The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-28
THE PRESIDENTS vEToEs.

President Taft has done himself
distinguished credit b. his Netoes Of
bills passed at the session of Congress
which has inst closed. \ number OF
tho bills vetoed were passed by Con
ercss for the express purpose of "put.
! ting Taft in hole, That h. suc-
cecded in putting Congress in n hole
instead OF dropping into il himself is
vastly TO the credit of his acumen and
common sense; for unquestiopabiv a
clear victory is the net a. well as the
gross result Of the political play be
tween Congress and the President,
First OF all, take the wool bill. Last
year at the extra session this bill was
passed by Congress and put up to the
President. Ho vetoed it on the ground
that the Tariff Board had not yet re
ported on the wool schedule, nor had t
been expected TO report so carly, be
cause it had been directed to report
in December OF that year. The WOOL
bill passed at the session just closed
and vetoed by the President, was
precisely the same old bill that had
been vetoed by him before. He sc
toed it the first time because the
Tariff Board had had insufficient time
within which to make report on the
wool schedule. He vetoed the same old
bill the second time because it entirely
ignored the Tariff Board S report.
He vetoed the bill dealing with the
metal schedule because it was ill-con-
sidered, unbalanced, and because the
Tariff Board had not yet reported on
the metal schedule. The great objec.
tion against the bill dealing with the
metal schedule is that it dealt with
the metals indiscriminately, putting
those which were wholly at the mercy
Of the tariff, as lead and zine, on the
same basis as iron and steel, which are
entirely independent of any tariff at
all. No bill dealing with the metal
schedule and putting the metals on
common basis has either intelligence or
practical value attaching to 1T.
He vetoed the army and navy appro-
priation bill because it contained gen
eral legislation recognizing the army
on doubtful lines, and having clause
directed especially to the humiliation
of General Wood, in deposing him from
his present position as chief of stan.
He vetoed the civil appropriation bill
because IL contained riders on general
subjects, two Of which were the aooll-
finn of the Commerce Court and the
Tariff Board.
The general objection which Presi-
dent Taft made 20 these bills was that
they contained general legislation
which, if desirable, ought to be dealt
with in specific bills of direct charae-
ter, The practice of enacting general
legislation by grating it upon aPpro'
priation bills is reprehensible in the
highest degree, and the President eH-
pressed his judgment against 1t fofcioly
in considering every bill that contained
such riders.
There is no question but that the
President has strengthened himself
with the country by these vetoes. Inc
petty political trick whereby he was
forced to resist and had to oppose re-
duetions in the tariff where he had
EXPRESSLY favored such reductions, was
an unworthy dodge, meant to humlllate
him, but above which he rose
triumphant. 1t can safely be said that
in every political play for advantage
directed against President Taft, he mas
not only beaten off his assailants, out
has won a decisive victory, which VIII
commend him stronger than ever to the
suffrapes Of American voters.
The session was an exceedingly
trihing one, generally speaking. where
important legislation was deiaycd
month after month beyond all sense
or reason, merely for the purpose
Of getting in political drives whicn,
in fact, have proved "harebacks." The
credit of all the contentious is decided
lv with President Taft and against
those who put up the tricky jobs
against him.