Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-03-03
VETO OF CAPITOL BILL
EXCELLENT REASONS WHY BILL
SHOULD NOT PASS.

The Present Location Has Been Carefully and
Deliberately Made-The Popular Vote Wa.
Decisive-The Expenditures Made in Pssual
and Legitimate Manner. Secured BY the Land
Grant, Has Depleted Its VaIue-To Move
Now Would Plunge the State HopsIessly Into
Debt-The Proposition on Which Indemnify
Is Based Is Vague and Unbusinssslik Bill
Passed by Intimidation and Coercion
Governor Mead's veto message was
as follows:
To the President and Members Of the
Senate Of the Ninth Legislature O
the State Of Washington:
GENTLEMEN:
l return herewith Senate Bill No
124, entitled can Act to provide for
submitting the question OF changing
the permanent location of the seat OF
government from Olympia, Thurston
county, Washington, to Tacoma
Pierce county, Washington, to the
vote of the people," having disap.
proved the same.
In my judgment, there is no urgent
demand or necessity for the passage OF
an act OF this character, entailing, as it
necessarily must, if the election it
provides for results in the removal oil
the capitol, an added burden of debt
and expense to the State at time
when the people are barely able to
provide, at the present rate OF taxa
ton, sufficient funds for the proper
and necessary expenditures in main
tanning the State government and lis
institutions.
l am profoundly impressed with the
idea that when question is submit
ted to the people, of such paramount
importance as the one involved in
this bill herewith returned, the cleo.
tors should have the benefit of a clear.
cut, concise, businesslike proposition
accompanying the question submitted,
so that they can vote intelligently
thereon.
Preliminary to the submission of
any question touching the change of
location OF the State Capital, the Leg
islature ought, in my judgment, to
adopt measure accepting any propo-
sition that may be made by any com.
munity of this State, contingent, of
course, upon the approval of such
change OF location by the vote OF the
people.
Notwithstanding the generous offer
of the tract Of land known as Wright
park, made by the accredited authori-
ties of the city OF Tacoma, the fact is,
nevertheless, that this proposed grant
cannot be used for any other purpose
than site for capitol building. 1t
matters but little in the cost of capitol
Contraction and maintenance thereof
whether the value of the site be great
or small; the land granted can only
be used for that purpose.
If this question is submitted to the
people, notwithstanding the executive
veto, and the people resolve the ques-
ton in the affirmative, then We at
once enter upon period of capitol
construction with all its attendant
evils. The prospect presented by such
a condition is not inviting. Where,
may 1 ask, are the funds for the con.
struction of such an edifice? Notwith.
standing our marvellous prosperity, all
will agree that it will be impossible for
this Legislature, or its successor, to
provide adequately for the wants and
needs OF the various educational, char.
liable and penal institutions OF the
State owing to the rapid growth of our
population land the demands upon
these various institutions. Burdens
OF State cannot be augmented without
working a serious injury. to the differ.
ent counties, municipalities and school
districts in their efforts to provide for
their actual needs.
The question involved in the subject
matter OF the bill herewith returned is
of higher importance and greater mag
nitude than that of an ordinary act OF
the Legislature. As the constitution
requires two-thirds vote OF the people
when changing the location Of the
seat of government, l am not doing
violence to our fundamental law when
l say that it is possible to read be.
tween the lines of that document the
requirement that the Legislature shall
not submit the question to the people,
for their ratification or rejection, I'M
less tho proposition to so submit shall
have received at least two.thirds vote
OF the members Of each branch OF the
Legislature. In this connection am
inclined to be in harmony with the
suggestion made by an eminent mem.
Der of the Pierce county bar, in q dis.
cussion before the executive, when he
stated that the subject matter of the
attached bill was in legal effect q pro.
posed amendment to the State Consti-
tuition. If so. then to comply with
the letter and spirit of our organic law,
this measure should receive before it's
submission 10 the people the necessary
two.thirds vote of each branch OF the
Legislature.
I believe that the best interests OF
the State would be subserved by post.
poning the consideration of this aues-
ton until such time al the Legislature
can submit Herewith a statute that
will set forth line of policy that will
commend itself TO the judgment of the
people and give them an intelligent
comprehension of the probable expense
involved in ordering such . change,
the benefits they are to receive and the
sources from which funds are to be
provided for the construction of the
building.
One objection that urge requires
no further argument than a simple
recital OF capitol building and capital
location in this Territory and State.
Under the organic act creating the
Territory, Governor Isaac I. Stevens
designated Olympia as the capital and
ordered tho first Legislature to con.
vene here on January 80, 1854. The
Territorial Legislature subsequently
confirmed the act of the first execu.
tive by locating the capitol upon a
tract now included in the city limits
of this city. A capital removal at.
tempt followed in 1860 and 1861, but
was Intellectual, and at an election
held July 8, 1861, Olympia was chosen
over twelve competitors. The State
Constitution, adopted in 1889. sub-