The Presidential Veto 1888 - 1913 — Parks, Presidents and Parks

History of Vetoes 1889 - 1913

After Grover Cleveland's terms as President, the number of vetoes declined significantly. In eight years, Cleveland exercised the veto almost 600 times. The subsequent four Presidents, Harrison, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Taft, vetoed about only 200 times over twenty years.

Benjamin Harrison (President 1889 – 1893)

President Harrison - Last Bearded President

Harrison served as President between Grover Cleveland's first and second terms. Harrison vetoed only a small number of bills, none related to significant issues. With nothing else to say about Harrison and the veto, I'll point this out – he was the last President to sport a full beard.

William McKinley (President 1997 – 1901)

McKinley, the last President of the 19th century, holds an utterly unimportant record: the most vetoes without any overturned. Congress sustained all 42 of his vetoes. Most of his vetoes were for private relief.* Here is an example – I'm trying to understand why Congress passed this following bill. In 1873 Isaac P. Tice sued the government over his invention of a device to measure alcohol. He claimed the U.S. Revenue Service used this to assess alcohol taxes. Tice lost. He appealed to the Supreme Court. In 1878 he lost again. Now in 1898, twenty years later, his estate convinced Congress to pass a bill to pay his claim. But once vetoed by McKinley, the House unanimously voted to support the veto. So why did Congress pass it in the first place?

President Roosevelt Straddling the Tariff Issue

One other veto of interest: McKinley vetoed a bill allowing miners to operate on an Indian reservation. He felt it was in the Indian's interests to ban miners from their property.

Teddy Roosevelt (President 1901 – 1909)

Although he vetoed 80+ bills over his two terms, most were private bills. To see Congress in action, check out this one : "An act to authorize the appointment of Edward L. Bailey as captain of infantry, United States Army, and to place him on the retired list." This Civil War veteran wanted his pension increased. However, he had been court-martialed seven times during and after the Civil War. Once for conduct unbecoming an officer when he chased a prostitute around a saloon while in office. Roosevelt vetoed the bill.

William Taft (President 1909 – 1913)

Tariffs have been controversial throughout our history. There is a balance between protecting businesses and workers from foreign competition and saddling consumers with higher prices.

The Constitution granted Congress the power to set tariffs: "The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;" However, Congress has delegated significant authority over tariffs to the President. For example, the Trade Act of 1974 allows the President to implement a 15% tariff if "there is an adverse impact on national security from imports," such as "a large and serious" balance of payment deficit or an "imminent and significant depreciation of the dollar." Just in this century, Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump have used this power to impose tariffs.

But in Taft's day, all power over tariffs resided in Congress.

Taft campaigned in 1908 on lowering tariffs. Early in his Presidency, Taft signed a tariff reform bill, but it raised as many tariffs as it dropped. In response, the 1911 Congress passed several bills, either lowering or eliminating tariffs on various items, including agricultural implements, meat, flour, wool, and cotton. Taft vetoed these measures, and the House narrowly failed to override those vetoes. Taft said that he had appointed a special commission to review tariffs and vetoed these bills because the country should wait for the special commission's report. Tariffs eventually were reduced to some degree in 1913 under President Wilson.

Taft vetoed the admission of Arizona and New Mexico to the Union. Taft vetoed the bills granting statehood to both because their state constitutions did not support judicial independence. Taft was very concerned about judicial independence. He served as a judge before his Presidency. He became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court afterwards, the only President to serve also on the Supreme Court. In both cases, the state constitutions were modified, and Taft subsequently signed the bills admitting both the Union.

(Click for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5 of this series)

(to be continued)

* Private Bills or laws that relate to a single individual. For example, after the Civil War, the United States awarded pensions to disabled veterans and widows and their children. If a person felt they were not receiving the proper pension, they would appeal to their Congressman to pass a private law on their behalf. Presidents vetoed many of these since the relief request was improper.