the cleveland era-第15部分

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The　feeling　that　anything　that　the　old　soldiers　wanted　should　be　granted　was　even　stronger　in　the　House；　where　about　the　only　opportunity　of　distinction　allowed　by　the　procedure　was　to　champion　these　local　demands　upon　the　public　treasury。　It　was　indeed　this　privilege　of　passing　pension　bills　which　partially　reconciled　members　of　the　House　to　the　actual　control　of　legislative　opportunity　by　the　Speaker　and　the　chairmen　of　a　few　dominating　committees。　It　was　a　congressional　perquisite　to　be　allowed　to　move　the　passage　of　so　many　bills；　enactment　followed　as　a　matter；　of　course。　President　Cleveland　made　a　pointed　reference　to　this　process　in　a　veto　message　of　June　21；　1886。　He　observed　that　the　pension　bills　had　only　〃an　apparent　Congressional　sanction〃　for　the　fact　was　that　〃a　large　proportion　of　these　bills　have　never　been　submitted　to　a　majority　of　either　branch　of　Congress；　but　are　the　results　of　nominal　sessions　held　for　the　express　purpose　of　their　consideration　and　attended　by　a　small　minority　of　the　members　of　the　respective　houses　of　the　legislative　branch　of　government。〃

Obviously；　the　whole　system　of　pension　legislation　was　faulty。　Mere　individual　effort　on　the　part　of　the　President　to　screen　the　output　of　the　system　was　scarcely　practicable；　even　if　it　were　congruous　with　the　nature　of　the　President's　own　duties；　but　nevertheless　Cleveland　attempted　it；　and　kept　at　it　with　stout　perseverance。　One　of　his　veto　messages　remarks　that　in　a　single　day　nearly　240　special　pension　bills　were　presented　to　him。　He　referred　them　to　the　Pension　Bureau　for　examination　and　the　labor　involved　was　so　great　that　they　could　not　be　returned　to　him　until　within　a　few　hours　of　the　limit　fixed　by　the　Constitution　for　the　President's　assent。

There　could　be　no　more　signal　proof　of　President　Cleveland's　constancy　of　soul　than　the　fact　that　he　was　working　hard　at　his　veto　forge；　with　the　sparks　falling　thickly　around；　right　in　his　honeymoon。　He　married　Miss　Frances　Folsom　of　Buffalo　on　June　2；　1886。　The　ceremony　took　place　in　the　White　House；　and　immediately　thereafter；　the　President　and　his　charming　bride　went　to　Deer　Park；　Maryland；　a　mountain　resort。　The　respite　from　official　cares　was　brief；　on　June　8th；　the　couple　returned　to　Washington　and　some　of　the　most　pugnacious　of　the　pension　vetoes　were　sent　to　Congress　soon　after。　The　rest　of　his　public　life　was　passed　under　continual　storm；　but　the　peace　and　happiness　of　his　domestic　life　provided　a　secure　refuge。

On　the　other　hand；　the　rebuffs　which　Democratic　Congressmen　received　in　the　matter　of　pension　legislation　were；　it　must　be　admitted；　peculiarly　exasperating。　Reviewing　the　work　of　the　Forty…ninth　Congress；　〃The　Nation〃　mentioned　three　enactments　which　it　characterized　as　great　achievements　that　should　be　placed　to　the　credit　of　Congress。　Those　were　the　act　regulating　the　presidential　succession；　approved　January　18；　1886；　the　act　regulating　the　counting　of　the　electoral　votes；　approved　February　3；　1887；　and　the　repeal　of　the　Tenure　of　Office　Act；　approved　March　3；　1887。　But　all　three　measures　originated　in　the　Senate；　and　the　main　credit　for　their　enactment　might　be　claimed　by　the　Republican　party。　There　was　some　ground　for　the　statement　that　they　would　have　been　enacted　sooner　but　for　the　disturbance　of　legislative　routine　by　political　upheavals　in　the　House；　and　certainly　no　one　could　pretend　that　it　was　to　get　these　particular　measures　passed　that　the　Democratic　party　was　raised　to　power。　The　main　cause　of　the　political　revolution　of　1884　had　been　the　continuance　of　war　taxes；　producing　revenues　that　were　not　only　not　needed　but　were　positively　embarrassing　to　the　Government。　Popular　feeling　over　the　matter　was　so　strong　that　even　the　Republican　party　had　felt　bound　to　put　into　its　national　platform；　in　1884；　a　pledge　〃to　correct　the　irregularities　of　the　tariff　and　to　reduce　the　surplus。〃　The　people；　however；　believed　that　the　Republican　party　had　already　been　given　sufficient　opportunity；　and　they　now　turned　to　the　Democratic　party　for　relief。　The　rank　and　file　of　this　party　felt　acutely；　therefore；　that　they　were　not　accomplishing　what　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　measu