The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-08-31
THE VETO POWER

President Taft's veto of the State
hood bill, the farmers free list bill,
the wool bill and the cotton revision
bill, during the concluding days of
the late congress, has provoked coun-
try=wide comment. His action in
setting at naught the work of the
Democratic House is pleasing to
stand-pat republicans only. Demo
Gratis and %insurgent Republicans feel
disappointed, but are not1giy1ng them
selves any deep concern about the
Presidents action. They are aware
that the American people will have
an opportunity to pass upon these
propositions next year and appear
willing to rest the case with them.
The reasons assigned by the Presi-
dent for his action were absolutely
absurd and unworthy of considera
ton. Having vetoed one revision bill
he probably felt that it was. useless
tc make any further pretense, to be-
ing in favor Of tariff revision and
decided to go over bodily into the
camp Of stand7patter.
President Taft's use of the veto
on bills passed at the extraordinary
session c. Congress which has Just
adjourned. has brought forward the
discussion of the veto power as ex-
ercised by former Presidents and
the S~partanburg Journal presents the
following interesting information Cen
this subject:
President Taft is by no means
singular in using the veto privilege.
Washington vetoed two bills, one re-
; gulating the apporptionment of re-
/ representatives. and the other fcc the
reduction of the size of the army. He
believed the first bill impracticaDle
and the second unjust and injudici-
Gus. Adams and Jefferson vetoed
none, but Madison turned down six.
President Monroe during his two
- Ts ~etoad as unconstitutional a
bill granting aid to the Cumberland
J cad. John Quincy Adams following
! the example Of his kinsman, John
Adams, did not veto any measure
passed by Cangress.
ANDREW Jackson broke the record
to that date by yetoing nine bills.
Van Buren, and Harrison did not
exercise the veto power, but Tyler
knocked up eight measures sent to
him, two of which were tariff bills.
James K. Polk vetoed a river and.
tFhafbor bill, a bill for internal i'm
provements and the French Spoila-
tiCl Claims measure. Taylor and
Fillmore vetoed none, but President
! Pierce wrote veto" across nine meas
ures, while James Buchanan is cred
tied with V ~vetoes, one of the
bills being to aid agricultural col
leges. He did not think the measure
~expedient or constitutional. President
Lincoln vetoed only three bills.
neither of which was very important
but Andrew Jackson thought he knew
more than Congress and turned down
~ bills. President Grant was not
/, SLOW tc veto measures he did not APP
prove and he killed 46 of them. Presi-
dent Hayes swatted eight bills and
Arthur four. But Cleveland during
his first term put to resi- 301 bills, all
of which were CT minor Importance
BENJAMIN Harrison killed nineteen,
measures and Cleveland during his
second term disapproved forty-two
Mckinley and Roosevelt exercised the
power very sparingly.
During Cleveland's first admins
tration CONGRESS- was flooded with
private pension bills. The people and
their attorneys seemed to think 'tthe
| "tealing vas good" and they wanted
to get their share while it was go
ing"
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