The Washington times., 1913-10-31
GRABBING THE WRONG PIGS EAR.

Senator Overman has introduced a resolution tC
amend the Constitution that the President may
veto a particular provision of an appropriation bill
without affecting the rest of the measure. There is
good deal to be said in favor of it, and it gets said
very regularly. There is likewise much to be said
against it, which doesn't get said nearly so often II
| is easy and rather obvious that unrelated subjects
ought not to be lugged into an appropriation bill and
whole codes of special legislation transported into
the statutes by such an inappropriate vehicle But
there are two sides to it.
First, does Congress really want further to sub
ordinate itself to the executive will? Let it once De
realized just what this provision would mean, and
Congress will understand that the President would
be made the dictator of the last least item in every
appropriation measure. This Government spenos
rather more than billion year. Give this power
of veto to the President and he will be the of
appropriations. Congress might as well have the
executive departments make up budget, and then
pass blanket resolution authorizing the Admnistra-
ton to reach its hand in, take the money and
spend it.
Before gentlemen commit themselves to such an
tension of the executive power let them study the
story in early English nistory-and LATER too-of the
struggle of the Commons to get control OF the national
purse strings. When the Commons at last got that
they able to bargain with the King; to get what
they wanted in the way of liberty, in exchange for
what he needed III the way of lucre. In the ever
lasting struggle to wrest liberty from the crown, the
bgges; gain was made right there.
When the President can veto single provision
in an appropriation bill he has the power back III
mis- hands that has been the Of the whole fgnt II
is not necessary TO assume that we are gong to-
have any Presidents VINO will pc tyrants alter the
medieval fashion; it is enough that President are
estopped from vetoing some things that Congress
enacs, because presidents, like kings, must have the
money with which TO run their admnllstr alton,
Give the President the power to veto single pro-
vision out OF an appropriation olli, and the sub
jugation of the congressional the executive will is
complete Heaven knows II is already near enough
to completeness With the power to reward and
punish that would inhere in such power this the
executives patronage authority would become mere
sidesnow
But there are other aspects of this question quite
important. The rider has to be htched to an ap-i
preparation bill in way which almost assures that
it couldn't get there without good reason. A point
of order Will strike it off. There be pretty
good justification for the measure thai gets hitched
70 an appropriation budget simply because not SIN
gle member Of the house in which the rider orig
mates will object to it, And there commonly is.
Take, for instance, the public utilities commission
act for the District Of Columbia For years and years
there had been effort 10 get such measure into
law Ii was accomplished at last by the rider route.
That was the only chance, ard il worked The real
question is whether the the end most con-
Germs us. That law IS now in force and who remem-
ers, or who cares, that it was 'ridercd" into the
books?
Let packed committees at one end of the Iegis-
ativc rou,e sandbag things they don't like and then
let the President sanibag what he doesn't like al the
other end and there will be about as much popular
rule left to US as there to tee people Of Russia in
fiscal affairs
Congress is wont to bem0an the decline Of Is
prestige; 10 the day when the executive branch
Of the Government overshadowei, so completely as
it does today the legislative. If Congress- means all
that if it would restore itscl! to a Scf-rcspecting
status as partner in this Government, and not as
mere registering machine for the dic-stons Of thor
White House, il viii! think long ana hard before i
undoes the accomplishments for popular rule that
began when Magma CAarta was wrcsteI from John.
MRS EATON'S TRAGIC CASE.