Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-03-10
ANOTHER VETO.
HIS ACCIDENCY "STILL MASTER
OF THE SITUATION"

OF THE SITUATION"
A tumble Of False Statements and Illogical
Conclusions Gsven to Justify the Senate in
an Apparent Reversal of Judgment and
Make the Executive Hold Up" Success.
full.
To the Honorable the Senate of the
State OF Washington, Senate Cham
Der, Olympia, Washington:
Gentlemen-I herewith return with
out my approval Senate Bill No. 222,
entitled An act amending Sections l
and 3 of an act to provide for the loca-
ton and erection of capitol building
and appropriating money therefor and
declaring an emergency" approved
March 2lst, 1893.
Under the American system of gov
three coordinate branches of
are created: Legislative,
executive and judicial, each supreme
within certain constitutional limits.
Under CONF titutional provisions SINH
lar to ours, it has become q settled
principle that no one OF these depart
ments of government can override or
destroy the power and functions of the
others. But Senate Bill No. 222 at
tempts to do this by taking from the
Governor his constitutional power of
appointment and removal. The bill is
therefore unconstitutional and void if
enacted into law, and will furnish q
precedent which may return to plague
its inventors. To establish this long
line Of authorities may he cited. de-
sire simply, at this time, however, to
call attention to plain fact, instantly
apparent to careful observers wherever
found.
In carefully examining this bill am
irresistibly impelled to the conclusion
that the Legislature of the State of
Washington has, through inadvert-
ance, allowed itself to be placed in q
position it had not deliberately intend
ed to occupy, The bill under discus
sion is simply an amendment to the
law of 1898, which is modified by the
subsequent act OF 1895, and as further
modified by this bill should it become
q law, will create a commission having
the power to bind the State of Wash
ington. The act of 1895 appropriated
from mythical fund the sum of $780,
600, which, with some $4,000 previ-
ously expended, makes a round million
OF dollars WHICH the board this bill at
tempts to create will be empowered to
expend. The board created by this
bill will he entirely competent TO create
great debts, but it is entirely incompe.
tent and absolutely unable to liquidate
any portion of the same except by the
issuance of warrants or other evidences
of debt, Its power in this direction is
only limited by the exhaustion Of the
appropriation before mentioned. The
board which is by this bill created will
be able to let o contract for the con.
structiop OF the million dollar building
contemplated by the act Of lSa3 and
thus involve the credit OF the State.
So far no contract has been made in
conformity to the law, it being specifi-
cally provided by section of the act
of 1893 that until certified contract
has been issued marked approved" by
the Secretary Of Capitol Commission
that no liability shall be incurred and
no contract, unless made in this ex.
press manner, shall be valid or binding
upon either party. This proposed
commission will be able to issue war-
rants upon fund which has no power
to create and which the Legislature
has never taken any steps towards Gre
ating, by naming a mode of procedure
by means of which money could be OBJ
tanned with which to endow it, and
without endowment it is not an exist.
ant fund. These warrants, although
drawn upon q mock fund having no
existence could in considerable mum.
bers probably be sold if sufficient dis
count be made, from and by reason Of
the fact that any one conversant with
these matters recognizes, the further
fact that the moral responsibility of
the people through act of the Legisla-
ture having been invoked a moral liza
bility as surely follows, and with the
people OF this State q moral liability
will be as as effective as a legal one.
No doubt, uuder the circumstances
detailed, fifty or a hundred thousand
dollars in "capitol fund warrants"
could he added to the $95, O74.73 al
ready in the hands of parties who, even
now are vainly writing to the State
Treasurer, asking when the capitol
building fund variants will be Gcalle
Meanwhile contract might be made
by the proposed board and the con-
tractor acquire vested rights. These,
under the law of 1898, he is invited TO
test in the Superior Court Of Thurston
county, the only court in the State
empowered to take cognizance of his
claim.
No doubt exists in the mind of any
member regarding The plans of those
who are go urgently. and even hysteri.
cally, asking for the passage OF this
bill. Under the law OF 1893, the Capt.
tol Commission was made to consist Of
the Governor, the State Auditor, and
three qualified electors of the State,
who shall not be citizens of Olym-
pia" As modified by the bill under
discussion, the commission is made to
consist of three persons, two of whom
are citizens OF Olympia, and it is ex-
pressly therein provided that two may
organize the board and form quorum,
and are thus empowered to transact
business involving the credit and good
name of the 6tate of Washington.
Considering that the bill under dis
cussion Ia simply an attempt to amend
the law OF 1898, I wish to call atten-
ton to the crude condition and bad
character OF the law as thus amended.
Section 3 article 8, of our State Consti-
tuition provides:
" No debts shall hereafter be contract
ed by or on behalf Of this State, unless
such debt shall be authorized by law for
some single work or object to be distinct
ly specified therein, which law shall pro.
vide ways and means, exclusive of loans
for the payment of interest on such debt