Ke Alakai o Hawaii, Volume X, Number 7, 18 February 1937 — SENATE'S FIRST TEST-VOTE ASSURES POINDEXTER'S VETOS AGAINST MUCH OVERRIDING [ARTICLE]

SENATE'S FIRST TEST-VOTE ASSURES POINDEXTER'S VETOS AGAINST MUCH OVERRIDING

Members of the conservative-stand-pat Republicandominated bloc in the iegislature who had visions of overriding any of Governor J. B. Poindexter's vetos of their pet schemes high, wid,e and handsome, received a ru(|e shock 011 the opening day of the" 19tli legislature the first test vote in the Senate, The test-vote, coming soon after the electiou of Senator Hārry A. Baldwin, Maui Repub!ican, to the presidency of the'senate without opposltion, eame on th e ifnusual question of whether Leōn K, Sterling, previously agsur€īd of re-selection as assistant clerk» should be replaced at tlie last mom£nt by Edward Woodward, clerk of the house in the 1933 session, * Vote C!osēst Possible 4 The vote to approve the last-minute shift, by the leaders of ihe conservative Republican bloc # *was ( S to 7, wlth the exceedingK' narrow margin of one vote in favor of the "regular" Republica»s and the addition pf two nominal Democrats over the bloc of "regu!ar M Dempcrati? and Progressive Republicans. The vote was— " j To appomt Woodward—-Senatox s Baldw«i» \ Camp»ie, Jo»#ph L, Sylva # Eiigene H. Beebe, aud Missi ' £lsie H. Wilcox, "regular" RepubHcansj and Dr. Clarles Si!va and Mrs. Sarah Cusj*inghain, nomlnal | Democratft. v |J To reappoint Sterīing -— Senators WilUam H« Heen *nd David K. Traak, "regular*' Demociat»i

Senators Char!es H. Rice, William J. Kimi, Francis H, Ii Brown and Harry H. Holt, Progressive Republicans,*and C!arence A. Crozier, Ihdependent. While the ie,st-vote was on the comparatively unimportant question as to whether Sterling, >vho had served! the Senate in the 1953, and 1935 sessions, should be re-! placed by Woodward, lor no apparently good reason that! was brought out in the"bitter debate that preceded the! roll-call, it showed cles£rly and distinctly the respective! strength of the consemtiv e Republican b!oc and that of ■the group. Inasmuch as Setlator Beebe h a d declared in a campaign «peeeh thāf M we ean cut Governor Poindex- \ ter's throat if you elect a solid Republican liekel," it i» to be assumed th«tt)e and hi» cohorts on that bloc have the hope of any veto that the Governor might jtidge advisable and thus "cutting Governor Poindexto»**> throat," However/'althou£lrtlie conservative Republican bloc has a majority ,of one member, it must be recalled that it requires at least ten v6m in the Senate to override a Governor's veto, so that itr would appear that few~if any— of the Governor's vetos will be overridden by the Senate, regardless of what happens to them in the lower house! For the eight votes the conservative Republicans are far indeed from the oecessary ten votes. Consequently, it is considered that "Governor Poindexter's throat will be cut H by this legislature, despite Senator Beebe's threats.