The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-28
One Man Bears the Burden Now.

VIC WbU De6TS TIC DurOen NOW.
Within thirty days from the ad.
journment Of the Legislature the
Governor must sign those bills
which he approves and desires to
become laws. and with respect Of
the appropriation bills he possesses
power Of selection among the spe-
cific provisions composing them that
puts on him heavy responsibility
and high authority. This power Is
conferred by section 0 Of Article ".
Of the Constitution:
mo bill shall become a law after the
Anal adjournment OF the Legislature,
unless approved by the Governor withi2
thirty days after such adjournment
III any bill presented to the Gov
ernor contain several items OF appro-
priation OF money. he may object to one
or more of such items while approving
OF the other portion OF the bill.
Tn such case he shall append to the
bill. at the time OF signing It. a state
uent Of the items to which he objects !;
and the appropriation so objected to
shall not take effect"
We do not reproduce these sen.
fences from the Constitution in the
belief that we shall thereby bring to
the attention of the 'present occupant
Of the Executive Chamber an obliga-
ton of his office which in his study
IF the law he may have overlooked.
Indeed. We assume that CHARLES S.
WHITMAN is accurately and complete
~ Informed as 10 the broad authority
therein reposed upon him. Our pur.
pose in reproducing them is that
every citizen may he reminded of the
exact status of the wasteful. extor-
tionate and indefensible appropria.
tiOn measures that now lie on the
Governors desk.
The Governor can take shelter be-
hind none of the easily erected de-
fences that are the common refuge Of
legislators. His constituents are the
people Of the whole State. not the
denizens Of single county. He can
not say that to obtain this desira bic
allowance he was obliged to consent
TO that questionable concession. To
him Is denied the plea Of immunity
based on the demands Of another OFF,
cial. His acts are his own. and he
can by no means shift to others their
consequences
Thus the whole onus Of the raid
on the taxpayers rests to-day on the
shoulders to the breadth and muscu.
larity OF which in certain emergen.
cies THE Sun has been glad to direct
admiring attention. If those Shout
dsrs are stubbornly squared to-day
and persistently kept squared until
the appropriation bills are finally en-
acted, their possessor can cut from
those bills the numerous items of
appropriation which are unnecessary,
i'll Judged, partisan, sectional and
vicious. He can save to the people
Of the State vast sum Of money, and
thereby relieve every taxpayer Of a
threatened burden that would not be
made light in any district Of the
State by reason of the unfortunate
fact that 1t would be particularly
grevous in the five counties that
compose New York city. This he
can accomplish by his own head and
hand, and by so doing bring about a
revival Of that good feeling toward
himself which since January has SC
notably rcccded.
And If Governor WHITMAN chooses
the other course, OF compliance
and assistance in the plans oi
the statesmen who have devised the
raid on the taxpayers, gives to their
programme Of despoliation his aid
and countenance, confirms by his act
their plan Of plumber, the oppressed
and outraged citizens will know pre-
cisely on whom their anger should be
Justly visited.