The San Francisco call., 1896-05-30
The Immediate Expenditure of
$I7,ooo,ooo From the
Treasury.
VAST AMOUNT FOR CONTRACTS
Says the Measure Is $50 Extravagant
as TO Be Especially Unsuited to
These Times"

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 29.-The
President to-day sent a message to the
House vetoing the river and harbor appro-
priation bill. In his message the Presi-
dent says that the bill contemplates the
immediate expenditure of SIT. 600, 900, and
continues:
"A more startling feature of this bill is
its authorization of contracts for river and
harbor work am ounting to more than
$62, COO 900. Though the payments on
these contracts are in most cases so
distributed that they are to be met by fu-
ture appropriations more than So, ,000,0 600
on their account is included in the direct
appropriations. OF the remainder neces-
sary $4,000, 600 will fall due during the
fiscal year ending June 50 1898. and
amounts to somewhat less in the years
Immediately succeeding.
"a few contracts of like character
authorized under previous statutes are still
outstanding, and to meet payments on
these more than 81, o00, 900 must be appro-
priated in the Immediate future. If, there
fore, this bill becomes q law, the obliga-
tions which will be imposed upon the
Government, together with the provisions
made for expenditures on account drivers
and harbors, will amount to about $50 000,-
600.
''Nor is.this all. The bill directs surveys
and examinations which contemplate new
work and further contracts and which
portend largely increased expen ditures
and obligations. In view of the obIiga-
tion imposed upon me by the constitution
it seems to me quite clear that 1 only dis
charge a duty to our people when inter
pose my disapproval of the execution pro-
posed.
"Many of the objects for which it appro-
PIRATES public money are not related to the
public welfare and many of them are pal
pably for the benefit of limited localities
or in the aid of individual interests.
AZ learn from official sources that there
are appropriations contained in the bill 60
pay for work which private parties have
actually agreed with this 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 legislative
approyals of similar bills 1 am convinced
that the bill now under consideration
opens the way to insidious and increased
to be especially unsuited to these times of
depressed business and resulting disap-
pointment in Government revenue. This
consideration is emphasized by the pros
pect that the public treasury will be con-
fronted with other appropriations made at
the present session of Congress amount
ing to more than $500, ,000, 900.
ITO the extent that the appropriations
contained in this bill are instigated by
private interests and promote local or in-
dividual projects their allowance cannot
fail to stimulate vicious paternalism and
encourage sentiment among our people,
already too prevalent, that their attach
ment to our Government may properly
rest upon the hope and expectation of
direct and especial favors, and that the
extent to which they are realized may
furnish an estimate of the value of Gov
ernmental care. l believe no greater dan
ger confronts Us as Nation than the un-
happy decadence among our people of
genuine ana trustworthy love and affec-
tion for our Government as the embodi-
ment of the highest and best aspirations
of humanity, and not as the giver OF gifts,
and because. its mission is the enforce
ment OF exact justice and equality and not
the allowance of unfair favoritism.
81 hope may be permitted to suggest,
at time when the issue of Government
bonds to maintain the credit and financial
standing of the country is subject of
criticism, that the contracts provided for
in this bill would create obligations of
the United States amounting to $50, ,oOO,-
600, no less binding than its bonds for that
sum-"