Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-08-16
A VETO MESSAGE.
President Cleveland Exercises
His Great PrerOgative.
CAPTAIN WELLS NOT RETIRED

For ReasOns Both General and specific
He Finds 1t His Duty to Call a Halt
The President Reviews the Military
Record of Captain Wells.
WASHINGTON, August S.-President
Cleveland gave to Congress a clear state
ment of his views on special legislation
for the retirement OF army officers in a
veto to-day OF the bill for the relief of
Eugene Wells, late Captain of the
Twelfth Infantry. The bill authorized
the President to appoint the beneficiary
a Second Lieutenant OF artillery, to be
placed on the retired list for disability
without the usual examination by re-
firing board. The President writes:
Appointments to the army under author
ity of the present legislation which
named the proposed appointees, and the
purpose OF which is the immediate re-
tirement of the appointee, are open to
serious objections, though confess |
have been persuaded through sympathy
and sentiment on number OF occasions
to approve such legislation. When, how
ever, it is proposed to make the retire
ment compulsory and without reference
to age or previous examination most
objectionable feature is introduced.
The cases covered by the special en-
actments referred to are usually such as
should, if worthy OF consideration, be
provided for under general or corpora
tion pension laws, leaving the retired
list of the army to serve the legitimate
purpose for which it was established. A
recent decision in the House OF Repre-
sentatives upon a bill similar to the one
now before me drew from a memoran-
dun of the House Committee on Mill.
tary Affairs the declaration that hun
dreds of such bills were before that COM
mittee, and that there were fifty prece-
dents for the passage of the particular
one under discussion. 1t seems to me
: this condition suggests such an encroach-
: ment upon the retired list of the army
as should lead to the virtual abandon
ment of such legislation in sound policy
: and good administration. There are
r facts connected with the case covered by
the bill now before me which in my
Judgment forbids its favorable consider
alton.
: The President then reviews the mill
tary record OF Captain Wells, saying that
in the fall OF 1870 he was charged with
conduct unbecoming an officer and a
gentleman. The specifications were that
3 while intoxicated he had violently as
saulted other officers at Fort Fetterman,
Wyoming, and struck one on the head
! with billiard cue. Before his trial he
l took advantage of an act just passed to
: apply for his discharge, which was given
him and the charges withdrawn. In
1885 he was appointed a Second Lieu
tenant against the protests of other Of
: ticers, and in 1887 was charged with
n being drunk on duty and with conduct
: to the prejudice OF good order and mill
!, tary discipline in refusing to obey the
J. commands OF his superior officer; was
e coprt-martaled and dismissed in 1887
I, The message continues:
d "Since that time repeated efforts have
e been made to vacate this Judgment and
is restore the dismissed officer to the serv.
IS ice. While number of committees in
r Congress have made reports favorable tc
s. such action, at least committees have
recommended denial OF legislative re-
lief. Both of these reports were made
on behalf of the Committees on Military
Affairs by distinguished soldiers, who
n after patient examination, and with an
inclination to be not only just but gen.
e erous to a fellow-soldier, were con-
: strained to recommend refusal of the
application for restoration. l am i'm
pressed with the belief that the legis.
d lation of the kind proposed is of ex.
+ tremely doubtful expediency in any save
!. very exceptional cases, and | am thor
d oughly convinced by the facts now be-
i fore me that the discipline and efficiency
i OF our army, as well as justice to its
v meritorious members, does not permit
|. my approval on any ground of the bill
p herewith returned"