Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-26

| Clubs Almost every member, from
personal considerations or on behalf Of
his constituents, is interested in some
appropriation and the judicious control of
/ the appropriation is usually effective to
make him be good" In addition 20 the
strictly personal feature, there is usually
/ some conflict between the House and the
! Senate. Our constitution, like most
American constitutions, provides that
bills for raising revenue shall originate
in the House of Representatives; and
this is usually construed to include ap-
preparation bills. This "prerogative" is
jeal0usly guarded, though in fact 1t is
relic of European customs that has no
real application to our government.
Where there were three estates" /. e.,
the king, lords and commons, it was of
some Importance that the commons
should originate bills for revenue; but
there Is no such difference between our
House and Senate.
PREROGATTVE HAS
GOOD FEATURES.
But the "prerogative" has uses. The
House usually leaves out some things
that the Senate wants in the appropria-
tion bills. The Senate then puts them
in by amendment, and also adds num-
Der of amendments for trading purposes.
The House promptly disagrees to the
amendments, and conference commit
tee is appointed which adjusts the diff
ferences to suit the managers, and the
two houses take what is handed down
/ to them. This frequently includes things
which could not pass one or the other
of the houses if submitted separately,
and therefore does not really represent
/ the will Of the legislators.
Furthermore, this same bulletin gives
+ n table of the dates Of passage Of all
appropriation bills since 1900 and says
1T will be observed that in practically
every case the appropriation bills were
not presented to the Governor until the
| day Of adjournment" In other words
/ the CLUB" was held until the last mo-
/ ment. And this was done deliberately in
violation OF the constitutional provision
1 in this section, which is retained by the
! amendment: But no bill shall be pre-
scented TO the Governor within two
! days next previous to the final nd
! lournment of the General Assembly"
| The evils 81 this violation, which is regu-
lar and systematic, will be presented in
another article. 1t is mentioned here to
| show to what lengths the Legislature
/ goes to force the Governor to accept all
or none In appropriation bills.
! GOVERNOR OFTEN
GIVEN NO TINE.
If the Governor vetoes bill after the
Adjournment of the Legislature. 1t has
to lie over until the next session, and
| that, of course, would tie up the whCle
/ State government for two years, in case
| of veto of an appropriation bill, unless
| the Governor should take the extreme
remedy Of calling & special session. Con
sequently the Governor is practically de-
prived Of his constitutional prerogative
Of veto. That prerogative is not given
the benefit OF the public, and in the
cases mentioned, it is not a question OF
a difference Of opinion between the
/ Governor and the legislative majority
/ On the contrary, il is a question Of Civ
ing the Governor power to enable the
! legislative majority TO express its real
/ will in cases where it has been imposed
upon by stealth, or where the minority
1 by parliamentary tactics has succeeded
| In fastening an obnoxious provision "a
On appropriation bill. whose passage is q
matter Of necessity.
1t Is too plain for serious argument
that the Governor, for the public welfare
ought to have this power Of veto Of parts
Of bills, and it is equally plain that the
power should not be restricted as IL Is in
this proposed amendment II Is a power
/ that could never do any harm, and that
/ frequently could be used TO great public
advantage.