The Meeker herald., 1896-06-06
AvETo FROM THE PRESIDE MT
Cleveland Refuses to Approve the River
and HArbOr Blll.

Cleveland Refuses to Approve the River
and HArbor Bill.
Washington, D. c., May 29.-President
Cleveland to-day sent to the House his
veto Of the river and harbOr bill. The
grounds for the veto are the enormous ex-
penditures provided for, both present and
prospective. The president says In part:
There are AT Items Of appropriation
contained in this bill and every part Of the
country is represented in the distribution
OF lis favors. II directly appropriates or
provides for the immediate expenditure OF
nearly fourteen millions OF dollars for
river and harbor work This sum Is in ad-
d!tlon to appropriations contained in an
other bill for similar purposes amounting
to little more than only three millions OF
dollars, which have already been favor
ably considered at the present session Of
Congress.
The result Is that the contemplated I'M
mediate expenditures for the objects
| mentioned, amount 10 about seventeen
millions of dollars. A more startling fea-
tuAt Va ili-s VII - ItS VI SOu-
tracts for river and harbor work. amount
ing to more than sixty-two millions Of dol.
lars. Though the payments Of these con-
tracts are in most cases so distributed that
they are TO be met by future appropria-
tons, more than three million dollars OIL
their account are included in the Jrsctap
preparations above mentioned. OF these
twenty millions Of dollars still fall due
during the fiscal year ending June 20,
1893. and amounts 10 somewhat less in
the years Immediately succeeding A few
contracts Of like character, authorized
under previous statutes are still Outstand
Ing. and to meet payments on these more
than four millions Of dollars must be ap-
propriated in the immediate future.
Many Of the objects for which 1t ap-
propriates public money are not related to
the public welfare, and many Of them are
palpably for the benefit Of limited locaI.-
ties or in aid Of individual interests. On
foe race or the blu 1t apf'eurv tnar nor u
few Of these alleged improvements have
been so improvidently planned and prose-
cuted that after an unwise expenditure Of
millions Of dollars new experiments for
their accomplishment have been enter ed
upon.
TO the extent that the appropriations
contained in this bill are instigated by
private interests and promote local or In.
dlvidual projects. their allowance canno,
fail TO stimulate vicious paternslism
and encourage sentiment among our peo.
pie already too prevalent that their at.
tachment 10 our government may proper.
~ rest upon the hope and expectation OF
direct and especial favors. and that thu
extent to which they are realized may fur
nsh an estimate of the value Of govern
mental care.
II believe no greater danger confronti
Us as a nation than the unhappy deca
dence among our people of genuine and
trustworthy love and affection for oui
government az the embodiment Of tht
highest and best aspirations Of humanity
and not as the g.ver of gifts. and beca,ls.
Its mission Is the enforcement Of exacl
justice and equality and not the allowance
of unfair favoritisn. ! hope may be per
mItted to suggest at time when the ISSUE
Of government bonds to maintain the
credit and financial standing of the coun
try = subject of criticism, that the con
tracts provided for in this bill would
create obligations of the United Statci
amounting to SG2, ,OOO.OOO no less binding
than its bonds for that sum.