Omaha daily bee., 1892-10-18
CATERING no popU1,R oLAMoR.

CATERING TO POPULAR UbdMOH.
Section 10, article ., entitled "Exeou-
tive Department" OF the constitution OF
Nebraska, provides that every bill passed
by the legislature before 1t becomes a
law, and every order, resolution or vote
to which the concurrence of both houses
may be necessary Except on questions OF
adjournment shall be presented to the
governor. II he approve, he shall sign
and thereupon it shall become a law;
but IL he do not approve he shall return
it with his objections TO the house in
which it shall have originated, which
house shall enter the objections at large
upon is journal and proceed to recon-
slider the bill.
If upon reconsideration three-hfths OF
the members elected to both houses vote
in favor of its passage the bill beco mes
law.
In conrerring the veto power upon the
governor the trainers of our constitu-
tion simply followed the precedent es-
tablishcd by the federal constitution,
which confers upon the chief executive
OF the nltion power to veto any bill
passed by congress The object OF vest
ing this power in the chief executive is
to interpose barrier against unconstl-
tutional, hasty and reckless legislation.
1t is the sworn duty of every president
and Of every governor to exercise the
veto power con scientiouslv and fearlcssly
in every instance whore he believes
any measure to be an infraction OF the
constitution, or Whenever in his Judg-
ment any measure is deemed to be IN
furious to the public welfare.
In the recent debates between General
Van Wvck and Judge Crounse, Van Wyck
has publicly volunteered the pledge
that he would approve any bill that the
legislature might see fit to pass. While
this pledge was evidently made with
reference to railroad regulation it was
nothing more nor less than bold bid for
votes by IL promise to ignore and nullify
the plain mandate of the constitution.
General Van Wych was educated as Il law
yer. He knows enough law to know
| that it would ba his sworn duty il elected
governor to interpose his veto whenever
| the Legislature should pass any bill
| which he believed to- be unconstitutional
| or inequitable The constitution en-
powers the legislature to establish rea-
| sonable maximum freight rates, but it
would be the sworn duty OF any governor
to veto any maximum rate bill which
| upon examination he should find to be
| unreasonable.
| In striking contrast with General Van
| Wyck was the answer of Judge Crounse
| when asked whether heswould sign any
| railroad bill the legislature might sec
| fit to enact He declared that if elected
he would live up to his oath of office.
He would carefully examine every bill
first and if it was framed in conformity
with the constitution and its provisions
were just and reasonable it would have
his approval-an not otherwise.
No man who considers his oath OF
Office as binding, and desires to main
tain the checks which the constitution
has placed in the way Of hasty or ill
considered Legislation can do otherwise
General Van Wyck's promise that he
would allow the legislature to go un
checked if he were elected governor
shows to what extremes he Is resorting
in order to cater to popular clamor.