The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-27
JOnsr YEIOEs
The horton '| BILL
Governor Withholds Signature
from Measure Depriving Him
of Capitol Control.
Resents Implication that the Elk,
ecutive Is Not Competent to
Do His Duty.

800 j
Governor johnson has exercised his
veto power for the first time.
He sent a message, to the senate to-
day, returning S. F. 4, the Horton capt.
toll bill, without his signature. The
message states his reasons, which in
brief are as follows:
1t is custom and the best public pol
icy for the governor to have charge of
the capitol. ~ eE@
The capitol commission was created
to build the capitol, and not to con-
slider it. T IN.
The Horton bill invites the commits
sion to delay completion of the building
two years, when it should be finished
in a few months.
The bill implies that the governor is
not competent to discharge this portion
of his duties.
The message recommends that an
other bin be- be- passed, providGinyg t for a
ings, to be: appointed by the governor,
and carrying an appropriation. He
would have skilled employees put under
civil service rules. =
The message was not acted upon to-
day, as it reached the senate about five
minutes after adjournment.
The message, addressed to Ray W.
Jones, president Of the senate, reads as
follows:
Text of the Veto Message.
During our entire period Of statehood
the governor, as the chief executive Of
the state, has by law been the custodian
of the state capitol, and he is RESPONSE
BILE for the general order and well being Of
the same.
The new capitol is sufficiently COM
pleted to be occupied by the legislative,
judicial and executive arms of the gov
eminent, and the different departments
are domiciled here by right of law and not
as tenants Of the state board of capitol
commissioners created to construct the
building. var
Senate File No. 4, "A bill for an act to
provide for the care and maintenance Of
the new capitol and to appropriate money
therefor would take from the governor
the power properly vested In him as GUS
todian of the new state capitol and vest
this power in the board of capitol COM
missioners board created not for the
administration of state affairs, but Gre
ated solely for the purpose of erecting and
constructing the new capitol building. It
is essential for the due and orderly adj
ministration of law that the governor be
placed In charge of the new capitol build
ing, and public policy demands that the
capitol commission be required to COM
plete the work of construction at the
earliest possible moment, and be made to
render an account Of their stewardship to
the proper authorities without delay.
Senate File No. 4, should it become a.
law directly invites the state capitol COM
mission to delay the work of completion
for at least two years, when, as a matter
there G Inv = ic.o
pletion should not be effected within a
few months. 1t has been the policy Of
the state to lessen the number of separate
and distinct boards, and to concentrate
the management Of the several depart
ments into a more central power, and in
my judgment, there is no reason at this
time for departing from that policy to
widen the scope of influence and author
1ty of the capitol commission by charging
its field OF operation and continuing it in
a line of work not originally designed to
be duty or function of said board.
For these reasons and for the further
reason that l cannot acquiesce in the i'm
plication that the governor of the state.
CHOSEN by majority of the people of the
state, is incompetent to discharge the
duties OF his office, as applied to this
particular instance, I am constrained to
herewith return Senate File No. 4, "A bill
Tor an act to provide for the care and
maintenance or the new state capitol, and
to appropriate money therefor" without
my approval. would recommend that the
legislature provide a sufficient appropria-
ton to cover the cost and maintenance
of the capitol; to provide for the appoint
ment by the governor of superintendent
OF capitol buildings and grounds and au-
tnorlze the governor to provide for such
other employees as may be necessary.
would especially urge in this connection
That for all employees where technical
knowledge and ability is required, that q
clvll-serVlce rule be applied in order that
this class of help might not be CHANGED
with varying administra tions for political
purposes.
peg TO remind you again that provision
must be made for the care and mainten-
ance OF the old capitol building, as well is
the new, and that there should be no di-
Vlded authority as to the custody of the
state capitol property.
What Will the Houses Do?
The senate is expected to pass the
Dill by the necessary two-thirds vote
TO override the veto. In the house the
Dill did not get two-thirds vote on
the test and it is considered unlikely
that the eighty votes can be mustered
'ASO!ouo OAoIC WILL Uo mace
to draw party lines and swing the los
republicans into line for the bill.
May Result in Inaction.
Republican members in both houses
today. declared the veto a political
mistake. They point out that the veto
leaves no provision for care of the capi.
tol. The legislature will hardly agree
to all the governor wishes. It may
only pass an appropriation for the CAPT
tol, and in that event the building will
remain entirely in the hands Of the
capitol commission until that BODY
finishes its work and makes it's report
two years from now. So the ends of
the veto may not be gained. :
Question Legality of Veto.
Today was the limit for action on
the bill, and the question may be
raised that the message was not re-
ceived by the senate today. Frank A.
Day, private secretary to the governor
hurried upstairs with the veto as soon
as it was written, but the senate had
adjourned at IL O'Clock. He turned
it over to the secretary Of the senate
who delivered it to the lieutenant gov.
ernor. AS the veto did not come while
! the senate is in session, the point is
made that it came too late. Precedents
are cited to show that it is only neces