The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-03-30

and the senate shaIl. before 4 &C.
cones ! Law. be presensed 70 The
preslasot Of The United States IL
be approves - shall ssEn iss hat II
not be shall return Il With his OBJ
feesIons 70 the House IA wnI1A u i
shan bare originated. who shaIl sH-
ter the objections ~ large % their
Journal and proceed 20 recsnsi6sT IL /
II. after such Reconsideration. > ma
,orsty Of that House shall agree 10
pass the bill. IL SHALL b sent foEsSh-
er with the objections. TO the other ]
House. By which u shall likewise Be
reconsldered. and IL approved by n /
majority OF that House. Ii shall be- ]
come > Law.
Every order. resolution. or vote.
10 which the concurrence OF the
House OF Representatives and Senate
may be necessary Except on . aues-
ton OF adjournmentD shall be pre-
sented TO the President Of the United
States, and before the same shall
take effect shall be approved By him:
or being disapproved by him. may be
re-passed by q majority OF the Sen
ate and House OF Representatives ae-
cording TO the rules and limitations
prescribed in the case Of BILL
/ Mr.. Butler. In explaining and COM
menting upon the proposed amend
ment limiting the veto power. said:
This amendment keeps the word
+ ing of the Constitution and the ma
! chinery with reference to the veto
/ power just as 1t Is now. 1t will be
| noticed that the only change il makes
in the Constitution Is by changing
the words 'two-thirds' to g major
i, ity.' The amendment, IL adopted,
! will require a bill, when passed, to
De sent to the President for his sig
nature If the p asiG1D, disapproves
1t, he writes his obs = Ions and sends
it back to the house where it orig
mated, just as he does now. The
house will consider his objections
and proceed to reconsider the bill.
The only difference is, IL both houses
see fit to repass the bill after consid-
ering the Presidents objections
thereto, then it shall become law
by a majority vote instead of by a
two-thirds vote.
Nearly every evil that his Gov
eminent is suffering from today has
come about not from defects in the
Constitution, Mr. President, but, If |
may Say it, by disregard or delib-
crate misinterpretation or an inter-
! preting away of the Constitution as
it was written and intended by our
forefathers. Take the decision of the
Supreme Court with reference to the
income tax cases and hundreds OF
other cases which might be cited,
: where we know, Or feel that we
know, that the intent of the Consti-
tuition has been changed. The evils
come not from a defective Constitu-
ton as a rule, but from a disregard
of the Constitution.
D "But this veto power is one pro-
vision where the Constitution, we
might say, is defective. 1t is one
. relic of monarchy. When our fore
q fathers framed this constitution they
r lacked just this much of being wean
o ed from English ideas. They could
= not foresee the tremendous patron
age that would go into the hands o.
the President in addition to this veto
e power They could not foresee anG
e did not intend that the veto power
n should be used to kill any bill tina
the President did not himself like
; In fact, the veto power was intend
: ed to be used sparingly, and yer.
sparingly; and we have the testimon.
Is of number of the trainers of thu
8 Constitution to that effect. 1t is al
= English idea, but in England tn
Crown today does not dare to vet
&c bill passed by Parliament. It ha
1t fallen into disuse in kingdom, il
ID a monarchy, but here in this coun
"A try it fiourishes and is used NOR
frequently each year. The peopl
= here elect their representatives TO
IL both Houses of Congress directed t
ot enact the will of the people into law
IS yet one man-not even legislator
has the monstrous authority an
power to nullify any act of Congress!
y A bill is passed after the most care
a. full and deliberate consideration
to the representatives of the people; "
ut it can be vetoed and nullified by
:. stroke of a pen in the hand Of on
man.
81 This is a dangerous power. Whe
OF we consider today the tremendou
of patronage that the President has wit
10 which he can influence legislation,
;. addition to the veto power to Xxi
what is passed, it makes him almo
10 an autocrat. 1t. gives him MOI
as power than any crowned head
by England or. we might say, than ar
oh monarch in Europe has. We sa
here in the last Congress how Il
power and the patronage of tt
President were used to change Il
;r;o Of 10