The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-06-04
TIRED OF VET0ES.
This is About the Only Reason
Given
by Old Senator sherman for
His Vote
ON RIVERS, HARBORS.
Excuses and Defenses Of the
Senators
For Their Votes ON the Extra
ordinary Measure.
ON RIVERS, HARBORS

narbOr bill passed over Lne pA esAuSA-l %
veto by a vote Of SIS to 8 and is now
law. The vote was taken after three
hours of spirited debate. during which
the president was criticised and de-
Tended. the remarks at times being d.
rectly ana bitterly personal The op-
position to the veto was expressed by
Senators Vest. Sherman. Pettigrew,
Hawley and Butler, while the veto was
defended by Senators villas. Hin and
Bate.
Mr.. Sherman said he would vote to
pass the bill ever the veto, because the
Improvement Of the waterways Of the
country was one Of the most important
branches OF national development and
one in which other great nations were
showing even greater advance than the
United States. Moreover. the leg1sla-
tive branch was given the exclusive
right ITO appropriate money
cit is time to curb this daily exercise
Of the veto power" declared Mr. Sher-
man. eft is the most extreme power
and a dangerous one unless exercised
only in the most extreme cases, involv-
ing constitutional questions
"But this wise restriction is set aside,
and we have a veto every week "a so
every day or So"
HLE. ZLLlALA LAJGAAls ~ 81 1e-A-- ~-@As --l-
Of the veto power was not new. As
q result Of personal inquiry at the en-
gineer's department he was able to
state that this bin contained appropri-
atoms of s1O.5O0. 600 for projects which
had not been approved by the govern
rnent engineers and Sd, 500 600 for pro
1ects which the engineer had reported
as unworthy
AIr. Villas Dem Wis., said that the
bill contained important appropriations
for his state but he could not bring
himself to che conviction that this great
burden should be added to the distress
ed shoulders of the people he re-
garded the criticism of the veto by MT
Vest as excessively minute ana IN
consequential. The APPROPRIATIONS q
the congress would exceed $500, GOO 600
before reaching the river and harbor
bill Congress had come to dealing
with vast sums as lightly as would
some Oriental prince who had no com
prehension of values. The appropria-
tions of this congress would outstrfD
those Of the congress which became
famous as the billion dollar congress"
Where was the money coming from,
asked Mr. Villas, was fit coming from
more taxation or more bonds2
or course the secretary OF the treas
ury viii have to stop paying when he
has no more money to pay with" eN-
claimed Mr.. Villas. "but lit lis the desire
Of this congress to lead the treasury
into bankruptcy The senator from
Ohio" (Sherman). said Mr.. Villas. ZAP
pealed for more revenue, as though
realizing revenue was some legislative
trick"
Instead of that. more revenue meant
more taxation, sucked with the ire
mendOus force of law from the product
Of labor and burning deeper the stripes
into the shoulders of labor. Because
Of this recklessness of expenditures, he
would vote to sustain the veto
Mr.. Berry Dem, Ark), while depre-
eating extravaganza. regretted that the
attacks should be directed against the
bin which most benefited the agricul-
tural classes
Mr. Petugrew. in expressing the be
lief that the time had come for a con
stitutiOnal amendment limiting the veto
power. made a violent attack on the
president. THE present occupant of
the White house" continued Mr.. Petit
grew. lis not content with the violation
of the constitution by the exercise Of
the veto power alone. but with an utter
disregard of his sacred oath Of Office.
as well as of the constitution. he over
rides the laws. influences congressman
with patronage, enriches his favorites
at the public expeuse-in fact. permits
no restraint but his imperial will He
has refused to enforce the laws of con-
gress SO often that the list Of violations
IS next only TO the list Of vetoes. He
has sold bonds at private sale to his
1avorites and former associates, upon
terms and at a price many millions Of
dollars below the market price Of the
bonds on the day of the private sale.
In view Of these facts. it was time for
congress to give some attention to these
usurpations. If this government IS to
survive we can no longer look with in
difference upon the shameful autocracy
Of Grover Cleveland"
Mr.. Bate Dem.. Temp supported the
veto and opposed the bin. The issu-
ance Of bonds was behind this meas
ure, he said. or else a tariff bill which
would overtop even the Mckinley bill
Mr.. Stewart CPop.. Nev.) opposed the
veto because he thought river and har-
Dor improvements We're meritorious.
Mr. Hin upheld the veto power. de-
claring that the fine distinctions and
limits which had been stated were fin
the brains Of senator's but not rs the
constitution Senator'S had quoted lack
son, but Mr.. Hill reminded them that
Old Hickory himself inaugurated the
yetoing of river and harbor bills. and
IN 1882 lnterposed the first veto Of such
g measure.
In conclusion Mr. Hul offered q res
olur1On proposing an amendment to the
constitution providing that the presi-
dent may veto a specific item of an ap-
preparation bill without vetoing it en-
tire.
Dir. Butler CPop. N. c. spoke OF the
presidential use Of patronage to infiu-
ence legislation and elections. This.
with the veto power. made the presi-
dent an autocrat more dangerous than
g. king OF England could ever be
This closed the speech making and
the vote was taken. resulting in the
passage OF the bill over the president IS
veto; yeas, 56, nays, S. as follows:
Leas-RepubHcans. Aldrich. Allison
Burrows, Cannon, Carter. Chandler.
Clark. Cullom, Davis, Dubois. Elzins.
Galhnger. Gear, Hit, Hansbrough.
AaWley, Lodge, Mcbride. N1itcheu6Ore),
Nelson, Perkins, Pettigrew, Plat. Prit-
ehaFds Quay, Sherman Bhoup. Squire.