St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-24
THE VETO POWER.

Petitions are very generally circulat-
ing, and receiving large number of
signatures, praying Gov. MERRIAM to
veto the uSury bill and the bill for the
taxation of mortgages if they ever come
before him. The GLOBE thinks it will
be wiSest for the opponents of these
measures to concentrate their efforts
against them at some earlier point in
their passage. They are getting the
most astonishing support from men of
very high grade of character and in
telligence. But one Or. two able and
fearless champions, familiar with the
rules of parliamentary bodies, could
prevent their enactment in the short
remnant which is left of the present
session. If it is very important to de-
feat them, and such means are needed,
they are probably available. But it is
not fair to the governor that they should
be permitted to get as far as his office
without opposition. Why should he be
asked to offer himself up as a vicarious
sacrifice for the good of the state? is
not his future to be considered, as well
as that of the commonwealth?
Mr.. MERRIAM is close student of
political history. and he. understands
that the veto power is a thing to be very
sparingly used. In England they nave
had no such check on the legislative
Will for couple OF hundred years, and
i'll America it has been seldom reSOrted
to except when party feeling has run
high and there were grave conflicts of
opinion between executives and legiS-
lators as to the eXpediency Of proposed
enactments. The first American die
tator, ANDREW JACKSON, gave this
feature of our system its initial prom
lnence when he undertook his war on
the United States bank. Some hiStorl-
ans attribute the financial troubles of
1887 to his intermeddling with things
which were outside his sphere. AN
DREW JOHNSON was the most prolific of
all men in the use of the veto, but this
was inevitable from the situation of af-
fairs. a Southern Democrat in the
presidency. a Republican majority in
both houses of congress and the recon-
structiOn problem to be solved. of neces-
Sity resulted in limitlesS confusion
Neither of these national experiences
commended the veto to popular favor.
In general, it may be said that the leg
islature is in closer touch with the pop
ular desires than any executive can be.
If the governor IS satisfied that its men,
berS have acted deliberately and with
out corrupt motives, he will hesitate a
long while before thwarting their ac-
ton.
He should be careful, however. not to
sign unconstitutional bills. They cause
great deal of trouble and annoyance,i in
ject feeling of distrust and alarm into
the comm unity, and are gotten out of the
way only with much labor and expense.
They do no one-not even their pro-
mOterS-any good. Gov. MCGILL ought
never to have signed the LUCAS lien law.
1t took WESTCOTT WILKIN about ten
minutes to decide that it was void. If
Mr.. MCGILL had asked the attorney
general, he could have told him the same
thing. But he approved the measure,
and the building trades were all at sea
for several months. Mr.. MERRIAM ought
to look out for such pitfalls. He is not a
lawyer to be sure; but the attorney gen.
eral is, and q good one, too, and he will
advise him. There are other good law
yerS, too. who can be consulted.
Here is reliable test for a layman's
use as to whether law is uuconstitu-
tional or not. Does it shock ones sense
of justice? If it does, it ought to be
scrutinized critically. In spite of all
that may be said against it, the consti-
tuition and justice will generally be
found on the same side.