Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-03-26
Speaker Cline Jacks Him Up.

The following letter was sent To- hi,
accidcncy Saturday by the late Speaker
OF the House. who is acknowledged t,
| hc one of the best and most careful
parliamcntarianS i'll the State:
TO Gov. JOHN II. ROGERS.
My DEAR Sir: In your veto mes
sage on House bill No. go, in relation
to the construction of the capito
building, one Of your principal ground,
of objection to said bill seems to have
been Your assumption that it did not
pass both houses of the Legislature
Several days ago called your attention
to the fact that the unhroken custom
OF our Legislature, as we'll as of the
national houses OF Congress, is al
variance with your stand on this
matter, and | feel that your action es
tablishes a precedent which is. to say
the least, II dangerous one. No bill
passes the Legislature which has been
amended in either house TO which
the same objection can not consistent
ly be raised. AS you are well aware
the usual action OF either house which
has amended II measure originating in
the other house is to notify the other
house that it has passed the bill with
amendments, and the custom is tC
agree to these amendments by simple
motion. If the roll is called at all
it is merely for the purpose Of placing
the opposition upon record, and a
majority vote of quorum always
determines. You used the following
language in your veto message:
"In the absence of information to
the contrary, l would be warranted in
assuming that such bills as have been
presented as having passed both
branches OF the Legislature have been
duly passed. When | am appraised of
the fact that bill has been presented
as having passed both branche. Of the
Legislature, |, rs part of the law max
ing power OF the State, am not
only warranted in acting upon the
facts, but i'll my judgment, it is my
duty to do so. In brief, it is my duty
to withhold approval from any pur-
ported bill which may know has not
received the sanction OF both branches
of the Legislature in the manner
pointed" etc.
| would like to call your attention
to the following bills which are now in
your hands for approval, or on which
you have at least the constitutional
limit to review or revise your action,
each OF which passed in the same man
ner as the one in question, and which
your constituents, knowing your great
admiration for consistency. will expect
you to act upon in the same manner
as you have just acted upon House
bill 620, viz:
Senate Bill 263, the revenue and
taxation bill, which was amended in
free conference committee by changing
an entire section and adding a new
one, making the bill entirely different
from the original one which passed
both houses.
House Bill No. LOG and Senate Bill
No. 1856, both of which were changed
materially and adopted 10y not even di-
visional vote.
Senate Bill No. 273, the appropria-
ton bill which was changed in free
conference very materially, the report
OF which free conference was adopted
without division.
House Bill No. y, coditication OF
school laws, which was amended very
materially in the Senate and which
you have signed even after / told you
the other day that it had passed in the
same manner as the one in question.
1t would he useless for me to 60 into
the merits OF the parliamentary con-
troversy involved, yet as an instance
OF the manner in which this matter is
viewed in Congress, ! will cite you
page l LOO Congressional Record, jan
uary %, 1897. which gives reports of
two conference committees and the
manner in which these reports were
adopted. do not desire to question
your right to use your judgment as to
the exercise of the veto power even
though you solemnly pledged yourself
at Ellensburg, before the plaudits
which welcomed your nomination had
died out, that you would not exercise
the veto power. Since you have done
so, it was at least to be hoped that you
would not base your action upon a
construction OF parliamentary law so
obviously wrong and iar.reaching as in
this case.
/ have the honor to remain yours
very respectfully,
CHARLES +. CLINE.