the cleveland era-第12章

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would　be　destructive　of　orderly　and　responsible　management　of　the　public　funds。　Everything　which　Randall　said　on　that　point　has　since　been　amply　confirmed　by　much　sad　experience。　Although　some　leading　Republicans；　among　whom　was　Joseph　G。　Cannon　of　Illinois；　argued　strongly　in　support　of　Randall's　views；　the　temper　of　the　House　was　such　that　the　majority　in　favor　of　the　change　was　overwhelming；　and　on　December　18；　1885；　the　Morrison　plan　was　finally　adopted　without　a　roll　call。

The　hope　that　the　change　in　organization　would　expedite　action　on　appropriation　bills；　was　promptly　disappointed。　Only　one　of　the　fourteen　regular　appropriation　bills　became　law　before　the　last　day　of　the　fiscal　year。　The　duress　to　which　the　House　was　subject　became　tighter　and　harder　than　before；　and　the　Speakership　entered　upon　a　development　unparalleled　in　constitutional　history。　The　Speaker　was　practically　in　a　position　to　determine　what　business　the　House　might　consider　and　what　it　might　not；　and　the　circumstances　were　such　as　to　breed　a　belief　that　it　was　his　duty　to　use　his　discretion　where　a　choice　presented　itself。　It　is　obvious　that；　when　on　the　floor　of　the　House　there　are　a　number　of　applicants　for　recognition；　the　Speaker　must　choose　between　them。　All　cannot　be　allowed　to　speak　at　once。　There　is　no　chance　to　apply　the　shop　rule；　〃first　come　first　served；〃　for　numerous　applications　for　the　floor　come　at　the　same　time。　Shall　the　Speaker　choose　at　random　or　according　to　some　definite　principle　of　selection？　In　view　of　the　Speaker's　interest　in　the　welfare　of　the　party　which　raised　him　to　the　office；　he　would　naturally　inquire　in　advance　the　purpose　for　which　the　recognition　of　the　chair　was　desired。　It　was　a　manifest　step　towards　orderly　procedure　in　session；　however；　when　instead　of　crowding　around　the　clerk's　desk　bawling　for　recognition；　members　applied　to　the　Speaker　in　advance。　In　Speaker　Blaine's　time；　this　had　become　a　regular　practice　and　ever　since　then；　a　throng　of　members　at　the　Speaker's　office　trying　to　arrange　with　him　for　recognition　has　been　a　daily　occurrence　during　a　legislative　session。　Samuel　W。　McCall；　in　his　work　on　〃The　Business　of　Congress；〃　says　that　the　Speaker　〃usually　scrutinizes　the　bill　and　the　committee's　report　upon　it；　and　in　case　of　doubt　he　sometimes　refers　them　to　a　member　in　whom　he　has　confidence；　for　a　more　careful　examination　than　he　himself　has　time　to　give。〃

Under　Speaker　Carlisle；　this　power　to　censor　proposals　was　made　conspicuous　through　the　factional　war　in　the　Democratic　party。　For　several　sessions　of　Congress；　a　bill　had　been　pending　to　repeal　the　internal　revenue　taxes　upon　tobacco；　and　it　had　such　support　that　it　might　have　passed　if　it　could　have　been　reached　for　consideration。　On　February　5；　1887；　a　letter　was　addressed　to　Speaker　Carlisle　by　three　prominent　Democrats：　Samuel　J。　Randall　of　Pennsylvania；　George　D。　Wise　of　Virginia；　and　John　S。　Henderson　of　North　Carolina；　saying：　〃At　the　instance　of　many　Democratic　members　of　the　House；　we　appeal　to　you　earnestly　to　recognize　on　Monday　next；　some　Democrat　who　will　move　to　suspend　the　rules　for　the　purpose　of　giving　the　House　an　opportunity　of　considering　the　question　of　the　total　repeal　of　the　internal　revenue　taxes　on　tobacco。〃　The　letter　went　on　to　argue　that　it　would　be　bad　policy　to　let　a　Republican　have　credit　for　a　proposal；　which　it　was　declared　〃will　command　more　votes　than　any　other　measure　pending　before　the　House　looking　towards　a　reduction　in　taxation；　and　favorable　action　on　this　proposition　will　not　interfere　with　other　efforts　that　are　being　made　to　reduce　the　burden　of　the　people。〃

Speaker　Carlisle；　however；　refused　to　allow　the　House　to　consider　the　matter　on　the　ground　that　negotiations　with　Randall　and　his　friends　for　concerted　party　action　had　so　far　been　fruitless。　〃Among　other　things；〃　he　wrote；　〃we　proposed　to　submit　the　entire　subject　to　a　caucus　of　our　political　friends；　with　the　understanding　that　all　parties　would　abide　by　the　result　of　its　action。。。。　We　have　received　no　response　to　that　communication；　and　I　consider　that　it　would　not　be　proper　under　the　circumstances　for　me　to　agree　to　a　course　of　action　which　would　present　to　the　House　a　simple　proposition　for　the　repeal　of　the　internal　revenue　tax　on　tobacco；　snuff　and　cigars；　to　the　exclusion　of　all　other　measures　for　the　reduction　of　taxation。〃　The　letter　closed　by　〃sincerely　hoping　that　some　plan　may　yet　be　devised　which　will　enable　the　House　to　consider　the　whole　subject　of　revenue　reduction。〃

No　one　was　less　of　an　autocrat　in　temper　and　habit　of　thought　than　Speaker　Carlisle；　and　he　assumed　this　position　in　deference　to　a　recognized　function　of　his　office；　supported　by　a　long　line　of　precedents。　The　case　was；　therefore；　a　signal　illustration　of　the　way　in　which　the　House　has　impaired　its　ability　to　consider　legislation　by　claiming　the　exclusive　privilege　of　proposing　legislation。　If　the　rules　had　allowed　the　President　to　propose　his　measures　directly　to　the　House；　then　the　way　would　have　been　opened　for　a　substitute　or　an　amendment。　As　it　was；　the　House　was　able　to　act　only　upon　matters　within　the　control　of　a　few　persons　advantageously　posted；　and　none　of　the　changes　of　rules　that　have　been　made　from　time　to　time　have　seriously　disturbed　this　fundamental　situation。

Notwithstanding　the　new　rules　adopted　in　December；　1885；　nothing　of　importance　was　accomplished　by　the　House。　On　February　15；　1886；　William　R。　Morrison　introduced　a　tariff　bill　making　a　moderate　reduction　in　rates　of　duty；　which；　after　considerable　amendment　in　the　committee　of　ways　and　means；　was　reported　to　the　House　on　the　12th　of　April；　but　no　further　action　was　taken　until　the　17th　of　June；　when　Morrison　moved　that　the　House　go　into　committee　of　the　whole　to　consider　the　bill。　Thirty…five　Democrats　voted　with　the　Republicans　against　the　motion；　which　was　defeated　by　157　nays　to　140　yeas。　No　further　attempt　was　made　to　take　up　the　bill　during　that　session；　and　in　the　ensuing　fall　Morrison　was　defeated　as　a　candidate　for　reelection。　Before　leaving　Congress　he　tried　once　more　to　obtain　consideration　of　his　bill　but　in　vain。　Just　as　that　Congress　was　expiring；　John　S。　Henderson　of　North　Carolina　was　at　last　allowed　to　move　a　suspension　of　the　rules　in　order　to　take　a　vote　on　a　bill　to　reduce　internal　revenue　taxes；　but　he　failed　to　obtain　the　two…thirds　vote　required　for　suspension　of　the　rules。

That　the　proceedings　of　the　Forty…ninth　Congress　were　not　entirely　fruitless；　was　mainly　due　to　the　initiative　and　address　of　the　Senate。　Some　important　measures　were　thus　pushed　through；　among　them　the　act　regulating　the　presidential　succession　and　the　act　creating　the　Interstate　Commerce　Commission。　The　first　of　these　provided　for　the　succession　of　the　heads　of　departments　in　turn；　in　case　of　the　removal；　death；　resignation；　or　inability　of　both　the　President　and　the　Vice…President。

The　most　marked　legislative　achievement　of　the　House　was　an　act　regulating　the　manufacture　and　sale　of　oleomargarine；　to　which　the　Senate　assented　with　some　amendment；　and　which　was　signed　with　reluctance　by　the　President；　after　a　special　message　to　the　House　sharply　criticizing　some　of　the　provisions　of　the　act。　A　bill　providing　for　arbitration　of　differences　between　common　carriers　and　their　employees　was　passed　by　the　Senate　without　a　division；　but　it　did　not　reach　the　President　until　the　closing　days　of　the　session　and　failed　of　enactment　because　he　did　not　sign　it　before　the　final　adjournment。　Taken　as　a　whole；　then；　the　record　of　the　Congress　elected　in　1884　showed　that　while　the　Democratic　party　had　the　Presidency　and　the　House　of　Representatives；　the　Republican　party；　although　defeated　at　the　polls；　still　controlled　public　policy　through　the　agency　of　the　Senate。



CHAPTER　VI。　PRESIDENTIAL　KNIGHT…ERRANTRY

Although　President　Cleveland　decisively　repelled　the　Senate's　attempted　invasion　of　the　power　of　removal　belonging　to　his　office；　he　was　still　left　in　a　deplorable　state　of　servitude　through　the　operation　of　old　laws　based　upon　the　principle　of　rotation　in　office。　The　Acts　of　1820　and　1836；　limiting　commissions　to　the　term　of　four　years；　forced　him　to　make　numerous　appointments　which　provoked　controversy　and　made　large　demands　upon　his　time　and　thought。　In　the　first　year　of　his　administration；　he　sent　about　two　thousand　nominations　to　the　Senate；　an　average　of　over　six　a　day；　assuming　that　he　was　allowed　to　rest　on　Sunday。　His　freedom　of　action　was　further　curtailed　by　an　Act　of　1863；　prohibiting　the　payment　of　a　salary　to　any　person　appointed　to　fill　a　vacancy　existing　while　the　Senate　was　in　session；　until　the　appointment　had　been　confirmed　by　the　Senate。　The　President　was　thus　placed　under　a　strict　compulsion　to　act　as　a　party　employment　agent。

If　it　is　the　prime　duty　of　a　President　to　act　in　the　spirit　of　a　reformer；　Cleveland　is　entitled　to　high　praise　for　the　stanchness　with　which　he　adhered　to　his　principles　under　most　trying　circumstances。　Upon　November　27；　1885；　he　approved　rules　confirming　and　extending　the　civil　service　regulations。　Charges　that　Collector　Hedden　of　the　New　York　Customs　House　was　violating　the　spirit　of　the　Civil　Service　Act；　and　was　making　a　party　machine　of　his　office；　caused　the　Civil　Service　Commission　to　make　an　investigation　which　resulted　in　his　resignation　in　July；　1886。　On　the　10th　of　August；　Daniel　Magone　of　Ogdensburg；　New　York；　a　widely　known　lawyer；　was　personally　chosen　by　the　President　with　a　view　to　enforcing　the　civil　service　law　in　the　New　York　Customs　House。　Before　making　this　appointment；　President　Cleveland　issued　an　order　to　all　heads　of　departments　warning　all　officeholders　against　the　use　of　their　positions　to　control　political　movements　in　their　localities。　〃Officeholders；〃　he　declared；　〃are　the　agents　of　the　people；　not　their　masters。　They　have　no　right；　as　officeholders；　to　dictate　the　political　action　of　their　associates；　or　to　throttle　freedom　of　action　within　party　lines　by　methods　and　practices　which　prevent　every　useful　and　justifiable　purpose　of　party　organization。〃　In　August；　President　Cleveland　gave　signal　evidence　of　his　devotion　to　civil　service　reform　by　appointing　a　Republican；　because　of　his　special　qualifications；　to　be　chief　examiner　for　the　Civil　Service　Commission。

Democratic　party　workers　were　so　angered　and　disgusted　by　the　President's　policy　that　any　mention　of　his　name　was　enough　to　start　a　flow　of　coarse　denunciation。　Strong　hostility　to　his　course　of　action　was　manifested　in　Congress。　Chairman　Randall；　of　the　committee　on　appropriations；　threatened　to　cut　off　the　appropriation　for　office　room　for　the　commission。　A　〃rider〃　to　the　legislative　appropriation　bill；　striking　at　the　civil　service　law；　caused　a　vigorous　debate　in　the　House　in　which　leading　Democrats　assailed　the　Administration；　but　eventually　the　〃rider〃　was　ruled　out　on　a　point　of　order。　In　the　Senate；　such　party　leaders　as　Vance　of　North　Carolina；　Saulsbury　of　Delaware；　and　Voorhees　of　Indiana；　openly　ridiculed　the　civil　service　law；　and　various　attempts　to　cripple　it　were　made　but　were　defeated。　Senator　Vance　introduced　a　bill　to　repeal　the　law；　but　it　was　indefinitely　postponed　by　a　vote　of　33　to　6；　the　affirmative　vote　being　cast　mainly　by　Republicans；　and　in　ge