The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1931-05-01

the supreme Ian OF the land.
REPUBLICAN STATE PLATE o r M
NEITHER JUSTIFIES NOR WAR
RANTS SIGNING BILL
The argument has been made that the
Republican party of Illinois in its 1890
convention platform pledged itself and its
candidates for Office to abide by the de-
cison of the voters at this referendum,
and that because of this pledge as Re-
publican should sign this bill. This argyll
ment is based upon distorted statement
of fact. The pledge of the Republican
party as stated in the platform itself ne1-
their justifies nor warrants such action on
my part
The platform distinctly states that the
referendum is upon "the question OF the
Eighteenth Amendment to the constitute
ton and the problems OF enforcement in
volved Hereunder" The question of the
repeal of the Illinois Prohibition act was
submitted as part of program embrace
ing three questions. The first involved the
repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment, the
second, the modification of the Volstead
act, and the third, the repeal of the ILL
nois Prohibition act.
It was manifestly the thought of the
trainers of the platform that these ques-
tons were not to be accepted separately
but as complete program and it was not
their belief that the state of Illinois should
attempt to nullify the constitution by
withdrawing its support from the federal
laws previous to their repeal or modihca-
ton.
This is clearly stated in the platform
when it said that "The Republican party
has been the SteadfaSt champion of
the Sanctity of the constitution and OBJ
SerUance OF the la1US as they haze been de-
creed by the 1DiH OF the people, and
pledges its continued unqualified support
OF the provisions OF the constitution and
the laos OF our nation and state unless
and until they are repealed or amended"
THE PLATFORM SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
The intent that national action should
precede state action is further shown by
the fact that the platform did not pledge
members of the legislature to vote or work
for the repeal of the Illinois Prohibition
act, but did pledge tits representatives in
the congress OF the United States to cote
consistently to carry out fully the eT-
pressed will OF the people OF their districts
at the referendum on these questions" -.
The platform speaks for itself. There is
no word or suggestion of pledge or in
Struction to the governor of this state, or
to the general assembly of this state. There
is only the pledge for action to be taken
by members of the congress of the United
States at Washington The person who
reads into this platform mandate to re-
peal our state liquor laws while the fed
eral constitution and statutes remain as
they are, has, in my judgment, miscon-
Strued plain and unmistakable language.
Furthermore, am satisfied that, like
the Republican state convention, the vot-
ers in voting on these three public policy
questions did not anticipate that the IL
linois Prohibition act would be repealed
prior to national action on the Eighteenth
Amendment or the Volstead act. They
voted on the entire program; not on the
adoption of the last proposal first.
BILL SHOULD BE VETOED
It has been said that the action of the
general assembly in passing this bill con-
stituted another mandate which must
obey. Those who SO contend, disregard
the constitutional principles which make
the executive an integral part of the law
making machinery. do not believe that
an act of the general assembly should be
lightly vetoed because the executive diff
fers in opinion with a majority of that
body The veto power is given to the gov
ernor to exercise when he is satisfied of
the unWisdom of the course taken by the
legislative body. He fails in his constitu-
tional duty if he heSitates to make use of
it when he is convinced that the action of
the legislature is detrimental to the inter
est and welfare of the people of the state.
The passage OF q Legislative bill is not q
mandate enforcing erecutiUe approval
# tbic docs NOT mean that this cbnn1S