Milford chronicle., 1924-06-27
Few Presidential
VetOes Overridden
Repassing Of Bonus Bill Brings Into
Play Power Seldom Used

The recent passage of the Bonus
bill over the veto of President Cool
idge by an overwhelming majority in
the House and a sufficient margin in
the Senate leads to a search for
similar incidents in the political his
tory Of the nation, says the New
York Times.
Significant of the reluctance of
our national legislative body to oV-
erride she. decisions of the Chief Ex-
ecutive is the 1act that in ell the
years of the country up to the time
of President Mckinley only twenty
eight bills were passed by both
houses after being vetoed by the
President. Sixteen of these were pas
sed in Johnson's Administration,
when Congress and the Chief EXecu-
tive were bitterly at variance.
In so far as the actual meaning OF
the word "veto" is concerned, the
President has not and never has had
the power to veto. "Veto" originated
in Roman law and was power con-
ferred upon the tribunes or cham
pions of the plebeians against the
domination of the patricians. The
technical name for this right 10 stop
measures inimical to the lower
~classes was called interyessio or We
to. But it was an absolute power OF
forbidding and not a mere express
sion of opinion. 1t had legislative
strength. By the mere utterance OF
the "veto" the plebeians could arrest
through their tribunes almost the
entire machinery of government. The
negative was unqualified and was
subject to no revision at the hands
Of the Senate or the patrician rep
resentatives.
That this same absolute negative
should become part of the preroSa-
tive of the President of the United
States was advocated by Wilson OF
Pennsylvania when the provisions OF
the Constitution relating to the veto
duties and powers of the President
were defined. In this belief of the alb
solllte power of the President 10 de-
termine the legislative limitations OF
the two houses Alexander Hamilton
agreed with James Wilson, Whlle
Franklin, Madison, Sherman, Mason
and-GsgTeT held dissenting opinions.
,Ht last. in the violent debates that
ensued, Gerry proposed the Inlleu
negative that exists in the form Oh
the present veto, and this measure
was adopted and passed by the vote
Of eight states. , c4o4o.
The President of the United States
may adopt one of four metnoos III
disposing of bills brought before
him: He may (19 sign the BILL III
which case it becomes a law. lie may |
(2) veto the bill, in which event II |
goes hack, with his objections, TO
fhe House in which it originated, for
Provided the bill |
reaches him within ten days OF the
end of the session, he may C9) Doc
ket' or ignore it, and then 1t does
NOT become a law. If it reaches him
before the beginning of the ten days,
he may (4) fail to return II, ana 1t
effective as if signed by ue-
fault. .,.4
In this country, if the President
does not approve, he does not FORBID
He does not veto in the sense OF the
Roman law. Under the British CON
stitution the Crown is properly GAS
sed as part of the Legislative BODY
Of the government, part of the Par
lament. If the King does not assent
that is an end of the matter Inc Inc
harmony of the two houses OF tne 9
Crown is essential to the enactment
Of any measure, while in the United
States the Presidents authority ov-
er an act is simply advisory or re-
Visory. o.;d-
If the return bill, when reconsid-
cred. masses two-thirds OF the :
house" that originated 1t, ana latei
a.ssss ..Uo -thirds. Of +he. other house, |