The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-06-04
GFyITOR VEST.

president $ veto of that measure taken up
This was opposed by Pettigrcw of south
Dakota, i'm charge of the Indian appropria-
ton bill conference report Vest urged
that the suspension and possible destruc-
tion of the work of Improvement of in
tcrnal waterways was of more moment
than any other one subject save that OF
the national honor. II was imperative
that the question bc settled now, so that
Al the veto was sustained, il could be deter
mined whether any other river and harbor
bill was To be framed
BiIi and Veto Taken Up.
The bill afNl veto were taken up-yeas,
| 3S; nays, TO- The negative vote was cast
by: Democrats Bate. Chiffon, Harris,
Palmer, Vilas-5; Republicans, Brown,
Morrill,, Pettigrcw, Pritchard, Teller;
total. 10 The veto message was then
| read Vest said the veto contained state
lncnts which. however much he might
| respect the high office of the president
| ought not to go unchallengcd. He dld
not question the presidents veto prcroga-
| tive but the trainers Of the constitution
never had intended this power should be
exercised in the ordinary affairs of the
| government II was To be power to
meet extraordinary affairs of the govern
ment 1t was to he n power To meet extra
| ordinary emergencies. when popular pas
sion had led 10 hasty legislation, or when
| n constitutional question was involved.
| The early presidents. who stood nearest to
| the constitution. exercised the veto power
but seven times; twice by Washington,
| five times by Madison, and never by Jef-
| ierson or John Adams
| Statements Analyzcd.
| Vest then analyzcd the statements of
| the veto concerning extravaganza The
president had, he said. stated that the bill
| made direct appropriations of about sli,-
| OOOmO. while in fact they aggregated
| sl2 GOS. 900 "A difference of 81 ,391, 100. This
| was hardly characteristic of the eXactness
| of the cmanations Of Mr. Cleveland, who
| had never served in legislative body
| and seemed to have n tendency TO minim
ize the responsibility of II legislator to his
| constituents. He took up another item
| showing that the totals were less than th,
| presidents statements would indicate
The senator said, as to the general charge
of extravaganza, i'm view of the vast in
tercsts involved, the extent of the coun
try. and the fact that the river and har
bor bill covered two years, this measure
was comparatively reasonable. There
were items open to question, yet, as I'm al
legislation. this was the result of compro
mise
Asked for Facts.
| Vest said he had addressed "A letter e
| General Craighill chief of engineers, ask
ing for the facts as to that statement %
the president that he had learned from oil
fetal sources that the bill contained ap
propr. .ations intended To serve private in
tcrests. The senator said General Craig
hill made no reply, but in response to 1
| tclegraphic query. answered that the let
ter had been referred to the secretary o
} war for instructions"
up tn this date no information has
been given" said Vest bitterly, -
that. for reasons best known q
the administration, IL Is considere'
best not to go into details o'
these charges but To indulge in genera
and rhetoric defamation as To the alleges
extravagance and faVoritism containc
In it.
In the platform on which Mr.. Clev,
/ land was first nominated was stron
plank for waterway improvements, an
his early messages indorsed these improv,
ments. Vest prophesied that i'm the nea
future legislation would he directed {
further developing internal commerce an
clcapcning transportation