He not only acted in conformity with these sentiments in making appointments but promptly approved the civil service reform bills which public sentiment and the persistency of an earnest minority compelled the Legislature to pass, following it at once with a most admirable appointment of Commissioners. He has aided and sustained the commission at all points in a most unreserved and hearty manner. In dealing with the acts of the Legislature generally Governor Cleveland early developed his peculiarity of studying carefully every measure laid before him, not only with a view to judging of its effect and bearing upon public interests, but to ascertain that it was consistent with existing laws and free in its form from such defects as would produce trouble in its operation. He adopted a practice quite unusual of sending back measures whose purpose he approved, but which were defective in form, to have them corrected. In his vetoes, which were quite numerous, he displayed the utmost candor and a complete disregard of the question whether certain persons or interests would not be aggrieved by the failure of measures which he believed were not demanded by the wider interests of the public.

CHAPTER III.

THE VETOES OF GOVERNOR CLEVELAND.

SPECIAL LEGISLATION PROHIBITED BY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK-THE FIVE CENT FARE BILL-THE HONOR AND INTEGRITY OF THE STATE IN THE CUSTODY OF THE EXECUTIVE, AND HE HAS NO RIGHT TO SEE IT IMPAIRED-THE TENURE OF OFFICE BILLTHE BILL TO REGULATE THE HOURS OF LABOR OF CARDRIVERS AND CONDUCTORS-TAMMANY'S HOSTILITYOTHER ENEMIES.

In spite of the amendment to the State Constitution forbidding special legislation, many bills of that sort have entered his chamber only to be killed. The same care and painstaking were observable when more general interests were at stake. He vetoed a general street railroad bill because the rights of the people were so loosely guarded. His veto of the Buffalo Fire Department bill was against the interests of certain party managers in his home city, but he vetoed the bill for that very reason and because it was not in the interest of the people at large. The same care of the public led him to veto a bill which removed many of the present restrictions and allowed the trustees of savings banks to invest in wild-cat securities. His veto of the Prison Commission bill was because he thought it ought to report sooner than next January. He has steadily put his foot on all measures to exempt from taxation. His disapproval of two or three of the New York reform bills was because they were so loosely drawn.

In his prompt approval of the bills for reforming and reorganizing the city service in New York he has shown his comprehension of the needs of municipal government and made himself effectively the leader of the movement. The moral effect his prompt action on the one bill taking from the despotic and trading Board of Aldermen the confirming power of throwing the responsibility entirely upon the Mayor enabled the reform element in the Legislature to continue their work with the assurance that every necessary and reasonable aid would be given them by the Executive. The news of the signing of the Roosevelt Mayoralty bill was received by the Democratic politicians, and the Tammany members especially, with deep disgust. He disapproved the Five-cent Fare bill for constitutional reasons. Referring to his message, the Tribune editorially said: "The message containing his reasons for so doing is straightforward and forcible, and we believe will be pronounced sound by most of those who have been strenuous in their demands for a reduction of fares on the elevated roads. His objections to the measure are of a serious nature. He argues that to suffer it to become a law would mean the impairment of the obligation of a contract, involving a breach of faith and a betrayal of confidence by the State."

Chief among his acts which have been subjected to adverse criticism by the laboring classes of this city is his veto of Assembly bill No. 58 in March, 1883. The act is commonly known as the "Fivecent Fare bill," and forbade the collection or charge of more than five cents on any railroad in New York city for conveying a person any distance between the Battery and Harlem.

At the

time of its presentation the Governor was so impressed with its importance and the public interest which it excited that he exercised the greatest care and most diligent inquiry into the measure before rendering his decision.

"I am convinced," he said, "that in all cases the share which falls upon the Executive regarding the legislation of the State should be in no manner evaded, but fairly met by the expression of his carefully guarded and unbiased judgment. his conclusion he may err, but if he has fairly and honestly acted, he has performed his duty and given to the people of the State his best endeavor."

In

The Governor goes on to explain in justification of his veto that the Elevated Roads of this city are now under the sole operation of the Manhattan Elevated Railroad as lessee of the New York Elevated Railroad and the Metropolitan. He cites the provisions laid down in the act of April 20th, 1866, authorizing the construction of the West Side road, which specified that no more than five cents per mile might be charged for fare of one person. That road has since gone into the hands of the New York Elevated Railroad Company, and a law was passed on June 17th, 1875, transferring the rights of the road to the new company, and further providing that it be "hereby confirmed in the possession and enjoyments of said rights, powers, privileges and franchises as fully and at large as they were so granted in and by the acts to the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway Company. The Court of Appeals, referring to this law, said:

"The effect of this act was to secure to the elevated railroad company all the rights, privileges

E

and franchises of the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway Company under the purchase by and transfer to it."

By another section of this act the New York Elevated Railroad was empowered to receive from each passenger a sum not exceeding ten cents a mile for five miles or less.

In 1875 another act was passed, commonly known as the Rapid Transit act, providing for the appointment of a Board of Commissioners, whose office embraced authority to fix and determine the time within which the new elevated roads should be completed, and to formulate a scale of maximum rates to be charged as fare on such roads, and regulate the hours during which special trains should be run at reduced rates of fare. In accordance with the act the Mayor of this city appointed a Board of Commissioners, who expended a great deal of time and labor in the consideration of the proposed roads. They even fixed and determined specifically the route of the new New York Elevated Railroad, and prescribed with the utmost particularity the manner and form of its construction and operation. A deliberate and specific agreement was made with the company that it should charge as fares upon its cars, at such hours as were not embraced within the time specified for the running of "commission " trains, at a rate "for all distances under five miles not to exceed ten cents, and not to exceed two cents for each mile or fraction of a mile over five miles, until the fare should amount to not exceeding fifteen cents for a through passenger from and between the Battery and intersection of Third avenue and One Hundred and Twenty-ninth street, and from and between the