Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-06-27
THE VETO POWER
AN ANCIENT RELIC

Our forefathers in forming our
constitution, displayed wisdom anu
foresight so profound that they
seemed almost supernatural and yes
they were human and did make ms
takes which from time 10 time have
been corrected BY amendments. and
that good old document Is stlll due
for more amendments rs time and
experience point the need. Nothing
In the constitution Is perfect simply
in the constitution approach peftee-
tion only as they serve the purpose
for which the constitution was
framed and adopted, that of estab-
fishing and perpetuating govern
ment of the people, for the people, by
the people. Applying this rule TO the
veto power of the president, We find
it should be thrown into the discard
as was tho election of senators by
state legislatures a few years ago.
The veto is illogical and un-Ameri-
can in that it establishes minority
rule over the majority. One-ihird of
the members plus one in either house
of eongerss can sustain veto and
thwart the will of the people and both
houses of congress. This was the case
with the pension bill in this congress,
by just one vote in the senate the
veto was sustained. The veto Is
necessarily against the majority of
each house of congress and in most
cases a majority of the people, and I
seldom fails to bring storm of pro-
test. Ii has never been made clear
why man, because he Is president,
is possessed of more wisdom and
knows better what the people should
do and have than a majority Of the
peoples lawmaking body, and yet the
trainers of our constitution could no,
free themselves entirely from the
Old World ideas of rulers with auto
cratic powers over the people and
legislative bodies. They were afraid
to trust the people entirely to them
selves, so gave the president the
veto power which virtually makes him
an autocrat and defeats another ideal
in our government, that of the three
separate branches, legislative, execu-
tive, and judicial. The veto power
gives the president influence over
legislation equal to two-thirds of the
legislative bodies and they can never
be distinct and separate branches OF
government while that condition OBJ
tains.
Because the veto power has always
been ON the constitution we are apt
to consider it in matter of fact
way instead Of giving it careful
thought with view to making con-
ditions better. The latest example
af the svet~swrs the most -uncnilea
for, most unjust veto in American
history, the veto of the postal salary
bill which pasesd the house by vote
of 362 to and the senate by a vote
of 73 to and was almost unanimous
ly endorsed by the public. 1t was
vetoed in the name of economy, but
it is the shortsighted economy which
means injustice, discomfort and lower
efficiency. In fact it is niggardliness
which penalties the loyal worker to
save the millionaire taxpayer. But
remember, the people would not have
it so. 1t is the one man autocratlc
rule that holds the postal workers TO
a reduced salary, 100000 less than
is required, according to government
statistics, for living wage.
The more congressional legislation
is studied the more it will be appar-
ent that the next amendment to the
constitution should be to abolish the
veto power and let the people rule.