Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-09-01
FINLEY REVIEWS EXTRA SESSION
Probable Political Effect of President's
Vetoes.

FINIGr REVIEWS En- hA SGSSlON
Probable Political Effect of Presdent's 8
Vetoes.
Washington, August 26.-Among the
few members of the house of represen-
tatives remaining in Washington since
the adjournment Tuesday of the spe-
cial session of congress Is Represen-
tative d. E. Finley, of the Fifth South
Carolina district.
For the last few days of the session
Mr.. Finley found his time completely
taken up between attending the meet
ings Of the various committees, of
which he is a member, and occupying
his seat on the floor in anticipation of
the votes on the important matters
which were under consideration in the
house. Consequently. there was little
opportunity for him to dispose Of the
many departmental matters which
have demanded his presence in the city
since the final bang of Speaker Clark's
gavel on the 22d. This morning the
News and Courier's correspondent re-
quested Of Mr.. Finley an interview
summarizing the work Of congress and
the effect the presidents liberal exer-
else Of the veto is likely to have on
the election next year.
Let me begin by saying" observed d
Mr.. Finley, that If President Taft had
invited the Democratic house leaders
TO enter an advisory conference with
him. pointing out the course he should
pursue in the interest of the Democrat
ic party, they would have told him to
use the veto just as he has used 1t.
That Is a partisan view Of the matter,
Of course; but fortunately the interests
Of the country and the Democracy run
concurrently In the recent work of the
house and the Democrats in the SEN
ate, aided by the insurgent Republi-
cans.
First, the house put through the
Canadian reciprocity pact. Later prac-
tically all Of the Democrats in the SEN
ate supported it, and with the assist
ance of a few Republicans, passed 1t
along to the president. He signed the
bill. Now the Republican organs and
stand-pat politicians are claiming all
the credit for this beneficent piece of
legislation. Evidently they forget,
though the country is not apt to forget,
that 1t could not have passed but for
the Democratic house and the senate
Democrats, and that reciprocity with
Canada was one Of the doctrines Of our
party long before the urgency of polit-
ical distress forced the Republicans to
appropriate it to their own use. But
the bill did not receive the undivided
support of the Republicans. In both
the house and senate 1t was bitterly
assailed by many of them-as an en-
tering wedge to split wide open their
policy Of protection-thus reassuring
the country that some folks deny them
selves all indulgence in the luxury Of
a delicate conscience.
with Canadian reciprocity out Of
the way congress, looking further to
the interest of the people, passed the
bill lowering the duties In the woolen
schedule, which President Taft two
years ago declared was too high and
burdensome. Prestoi The presidents
profession of two years ago undergoes
a change and he now invokes the veto
to prevent the lifting of the load from
the shoulders Of the people. The coun-
try is thereby deprived Of the relief
to which it is entitled, that the wool
growers and the wool manufacturers
may continue to reap the harvest which
excuse for vetoing the wool bill is that
the tariff board has not reported. Two
years ago, when he thought the sched-
ule oppressive, there was no tariff
board in existence and he could not,
therefore, have predicted his opinion
on such a prospective report.
The free list bill which we passed
has also been vetoed by the president.
Next year TIE ldTlIleIS VI Tic Guilty
who would have been the greatest ben
eflciaries of the law had not the presi-
dent been the lion in it's path, will not
hesitate to ask the why and where
fores Of the veto.
THE cotton schedule, including the
iron, steele and chemical amendments
of the senate, providing for cheaper
cotton goods for the people, with cor
responding reduction in the cost of
machinery, dye stuffs, ETC., to the cot
ton manufacturer, we later sent to the
president for his signature. Again the
veto. In certain states of the Union
the governor has no veto power.
There are some bold enough to OBJ
serve that this country would have
been better off had the president been
similarly restricted in his prerogative
to thus throttle the will of the people.
Besides these important matters, we
have submitted to the states for ratif-
cation a constitutional amendment pro-
viding for the popular election of Unit
ed States senators, we passed bill for
the publication of campaign expenses
before the elections; we liberaliZed the