The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-19
WILSON VETOES
CENSORSHIP BILL
President Takes Decided STAND
Against Encroachment on
Executive Authority

Washington. May 13.-Prcsidcnt
! Wilson poin;etly informed congress
todssr that in his opinion the lcSisl;,-
+, tive branch OF the government was
showing an increasing tendency TO IN
tcrtcro unduely With the executive
functions.
Ticking as Il vehicle for his admoni-
ten II sharply pilrased veto of the an
(; nllal legislative. executive and judi
cial appropriation bill the president
declared than orc of the riders Of the
big supply measure would muZzle ex-
ecutive officials with u censorship
regulated by the congressional joint
committee on printing.
| Immediately. the Presidents posi-
ton boIn on the general principle in
volved and the specific case cited was
challenged by Republican leaders OF
the senate and house. Senator Smoot.
Republican. Utah. chairman ot the
! loint committee declared in Il formal
Statement that the president appar-
entl- had been deliberately nlls;n-
formed" about the appropriation bjl.
and Representative Good. Republican,
Iowa. chairman of the house appro-
priations committee told the house
that there must be some mistake
somewhere
Whether repassage Of the bill un-
changed viii be attempted or whether
the feature objected to by tho Prcsi-
dent will be eliminated had not been
decided tonight. The measure carries
100000 for salaries and misce3-
lareous expenses Of many ;sove:nalent
| departments, ard il raust oe approx
| ed in some form by tire e-d Of June
| or these funds viii lapse.
The President also cites severa!
other measures eEacts.; or proposed IN
the present conSres to support his
charge tha. there lad been "an iilva-
sion OF t!.a province of the executive
calculated! TO result in unwarranted
Interference in the processes Of good
! government He said tha,t some of
these me-. pre-, he had permitted to
become Ivy as temporary cxpedicnts
but ,lla. 20 felt the time had come to
icail a :.olt before obstructive" prece-
dents had been established.
Tie section of the appropriation bill
Which led toS5lle ve.o would prohibit
:ho printing a rimeographins Of any
eovcrnnlen:. publication except by au-
thor.ty OF Ae Joint committee. suc!,
u provision, said the President, would
give the congnlittce power TO deter
mine what REFORMATION shall be given
20 the people OF the country by the
executive department.
Both Senator Smoot and EeprcFcn-
tative Good. however. asserted that
the committee already had been given
control over government publications
! by an &C: which the President signed
on March !, 1919, and that the pur-
+, pose OF the present provision vas to
extend that power so mcritorious peri
odi:als co3ld be continued.
a row between the joint committee
and Roger w Babson, formerly con-
rectei with the committee on public
| information. was Blamed for the presi-
dents action by Senator Snoot, who
said in his statement that Babson
apparently had made use Of the Pre-
sident or his advisers in carrying out
his threat and determination TO emo
! the censorship which, without the
least founGation, nc has charged
against the joint committee
The Presidents veto message said
in part:
.I am in entire sympathy with tho
efforts OF the congress and the de-
! partments.: effect economies III print
ing and in the use Of paper and sup
plies. but I do not believe that such a
provision IS this should become l2w.
''ff we are TO have efficient and eco
nomic business administration OF gov
; e-nn1c2t affairs the congress. be-
! .icve should direct its efforts to the
control OF public moneys along broad
er lineS. This can be accom-
pliShed by the enactment Of lcSi@la-
ton establishing an effective budget
system, which | have heretofore urs-
cd
THE congress and the executive
should Junction within :hcir respect.
i've spheres The congress has the
power and the right 10 grant or deny
any appropriation Or to enact or re-
fuse to enact law: but once an ao-
preparation is made ora law is passed
the appropriation should be admin,
isscred or the law executed by the eX-
ecutive branch of the government.
~ regard the provision IN question
as an invasion of the province OF The
executive and calculated to result in
! ',nwarr2ntcd interference in the pro-
cesses Of good government. produc
ing confusion. Irritation and distrust.
The proposal assumes sisniGc2nce as
al outstanding illustration OF q grow
:nS tendency. w,'.ich Y am sure is not
fully realized b.: the congress itself
and certainly not BY the people OF the
country.
The president also cited a resolution
adopted recently 10y the join: commit
tee declaring that no person connected
with any government deDartmens
should furnish any publication for
free distribution in excess OF so copies