The advocate., 1896-12-23

tors White Of California, Gear of Iowa,
and PETER Of Kansas, before the bill
was put on its passage.
The bill was passed by an almost
unanimous vote and was vetoed by
the President. Senator Baker was alb
sent when the vote was taken on pass
ing the bill over the veto, but he was
paired In favor Of the bill. And now
why did Mr.. PETER vote that WsyP
First Because, If the veto had pre-
vailed, the whole bill would have been
lost for the year, and Kansas people
would have been deprived of neces-
Ssry appropriation of money that
might be needed at any time; and 1t
was not at all probable that any better
bill could be passed at the next or at
any subsequent session, for neither
Senators nor the President objected to
any particular item or paragraph In
the bill. The objection was to the bill
as q whole.
Second Because the President was
in error as to material facts on which
he based his objections.
The President oVerstated by nearly
100000 the amount of direct and
immediate appropriations; and he
Overststed by $3,0OO,O0O in round fig
ures the amount of continuing sppro-
priations. He put the first item at
about $l4,O00,O00, when 1t was about
$4,000, 600; and he put the second at
more than S62,OOOOOO, when it ought
to have been $59,O0O,OO0. Senator
Vest, commenting on one of the Pres
ident's objections, eaid
The President also says that under this
bill there will be appropriated or expended
$3OOOOOOO for the fiscal year 1898, and he states
that during that year $2OOOO,OOO will be neces-
sary, under the provisions OF this bill, in order
to meet these appropriations. Asa matter Of
fact the amount OF continuing appropriations
in 1893, instead OF being $2O0OOO0O will be $751;
619S7S, a difference of sS,9S7S27 between the
estimate Of the President and the actual facts.
II we add to this $60OOOO0 in round numbers,
being one-halR OF the direct appropriations
for this year In the bill, we have in the year
1885, which carries the largest of all the ex.
pendituFes under the continuing contracts,
little over sl0OOOOOO or, say, $2O,OOOOO round
numbers, instead OF $3OOOO,OOO as stated in the
Executive message.
Ihird-BeCsus the President did
not point out or designate any one or
more items of appropriation In the
bill to which he objected on any
grounds,
Here are the specific objections of
the President In his own words:
In view of the obligation imposed upon me
by the constitution, 1t seems to me quite clear
that only discharge duty to our people
when interpose my disspproVal Of the legis.
lation proposed.
! Many OF the objects for which 1t appropri-
stes public money are not related to the pub.
lie welfare, and many of them are palpably
for the benefit OF limited localities or in aid
Of individual interests
On the face Of the bill 1t appears that not q
few Of these alleged improvements have been
so improvidently planned and prosecuted that
after an unwise expenditure of millions Of
dollars new experiments for their accomplish
ment have been entered upon,
While those lntrusted with the management
OF public funds in the interest OF all the people
can hardly justify questionable expenditures
for public work by pleading the opinions OF
engineers or others as to the prAcu liability OF
such work, IL appears that some OF the pro
jects fer which appropriations are proposed in
this bill have been entered upon without ths
approval or against the objections Of the ex-
aiming engineers.
nl.4.l AN..k