The Portland daily press., 1896-05-30
81 FORBID" SAYS GROVER.
River and HarbOr Bill Vetoed by
President.

He Communicates His Reasons Therefor
in Message to Congress-The Con-
dition of the Treasury Chief FONT
Against the Appropriations.
Washington, May 29.-The President,
in his message, vetoing the river and har-
Dor bill which will be sent to the House
today, recites the great amount of money
to DO expended under the provisions of
the bill; and refers to the authorization
OF contracts for river and harbor work
amounting to more than $62, 600, 0C0 as
startling feature" of the bill.
II this bill becomes 3 law, he says, the
obligations which will be imposed on
the govern mont, together with the ap-
preparations made for immediate expen-
dlSure on account of rivers and harbors,
Will amount to about 80 millions of dol
lars. Nor is this ALL The bill directs
numerous surveys and examinations
which contemplate New York and furth-
or contracts and which pretend largely
increased expenditures and obligations.
There is no ground to hope that in the
face of persistent and growing demands
the aggregate of appropriations for SINH
lar schemes not covered by contra cts will
be rendered or even remain stationary.
For the fiscal year ending June so, 1898,
such appropriations, together with the
installments on contracts can hardly be
less than thirty millions of dollars, and
it may reasonably be apprehended that
the prevalent tendency towards increased
expenditures of this sort and the conceal
ment which postponed payments affords
for extravaganza will increase the bur-
dens chargeuble to the account in sue
ceeding years
In view of tho obligation imposed upon
me by tho Constitution, it seems to me
quite clear that only discharge duty
to our people when interpose my disap-
prevail of the legislation proposed.
Many of the objects for which 1t appro-
PIRATES public money are not related to
the public welfare, and many of them are
palpably for the bens1t OF limited To-
calities or in aid of individual interests.
On the face of the bill, it appears that
not few of those alleged Improvements
have been so improvidently planned and
prosecuted that after an unwise expendi-
ture of millions of dollars, new experi-
ments for their accomplishment have
been entered upon.
While those entrusted with the
management of public funds in
the interest of all people can
hardly justify questionably expendi-
lures for public work by plead
ing the opinions Of engineers or others
as to the praoticability of such work,
it appears that some of the projects for
which appropriations are proposed in
this bill have been entered upon without
the approval OF. but against the objection
of the examining engineers.
learn from official sources that there
are appropriations contained iu the bill
TO pay for work which private parties
actually agreed with the government to
do, in consideration Of their occupancy of
public property.
Whatever items of doubtful propriety
may have escaped observation or may
have been tolerated in previous execu.
tive approvals Of similar bills, am con-
WINGED that the bill now under consid-
GRAFTON opens the way to .insidious and
increasing abuses and is in itself so ex-
trayagant as 60 be especially unsuited to
these times of depressed business and
resulting disappointment in government
revenue.
This consideration is emphasized by
the prospect that tho public treasury will
be confronted with other appropriations
made at the present session of Congress,
amounting to more than five hundred
million of dollars. Individual economy
and careful! expenditures are sterl ling
virtues which lead to thrift and COM
fort. Economy and the exaction of clear
Justification for the appropriation of pnb-
lilo money by the servants of the people,
| are not only virtues, but solemn obliga-
ii ons.
To the extont that the appropriations
contained in this bill are instigated by
private interests and promote local or
| individual projects, these advances can
not fail to stimulate a vicious paternal-
ism and encourage sentiment among
our people, altogether too prevalent, that
| their attachment to cur government may
| properly rest upon the hope and expecta-
| ton of direct and especial favors, and
| that the extent to which they are realized
may furnish an estimate of the value of
governmental care
| l believe no greater danger confronts
| US as nation than the unhappy deca-
dence among our people of genuine and
! trustworthy love and Affection for our
government, as the en- bodiment of the
| highest and best aspirations of humani-
| ty, and not as the giver of gifts, and be-
cause its mission is the enforcement of
exact justice and equality and not the
allowance OF unfair favoritism. I.hope
l may be permitted to suggest at time
when the issue of government bonds to
| maintain the credit and financial stand
| ing of the country is subject of criti-
cism, that the contracts provided for in
this bill would create obligations of the
United States amounting to sixty two
millions OF dollars, no less binding than
its bonds for that sum.
: GROVER CLEVELAND.
Mama Sailor Drorunad