of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and that Huntington reached the Executive ear through Gen. George E. Williams of Indiana, who is known in Washington as the Presidents closest friend and also as the regularly retained attorney of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Williams Is the only man in Washington, it is said, who feels at liberty to call on the President at any and all times The doors of the White House are never closed to him, andshe comes nearer being the Presidents kitchen counsellor than any other person. c. F. Huntington him. | self was here week or ten days ago, shortly after the Maricopa bill, which i the President has just vetoed, was passed l in the Senate.
 There Is no doubt that the Arizona bill
 was vetoed by the President at the re-
 quest of c. r. Huntington, or, rather at
 the request of Huntington's lawyer and
 HarrisOn's friend, Gen. Williams. It
 was a surprising veto. The bill had pas
 sed the House almost without opposition
 and in the Senate there were only three dissenting votes. There was such gen
 eral desire to have the railroad built that
 when the people of Maricopa county
 voted on the proposition to issue bonds
 at the rate of S4, 1000 mile, 1,795 citizens
 voted for it and only 134 against. At
 present the outlet of MaricOpa county is
 by stage and wagon to the Southern
 Pacific road The proposed road would
 connect with the Atlantic and Pacific to
 the north. and open mp the rich mineral
 and agricultural lands of Maricopa and
 other counties to the latter road. It
 would drain all that part of Arizona of
 business which now goes to the Southern
 Pacific. The Atlantic and Pacific road
 Is controlled by the Atchison, Topeka
 and Santa Fe, and very naturally Mir
 Huntington did not want to see his rival
 run away with the business. The pro- posed road would be a very expensive
 one to build, as mountain range must be pierced by tunnel, and twelve miles of the road would cost $60,0OO mile , Without local aid it is extremely doubt
 ful if the road will be built for some years to come, and hence the people were , eager to grant the aid. Hence, also, MT [ Huntington came to Washington, spent l;
 couple of days, set his attorney, tht Presidents chum, to work, and the resul
 was veto.
 t In his veto message, which Is abou S 1900 words long, the President sets fortl
 many facts about local indebtedness t geography of the country, and othe f particulars, which the Arizona men sa, e were furnished him in a brief prepared f by one of the Southern Pacifc's law
 yers and taken to the President by mu l tual friend Williams
 l, The people of Arizona affected by tn Q bill are very indignant over the vetc n which their representatives characteriz l. as an l1npertinent interference. In hi
 message the President says he wants t Y protect the taxpayers of Maricopa coun 9 ty, but the taxpayers say they are bette l. able to tell what is good for them tha e the President. The wires bring from Ar o zona innumerable protests against th J. veto, and requests that it be overridde # in Congress. A number of Illinois mer o now residents of Arizona, are taking tn 2 lead in the new railroad project, and the
 have so worked upon Senators Cullol r. and Farwel and several members of th i; House from that State that these Cor e gressmen are earnestly at work gettin 1 votes against the veto One of the III lt nois Congressmen makes the stateme1 1t that the President will know more an l. not be so handsome after Congress h; Q disposed of his veto of the Maricor ,r Bond bill