The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-06-11
GOV. wINANs,s VETO.

preston upon happy and contented people.
GOV. wINASS'S VETO.
Gov. Winans, of Michigan, vetoed bill
which passed both Houses by more than
two-thirds vote to appropriate $4,000 TO
aid the city Of Detroit in entertaining the
National Encampment Of the Grand Army
Of the Republic He gave these reasons:
My objection 10 this bill l. based on tho ground
OF public policy aud justice TO the taxpayers. IL
cannot Toe maintained that the general public Is TO
be in any way benefited, nor il the appropriA-
ton in aid OF charity TO help the unfortunate
leve the distressed. The bill proposes TO take
money earned by the hard hand of labor and saved
by the economy Of patient wives aud mothers and
it for n social entertainment and general good
time. Not one In a hundred OF the people who
forced 10 contribute will participate IA the
pleasures Of the occasion. On no principle Of
right or justice this Of the peoples money
be defended We here the servants OF the
people, and am fully convinced that II the PROPOSE
ton 20 vote this money had been submitted to
them, 20 votes would have been cast against Il TO
one for Il. No public purpose is 10 be subserved
by the expenditure.
in this State taxation has steadily increased year
by year. and always the specious plea urged
for expenditures that it only cent or FIVE
cents foT each individual and IL will not be felt
the people will not care. But the time has come
when the people do care and we their servants.
should heed their just demands that the State
Treasury shall not be used for private gain or in
dvidual pleasure.
Ills not the veterans who rallied a. their country's
call who are asking for this measure, as the many
circumstances from them to your honorable body
show The demand comes from those who hope
TO receive individual benefits from the expenditure
Of the money. The appropriated, II saved 10
the Treasury, viii defray the total cost OF this
Legislature for % days or more
The sO-called reasons are specious and
weak. Like President Cleveland's veto Of
the Dependent Pension Bill, the Governor
has gone out Of his way 70 hunt up pretexts
for doing the thing that would crafty his
animosity toward the veterans The appro-
priation was, contrary TO his assertion, for
great public purpose. There can be no
greater public purpose than fostering pa
triotic spirit in the people, and nothing can
do more in this direction than properly
honoring the survivors of the men who
sacrificed themselves to save the Nation.
Nor can it be true, as he asserts,
that any proposition TO make such an
appropriation, if submitted to the people,
would be defeated by vote of 20 to
one Every State which has been honored
by holding National Encampment within
its borders has gladly made q similar APP
preparation, and this has been universally
approved. This was true Of Colorado, Min
nesota, Maine, California, Missouri, Ohio,
Wisconsin, and Massachusetts, and the peo-
pie Of Michigan are certainly no less pa
triotic than those Of her sister States. They
were certainly not during the war, when one
in every eight Of the entire population Of
the State went to the front, and no better
men ever shouldered a muslIet than those
who came from Michigan. They left their
dead on the front line Of every battle fought
for the Union.
The talk about taxation Is cheap dema-
gogy. The population of Michigan, accord
ing to the last census, was 2,Os9,792 An
appropriation of $4,000 meant eontribu.
tion per capita Of j! cents. For an average
family Of five it would be y cents. Can
the Governor Of Michigan make the country
believe that his enlightened, progressive
and patriotic people would object to sucl
an insignificant appropriations
The Governors political history shows
the animus Of the veto. The Detroit Journa
recalls that be was member of the Legis
lature in 1868, and voted AYE" on resolu
tion declaring
That the emancipation proclamation of Tn
President the LIST Of January, 1862 Is uuauthor
iEed by the Constitution and laws Of the land an,
is as war measure not only unwise, bat, In il
natural tendency, viii be productive Of the wors
evils and pernicious consequences.
A few weeks later-Feb. -, IS63-at tn
very darkest period of the war tw,
, months after the terrible defeat at Frede
> ricllsburg six weeks after the bloody repuls
at Chickasaw Bayou, and the sanguinar,
battle on the banks Of Stone River, wher
hundreds Of Michigan men died bravely, Ii
/ voted against resolution declaring tina
4 We will sustain the National Administration wit
all the means in power, In all its efforts
c quell the present rebellion.
8 Later, he voted against a resolution do
b claring that the Legislature "rejoices tina
: through the mad and guilty act of tn
Southern conspirators the wicked and bar
s harons institution Of slavery will receive il
a death-blow."
n Again, he voted against a resolution de-