Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-22

64s~~Aas1&
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1s.-President
Taft's veto of the wool bill is the first
tarin measure TO receive executive dis
approval since 1885, and 1t is the fourth
instance since the formation OF the re-
public that president has exercised his
constitutional prerogative and vetoed a
tariff bill
should congress pass the bill over the
presidents veto, such action VIII be
without precedent. so far as measures
of this character are concerned IL is
not probable, however. that a new prece-
dent will be. established. If congress
could pass the statehood resolution over
Nebraska as states. the nrst mentioned
the presidential disapproval, that action
also would establish a new precedent,
for while presidents have vetoed state
hood measures. none has been passed
over the veto.
FIRST tariff VETO.
President Tyler was the first president
to veto a tariff measure. In ls4e he dis
approved two such pieces Of legislation,
and no effort was made TO pass them
over his veto. In 1869 President Johnson
vetoed a copper tariff bill on the ground
that IL discriminated against other indus
tries. and again congress failed TO over
ride the veto. Johnson also vetoed the
bills for the admission of Colorado and
on the ground that 1t was both uncon-
stitutionaI and unnecessary. and the
second on the ground that the measure
was impractica BILE. He also vetoed the
measure for the readmission of certain
Of the southern states which withdrew.
or assumed to secede from the union,
at the time of the civil war. He based
this action on the ground that the meas
ures superseded the mode of admission
provided by the constitution.
President Cleveland broke all records
for the number of bills vetoed. He reg
istered his disapproval of 30l bills dur
ing his first term. and of ~ during his
second term. No other president even
approached this record. President Grant
came second with A. vetoes during his
incumbency Of the White House, and
johnson was third with -. Roosevelt
came fourth with a record Of 16. and
other presidential vetoes were as follows;
Washington, 2; Madison, 8; Monroe, i;
Jackson, s; Polk, 3: Pierce, .; Buchanan,
Z: Lincoln. 3; Hayes, S; Arthur, 4; Nc
Kinley, Z. Jefferson never exercised the
veto power. nor did the other presidents
whose names are not included in the
foregoing list.
JOHNSON HAD TROUBLE.
Johnson had the greatest trouble with
congress over vetoes of any of the presi-
dents but he was at loggerheads with
the Legislative branch of the government
all the time. Thirteen OF the p meas
ures he disapproved weer passed over
his veto. One of the civil rights bill,
and another was the freedman's bureau
bill Other measures which were writ
ten into the federal statutes in spite Of
johnson had to do with questions arising
out of the civil war. and aside from the
two mentioned none was Of great impor-
lance
Congress passed two of the bills We
toed by President Grant, but both were
private relief measures and amounted to
little. In 1878 President Hayes disap-
proved the measure known as the
standard silver dollar bill, and II was
promptly passed over his veto. In the
senate the vote stood IS TO ~. with IL
senator's not voting. while in the house