Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-28
THE BLAND BILL
Pressure For and Against Its Ap-
prevail Increasing.
SILVER MEN At THE WHITE HOUSE.
The Belief in the Ultimate Veto
Still Prevails.
THE PRESIDENTS POWERS

There will be no veto Of the seigniorage
bill sent to Congress today. Whether the
delay Is significant no one can tell. since
1t is the custom of Mr.. Cleveland to delay
such matters to the last moment. The
President is being tortured and many are
In doubt as to whether or not he can be
compelled to recant and abjure his pro-
fessed faith. As the time within which he
must act narrows down to a few hours the
pressure from those who insist upon his
signing the bill is being made almost as
Irresistible as cotton compress. A large
delegation of Congressman were at the
White House today saying everything they
could conjure up to induce him to sign the
bill, and the statement has been made to
him from unexpected quarters that If he
vetoes this bill he will have to take free
coinage or no tariff legislation. The radical
Tree coinage men are keeping perfectly
quiet and awaiting results with COM
placency, better pleased at the prospect Of
veto than anything else, while the adj
ministration men, with few exceptions.
are almost weeping in their prayerful en-
treaties for the signing of the bill.
A Desperate Situation.
The situation Is a desperate one. and
Cleveland fully understands 1t. Whether at
the last moment the pressure will be suffi-
cient to make him abandon the idea Of We
toing the bill Is a matter of mere conjec-
luTSs YET II Is lEu6 tndt men OI ulOIe THAN
ordinarily good Judgment, who have here
tofore had no doubt of a veto, state that the
bill may possibly yet become law. 1t Is a
matter of universal report and belief that
veto message has already been written, but
the fact that a message vetoing the oleo-
margarine bill was written by Mr.. Cleve-
land. and the bill then permitted to become
a law. the message being sent in afterward
as reasons why he did not sign 1t. suggests
the idea to a good many that he may do
the thing in this 1t Is mllCh
more in keeping with his disposition. how
ever, to follow a very different course in
this case.
silver Men Mt the White House.
The silver men were at the White House
in full force today, in the fond hope of be-
ing able finally to convince the President OF
the wisdom of their arguments in support
Of the measure. The Presidents callers in
cluded nearly all the principal advocates Of
the bill on the floor of the House, chief
among whom was Mr.. Bynum of Indiana.
1t Is not believed that they received any
very cheering assurances. or that anything
was said by the President to change the
general belief that the bill is to be vetoed.
The only Information on the subject that
was given the newspaper men, who called
in great numbers. was that the President
would send no commune alton OF any char
acter to either house of Congress today
That vas satisfactory to the extent that
it showed that action adverse to the bill
would not be taken before tomorrow or
Friday. 1t did not show that the bill would
not be signed today. but that possibility
did not disturb the newspaper men very
much. as they seem to have concluded that
contrary action is certain.
The Presidents Powers.
In view of the possibility that the Pres
ident may delay action on the bill until
Friday, and the further likelihood Of legal
complications arising therefrom. it is in
teresling to note what the Constitution
says as to the Presidents duties and powers
on the subject.
The question is covered by section Z Of
the Constitution, which provides as follows:
Every bill which shall have passed the
House OF Representatives and the Senate
shall, before II become law, be presented
to the President Of the United States; If he
approve, he shall sign 1t, but if not, he
shall return 1t with his objections to that
House in which it shall have originated.
who shall enter the objections at large on
their journal and proceed to reconsider it.
II any bill shall not be returned by the
President within ten days Sundays except
ed after 1t shall have been presented to
him, the same shall be a law in like man
ner as If he had signed 1t, unless the Con-
gress by their adjournment prevent it's re-
turn, In which case 1t shall not be a law
A Decision Expected Tomorrow.
The Bland bill reached the White House at
o'clock on Monday. the 10th instant but as
the President was out driving at the time
1t was not actually presented to him for
several hours afterward. But taking it's re-
ceipt as the time Of its presentation, and
allowing ten full legal days of twenty-four
hours each, within the meaning of the
Constitution, the President has up to 4
o'clock Friday afternoon in which to return
the bill to Congress without his approval
1t Is not known why the President has de-
layed action on the bill, If. reported. he
Ixa, 144 sIA1 % al-s
wants additional time to reconsider his &C
ton. In the event that he wants to submit
the question to his cabinet again there will
be further delay until Friday, as that is the
day Of meeting. The impression is general,
however, that the matter will be finally dis
posed Of tomorrow.