Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-02-26
Governor Points Out Evil of
System of Using Emerg-
enCy Clause on Bills.
SOL0NS WANT TO GO HOME
While Realizing the Governor Was
Right, They Felt Necessity Com
PEELED Passage of the Bill.

Within an hour after Governor West
yesterday afternoon had vetoed the
general appropriation bill carrying
$1,231 ,216, the house had passed it
over his veto, and a short time later
the senate had taken the same action,
and the bill was q law.
While this ctlon Of the legislature
can be interpreted no other way than
a slap at the governor slap that the
officials knew would be forthcoming
IL he vetoed the bill, yet many friends
of the governor voted to pass the bill
over the governors head, not that they
loved the governor less, but that they
loved their peace of mind and home
more.
The vote does not necessarily mean
a victory for the machine crowd of
the Legislature, that has at every OPP
portunity sought to embarrass Gov
ernor West during this session, but
rather that the tired-out members of
the legislature generally were ap-
palled at the idea Of dividing that bill
up into number of smaller bills,
fighting over each bill again for pas
sage, thus having to spend perhaps
a week or so more in so doing This
is what they must have done If they
had followed out the governors wish
es, as expressed in his veto message.
The quickest way out of the dilem-
ma and very short cut for their
homes was TO pass the bill over the
governors veto.
While there is hardly a man in the
legislature but that privately admits
. that the governors criticisms, as ex-
pressed in his message, are right as
far as Jumping appropriations to-.
gether, and attaching emergency
clause to them, are concerned yet
they felt that this was not the fault Of
The legislature, bat OF the system that
h,s been in vogue for many velrs
They were merely following prece
dent.
Then, to-. they felt that Governor
West was playing politics and grand
standing before the people Of the state
else he would have made known lis
objections to the ways and means
committee of the house when that com
mittee was at work on the appropria-
tlons and drawing up the bill
The bill originated in the house
and members Of the committee de-
clared vehemently during the debate
prior to voting to override the veto
that they had consulted Governor
West abont most of the appropriations
and that he had sanctioned their
course This was the most telling
point made against the governor in
the debate, and made many Of the
members feel that his veto action was
not only insincere, but also that he
was playing politics
Yet most Of the members felt that
many items carrying emergency claus
es should not have been included in
the bill but each should be in sep
arate bill, so that the people could in
woke the referendum If they felt so
disposed Another thing that influ-
enced the overriding of the veto was
that the legislative expenses were in
cluded in the general bill The so
Ions wanted their pay for the session
as soon as possible; so did their
stenographers, clerks and other em-
ployes.
The debate in both house and SEN
ate was spirited, and Governor West
came in for many caustic criticisms.
The Veto Message.
Governor Vests veto message was
as follows.
Gentlemen: ! return herewith
house bill No. 6S2 with my veto
This bill carries "A items and total
appropriations Of $1,231, ,261.9O. Most
Of the items are meritorious and the
appropriation necessary for the prop
er conduct Of our state government
There are other items and amounts
however Of questionable merit which
have been included in this bill and un
doubtedly for the purpose of insurinl
their passage,
"The practice of presenting blan
ket appropriation bills is wrong II
principle because It deprlves the exec
utive Of his constitutional right Il
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