Show over the hie presidents veto the bill making improvements of rivers and harbors appropriating for the purpose was vetoed by the president his main ma I 1 n reason was that the country could not afford such an expenditure at the present time wednesday the bill became law over the tresi f residents presidents dents veto the senate even forsaking an old custom and deciding that the representatives senta tives of the people ought to have their way notwithstanding executive vetoes the general tenor of the discussion in the senate was that the time had about arrived to curtail the veto power it is a most extreme power and a dangerous one said senator Ej herman unless exercised only in the most extreme cases involving constitutional questions but this ibis wise restriction is set aside and we have a veto every week or so every day or so that is true the veto power is is brought too rauch much into play in mat tors of appropriations and internal improvements prove ments who is ia supposed to have the better knowledge the representatives of the people or the president certainly congress should know what a majority of the people desire and its word ought to become law as against that of a single officer of the government we are happy to see the new departure not because it is ia president cleveland that is rebuked but because there would soon be too much autocracy au aul in the government if every presidential veto were allowed to stand of course as senator sherman says where a constitutional question is 13 involved where one de da 1 part apartment ment of government is encroaching on the other then the executive veto is ia needed but when it comes to a mere matter of judgment we believe congress is as capable and more so to say what the country needs as the president then when the chief executive undertakes to say both branches of the legislative department part ment are wrong we are gl glad ad to lo sea his yeto veto overridden |