the cleveland era-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hat　the　people　expected。　Members　arrived　in　Washington　full　of　good　intentions。　They　found　themselves　subject　to　a　system　which　allowed　them　to　introduce　all　the　bills　they　wanted；　but　not　to　obtain　action　upon　them。　Action　was　the　prerogative　of　a　group　of　old　hands　who　managed　the　important　committees　and　who　were　divided　among　themselves　on　tariff　policy。　And　now；　the　little　bills　which；　by　dint　of　persuasion　and　bargaining；　they　had　first　put　through　the　committees；　and　then　through　both　Houses　of　Congress；　were　cut　down　by　executive　veto；　turning　to　their　injury　what　they　had　counted　upon　to　help　them　in　their　districts。

During　the　campaign；　Democratic　candidates　had　everywhere　contended　that　they　were　just　as　good　friends　of　the　old　soldiers　as　the　Republicans。　Now；　they　felt　that　to　make　good　this　position　they　must　do　something　to　offset　the　effect　of　President　Cleveland's　vetoes。　In　his　messages；　he　had　favored　〃the　most　generous　treatment　to　the　disabled；　aged　and　needy　among　our　veterans〃；　but　he　had　argued　that　it　should　be　done　by　general　laws；　and　not　by　special　acts　for　the　benefit　of　particular　claimants。　The　Pension　Committee　of　the　House　responded　by　reporting　a　bill　〃for　the　relief　of　dependent　parents　and　honorably　discharged　soldiers　and　sailors　who　are　now　disabled　and　dependent　upon　their　own　labor　for　support。〃　It　passed　the　House　by　a　vote　of　180　to　76；　with　63　not　voting；　and　it　passed　the　Senate　without　a　division。　On　the　11th　of　February；　President　Cleveland　sent　in　his　veto；　accompanied　by　a　message　pointing　out　in　the　language　of　the　act　defects　and　ambiguities　which　he　believed　would　〃but　put　a　further　premium　on　dishonesty　and　mendacity。〃　He　reiterated　his　desire　that　provision　should　be　made　〃for　those　who；　having　served　their　country　long　and　well；　are　reduced　to　destitution　and　dependence；〃　but　he　did　not　think　that　the　bill　was　a　proper　means　of　attaining　that　object。　On　the　19th　of　February；　the　House　committee　on　pensions　submitted　an　elaborate　report　on　the　veto　in　which　they　recited　the　history　of　the　bill　and　the　reasons　actuating　the　committee。　Extracts　from　Cleveland's　messages　were　quoted；　and　the　committee　declared　that；　in　〃hearty　accord　with　these　views　of　the　President　and　largely　in　accordance　with　his　suggestions；　they　framed　a　bill　which　they　then　thought；　and　still　continue　to　think；　will　best　accomplish　the　ends　proposed。〃　A　motion　to　pass　the　bill　over　the　veto　on　the　24th　of　February　received　175　votes　to　125；　but　two…thirds　not　having　voted　in　the　affirmative　the　bill　failed　to　pass。　The　Republicans　voted　solidly　in　support　of　the　bill；　together　with　a　large　group　of　Democrats。　The　negative　vote　came　wholly　from　the　Democratic　side。　Such　a　fiasco　amounted　to　a　demonstration　of　the　lack　of　intelligent　leadership。　If　the　President　and　his　party　in　Congress　were　cooperating　for　the　furtherance　of　the　same　objects；　as　both　averred；　it　was　discreditable　all　around　that　there　should　have　been　such　a　complete　misunderstanding　as　to　the　procedure。

Meanwhile；　the　President　was　making　a　unique　record　by　his　vetoes。　During　the　period　of　ninety…six　years；　from　the　foundation　of　the　Government　down　to　the　beginning　of　Cleveland's　administration；　the　entire　number　of　veto　messages　was　132。　In　four　years；　Cleveland　sent　in　301　veto　messages；　and　in　addition　he　practically　vetoed　109　bills　by　inaction。　Of　2042　private　pension　bills　passed　by　Congress；　1518　were　approved　and　284　became　laws　by　lapse　of　time　without　approval。　The　positive　results　of　the　President's　activity　were　thus　inconsiderable；　unless　incidentally　he　had　managed　to　correct　the　system　which　he　had　opposed。　That　claim；　indeed；　was　made　in　his　behalf　when　〃The　Nation〃　mentioned　〃the　arrest　of　the　pension　craze〃　as　a　〃positive　achievement　of　the　first　order。'〃　But　far　from　being　arrested；　〃the　pension　craze〃　was　made　the　more　furious；　and　it　soon　advanced　to　extremes　unknown　before。*

*　March　19；　1887。


The　Democratic　politicians　naturally　viewed　with　dismay　the　approach　of　the　national　election　of　1888。　Any　one　could　see　that　the　party　was　drifting　on　to　the　rocks　and　nobody　deemed　to　be　at　the　helm。　According　to　William　R。　Morrison；　who　certainly　had　been　in　a　position　to　know；　President　Cleveland　had　〃up　to　this　time　taken　no　decided　ground　one　way　or　the　other　on　the　question　of　tariff。〃　He　had　included　the　subject　in　the　long　dissertation　on　the　state　of　the　Union；　which　ever　since　Jefferson's　time　the　President　has　been　wont　to　send　to　Congress　at　the　opening　of　a　session；　but　he　had　not　singled　it　out　as　having　precedence。　He　now　surprised　the　country；　roused　his　party；　and　gave　fresh　animation　to　national　politics　on　December　6；　1887；　by　devoting　his　third　annual　message　wholly　to　the　subject　of　taxation　and　revenue。　He　pointed　out　that　the　treasury　surplus　was　mounting　up　to　140；000；000；　that　the　redemption　of　bonds　which　had　afforded　a　means　for　disbursement　of　excess　revenues　had　stopped　because　there　were　no　more　bonds　that　the　Government　had　a　right　to　redeem；　and　that；　hence；　the　Treasury　〃idly　holds　money　uselessly　subtracted　from　the　channels　of　trade；〃　a　situation　from　which　monetary　derangement　and　business　distress　would　naturally　ensue。　He　strongly　urged　that　the　〃present　tariff　laws；　the　vicious；　inequitable　and　illogical　source　of　unnecessary　taxation；　ought　to　be　at　once　revised　and　amended。〃　Cleveland　gave　a　detailed　analysis　of　the　injurious　effects　which　the　existing　tariff　had　upon　trade　and　industry；　and　went　on　to　remark　that　〃progress　toward　a　wise　conclusion　will　not　be　improved　by　dwelling　upon　the　theories　of　protection　and　free　trade。　This　savors　too　much　of　bandying　epithets。　It　is　a　condition　which　confronts　us；　not　a　theory。〃　The　effect　of　the　message　was　very　marked　both　upon　public　opinion　and　party　activity。　Mr。　Morrison　correctly　summed　up　the　party　effect　in　saying　that　〃Mr。　Mills；　obtaining　the　substantial　support　of　the　Administration；　was　enabled　to　press　through　the　House　a　bill　differing　in　a　very　few　essential　measures　from；　and　combining　the　general　details　and　purposes　of；　the　several　measures　of　which　I　have　been　the　author；　and　which　had　been　voted　against　by　many　of　those　who　contributed　to　the　success　of　the　Mills　Bill。〃

An　incident　which　attracted　great　notice　because　it　was　thought　to　have　a　bearing　on　the　President's　policy　of　tariff　revision；　was　the　veto　of　the　Allentown　Public　Building　Bill。　This　bill　was　of　a　type　which　is　one　of　the　rankest　growths　of　the　Congressional　systemthe　grant　of　money　not　for　the　needs　of　public　service　but　as　a　district　favor。　It　appropriated　100；000　to　put　up　a　post…office　building　at　Allentown；　Pennsylvania；　where　adequate　quarters　were　being　occupied　by　the　post…office　at　an　annual　rent　of　1300。　President　Cleveland　vetoed　the　bill　simply　on　the　ground　that　it　proposed　an　unnecessary　expenditure；　but　the　fact　was　at　once　noted　that　the　bill　had　been　fathered　by　Congressman　Snowden；　an　active　adherent　of　Randall　in　opposition　to　the　tariff　reform　policy　of　the　Administration。　The　word　went　through　Congress　and　reverberated　through　the　press　that　〃there　is　an　Allentown　for　every　Snowden。〃　Mr。　Morrison　said　in　more　polite　phrase　what　came　to　the　same　thing　when　he　observed　that　〃when　Mr。　Cleveland　took　decided　ground　in　favor　of　revision　and　reduction；　he　represented　the　patronage　of　the　Administration；　in　consequence　of　which　he　was　enabled　to　enforce　party　discipline；　so　that　a　man　could　no　longer　be　a　good　Democrat　and　favor　anything　but　reform　of　the　tariff。〃

After　the　Mills　Bill　had　passed　the　House*　and　had　been　sent　to　the　Senate；　it　was　held　in　committee　until　October　3；　1888。　When　it　emerged　it　carried　an　amendment　which　was　in　effect　a　complete　substitute；　but　it　was　not　taken　up　for　consideration　until　after　the　presidential　election；　and　it　was　meant　simply　as　a　Republican　alternative　to　the　Mills　Bill　for　campaign　use。　Consideration　of　the　bill　began　on　the　5th　of　December　and　lasted　until　the　22nd　of　January；　when　the　bill　was　returned　to　the　House　transformed　into　a　new　measure。　It　was　referred　to　the　Ways　and　Means　Committee；　and　Chairman　Mills　reported　it　back　with　a　resolution　setting　forth　that　〃the　substitution　by　the　Senate　under　the　form　of　an　amendment。。。。　of　another　and　different　bill；〃　is　in　conflict　with　the　section　of　the　Constitution　which　〃vests　in　the　House　of　Representatives　the　sole　power　to　originate　such　a　measure。〃　The　House　refused　to　consider　the　resolution；　a　number　of　Democrats　led　by　Mr。　Randall　voting　with　the　Republicans　in　the　negative。　No　further　action　was　taken　on　the　bill　and　since　that　day　the　House　has　never　ventured　to　question　the　right　of　the　Senate　to　amend　tax　bills　in　any　way　and　to　any　extent。　As　Senator　Cullom　remarks　in　his　memoirs；　the　Democrats；　although　they　had　long　held　the　House　and　had　also　gained；　the　Presidency；　〃were　just　as　powerless　to　enact　legislation　as　they　had　been　before。〃

　*　The　Mills　Bill　was　passed　July　21；　1888；　yeas　162；　nays　149；　not　voting　14。　Randall；　Snowden；　and　two　other　Democrats　joined　the　Republicans　in　voting　against　the　bill。



CHAPTER　VII。　THE　PUBLIC　DISCONTENTS

While　President　and　Congress　were　passing　the　time　in　mutual　ob