Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-13
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 10, 1894
The Discriminating Veto.

Arain has come Up the question OF
making an amendment 10 the Federal
Constitution comforting upon the Presi-
ident the power 10 veto such parts Of
a bill as do not meet with his approval
and approve such parts Of the same bill
IA meet with his approval. This Is Il
plausible proposition. and Is very apt TO
receive endorsement when 1t is first made
but the more il is pondered the more
Objectionable II becomes.
The discriminating veto would centre
all legislative powers In the hands OF
the President. Ills partisans In the
Senate and House of Representatives
might agree To any ana all sorts OF
amendments 10 bill in order 20 insure
its passage by the legislative departments.
well knowing. as they would know. that
the President would trim the bill to suit
himself when IL II came into his hands.
Take the case OF river and harbor
bill. A hundred rivers are named I'm
such a bill which the President knows
nothing about All these he would dis
eliminate against. but would approve OF
all items approprlhting money TO i'm
prove rivers with which he is familiar.
The smallest New York or Pennsylva-
MIA river would be improved under such
a system. every President being ac-
uuainted with the merits OF the appro-
priation for their improvement.
Again: Congress might be willing 10
pass an omnibus bill containing appro-
pristions for the improvement Of rivers
,n Virginia on condition that as liberal
appropriations were made for the inn
provement of rivers in oregon, and yet
sntirely and justihably unwilling TO
clothe the President with power TO i'm
prove the rivers in the former State
and refuse 20 improve the rivers In the
latter.
as with river and harhor bills, 80 II
would be with many other bills. The
craftsmanship of the two houses OF Con-
yress might lead to compromise mea-
cures which the President would slay
outright or else deprive OF all their
compromise features; and thus under
the plea of granting to the President
n discriminating veto the two houses
OF Congress would be totally Invested
OF the discriminating veto which they
now POSSESS as against each other as
well as against the President. The
power thus stolen from Congress would
be conferred upon the President, who
would thus become an autocrat indeed.
The members of Congress would be
converted by the discriminating veto
into mere fawners upon the President
III they dance attendance upon him now,
and sometimes vote TO please him and
against their convictions as to what is
right and what wrong. they would
under the operation of a discriminating
veto be totally cheated out OF their
proper inflderce and standing as the
peoples representatives. Congress would
no longer command the respect OF the
people. but would be subservient tool
OF monarch possessing more power
than any other ruler IT. the world.
The celebrated compromise measures
of 1850. which delayed for few years
the secession OF the southern States,
might have been an utter failure II the
President had then had the discrimi-
mating veto power. SO az to the bill
repeating the Sherman law.
We ask the Washington Post to
ponder the suggestions In this article,
and recall it's endorsement of the pro-
position under consideration.