The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-06-11
other great nations We're showing greater
advance than the United States.

money" 1t is time to curb this daily
exercise OF the veto power, declared Mr..
sherman. 1t is most extreme power
and dangerous one unless exercised in
the most extreme cases involving consti-
tutional changes. But this wise restric-
ton Is set aside and We have a veto
every week or so, every day or so.
Mr.. Smith DEM of New Jersey said
the application of the veto power was
not new. AS a result of personal in
quiry at the engineering department he
was able to state that this bill con-
tanned $1O,500,O00 for projects which
had not been approved by the govern
ment engineers and $1,100OOO for those
which the engineers had reported as un-
worthy.
Mr.. Villas Dem) of Wisconsin said
that the bill contained important appro-
priatons for his state, but he could not
brlng himself to the conclusion that this
burden should be added to the distressed
shoulders of the president of the coun-
try. He regarded the criticism of Mr..
Vest as excessively minute.
| The appropriations of this congress
will exceed S500,000,000 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 comprehension of values.
The appropriations of the present con-
gress would outstrip those of the con-
gress which became famous as the
billion dollar congress-"
Where is the money coming from?'
asked Mr.. Villas. Is it coming from
more taxation or more bonds?
"Of course the secretary of the treas
ury will stop paying when he has no
more money to pay with" exclaimed Mr.
Villas, "but is it the desire of this con-
gress to drive the treasury into bank
ruptcy?''
The senator from Ohio (Sherman), said
Mr.. Villas, appealed for more revenue,
as though raising revenue was some
legislative trick. Instead of that. more
revenue meant more taxation, sucked
with the tremendous force of the law
from the people, from the product of
labor and burning deeper the stripes into
the shoulders of labor. Because of this
recklessness of expenditure he should
vote to sustain the veto.
Mr.. Berry of Arkansas, while deprecat-
ing eXtravagant appropriations, re-
GREETED that attacks should be directed
against this bill, which most benefited
the agricultural class.
Mr.. Pettigrew (Rep.) of South Dakota,
in expressing the belief that the time
had come for a constitutional amend
ment limiting the veto power, made a
violent attack on the president
The present occupant of the White
House." continued Mr.. Pettigrew, sis
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 overrides the laws,
influences congressman with patronage,
enriches his favOrites at the public eX-
pense; in fact, he permits no restraint
but his imperial will. He has refused
to enforce the laws of congress so often
that the list of the violations is next only
to the list of vetoes. He has sold bonds
at private sale to his favorites and for
mer associates upon terms and at
market price of bonds on the day of
such private sale. In view of these
facts it is 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.) of Tennessee support
ed the veto and opposed the bill. The
ure, he said, or else Il tariff bill
would overlap even the Mckinley bill,
Mr.. Stewart Pop.) of Nevada opposed
the veto because he thought the river
and harbor bill meritorious.
Mr.. l!aWley supported the veto. He
said: | am sorry to find the president
dominated by this spirit of pessimism.
There is no decadency of love and respect
of our people for its government. Millions
of men are ready to lay down their lives
for their country | do not think the
president ought lightly to make this re-
mark.
Mr.. Hill upheld the veto power, declar,
ing that the fine distinctions and limita-
tons which had been stated were in the
brains of senators, but not in the consti-
tuition. The senator's had quoted Jack
son, but Mr.. Hill reminded them that
Old Hickory himself inaugurated the veto
ing of river and harbor bills, and in 1882
interposed the first veto of such a meas
ure.
In conclusion Mr.. Hill offered resolu-
ton proposing an amendment to the con-
providing that the president may
veto a specific item of an appropriation
bill without vetoing the entire bill.
Mr.. Butler POp) spoke of the presiden-
tial use of patronage to influence legisla-
ton and elections. This, with the veto
power, made the president an autocrat
more dangerous than king of England
could ever be.
This closed the speech-making and the
vote was taken, resulting in the passing
Of the bill over the veto-yeas 56, nays 5,
IS follows:
Yeas-Republcans Aldrich, Allison,
Burrows, Cannon, Carter, Chandler, |
Clark, Cullom, Davis, Dubois, Atkins, |
Gallinger Gear, Hale, Hansbrough, Haw- |
ey, Lodge, Mcbride, Mitchell of Oregon,
Nelson, Perkins, Pettigrew, Platt, Pritch
ard, Quay, Sherman. Shoup, Squire, Tell
a.. Warren, Wetmore Wilson, WolcOtt
SO.
Democrats: Bacon, Berry, Brice,
Faulkner, George Gibson, German, Jones
Of Arkansas, Lindsay, Mills, Mitchell of
Wisconsin, Morgan, Pasco, Pugh, Till
nan. Turpie, Vest, Walthall, White-19
Populists: Butler, Jones of Nevada,
PETER, Stewart. Total, So
Nays-Democrats Bate, Chiffon, Hill,
Smith, Vilas-5.
Mr.. Sherman endeavored to go on with
he filled cheese bill, but Mr. Vest object
ID, stating that he was tired of having
his filled cheese bill thrust forward con-
SANITY.
Mr.. Vest said the bill could be defeated
~ a filibuster, but this would not be re-
orted to.
A partial report on the naval appropria-
ion bill, covering all questions except the
TEN of battleships and the armor plate,
vas agreed to, and on the question of
urther conference Mr.. Chandler took the