the cleveland era-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ctual　from　the　start。　The　right　conferred　upon　the　President　to　recommend　to　the　consideration　of　Congress　〃such　measures　as　he　shall　judge　necessary　and　expedient；〃　was　emptied　of　practical　importance　by　the　success　of　Congress　in　interpreting　it　as　meaning　no　more　than　that　the　President　may　request　Congress　to　take　a　subject　into　consideration。　In　practice；　Congress　considers　only　such　measures　as　are　recommended　by　its　own　committees。　The　framers　of　the　Constitution　took　special　pains　to　fortify　the　President's　position　by　the　veto　power；　which　is　treated　at　length　in　the　Constitution。　By　a　special　clause；　the　veto　power　was　extended　to　〃every　order；　resolution　or　vote。。。　except　on　a　question　of　adjournment〃a　clause　which　apparently　should　enable　the　President　to　strike　off　the　〃riders〃　continually　put　upon　appropriation　bills　to　coerce　executive　action；　but　no　President　has　ventured　to　exercise　this　authority。　Although　the　Senate　was　joined　to　the　President　as　an　advisory　council　in　appointments　to　office；　it　was　explained　in　〃The　Federalist〃　that　〃there　will　be　no　exertion　of　choice　on　the　part　of　Senators。〃　Nevertheless；　the　Senate　has　claimed　and　exercised　the　right　to　dictate　appointments。　While　thus　successfully　encroaching　upon　the　authority　of　the　President；　the　Senate　had　also　been　signally　successful　in　encroaching　upon　the　authority　of　the　House。　The　framers　of　the　Constitution　anticipated　for　the　House　a　masterful　career　like　that　of　the　House　of　Commons；　and　they　feared　that　the　Senate　could　not　protect　itself　in　the　discharge　of　its　own　functions；　so；　although　the　traditional　principle　that　all　revenue　bills　should　originate　in　the　House　was　taken　over　into　the　Constitution；　it　was　modified　by　the　proviso　that　〃the　Senate　may　propose　or　concur　with　amendments　as　on　other　bills。〃　This　right　to　propose　amendments　has　been　improved　by　the　Senate　until　the　prerogative　of　the　House　has　been　reduced　to　an　empty　form。　Any　money　bill　may　be　made　over　by　amendment　in　the　Senate；　and　when　contests　have　followed；　the　Senate　has　been　so　successful　in　imposing　its　will　upon　the　House　that　the　House　has　acquired　the　habit　of　submission。　Not　long　before　the　election　of　Cleveland；　as　has　been　pointed　out；　this　habitual　deference　of　the　House　had　enabled　the　Senate　to　originate　a　voluminous　tariff　act　in　the　form　of　an　amendment　to　the　Internal　Revenue　Bill　voted　by　the　House。

In　addition　to　these　extensions　of　power　through　superior　address　in　management；　the　ascendancy　of　the　Senate　was　fortified　by　positive　law。　In　1867；　when　President　Johnson　fell　out　with　the　Republican　leaders　in　Congress；　a　Tenure　of　Office　Act　was　passed　over　his　veto；　which　took　away　from　the　President　the　power　of　making　removals　except　by　permission　of　the　Senate。　In　1869；　when　Johnson's　term　had　expired；　a　bill　for　the　unconditional　repeal　of　this　law　passed　the　House　with　only　sixteen　votes　in　the　negative；　but　the　Senate　was　able　to　force　a　compromise　act　which　perpetuated　its　authority　over　removals。*　President　Grant　complained　of　this　act　as　〃being　inconsistent　with　a　faithful　and　efficient　administration　of　the　government；〃　but　with　all　his　great　fame　and　popularity　he　was　unable　to　induce　the　Senate　to　relinquish　the　power　it　had　gained。

*　The　Act　of　April　5；　1869；　required　the　President；　within　thirty　days　after　the　opening　of　the　sessions；　to　nominate　persons　for　all　vacant　offices；　whether　temporarily　filled　or　not；　and　in　place　of　all　officers　who　may　have　been　suspended　during　the　recess　of　the　Senate。


This　law　was　now　invoked　by　Republicans　as　a　means　of　counteracting　the　result　of　the　election。　Such　was　the　feeling　of　the　times　that　partisanship　could　easily　masquerade　as　patriotism。　Republicans　still　believed　that　as　saviors　of　the　Union　they　had　a　prescriptive　right　to　the　government。　During　the　campaign；　Eugene　Field；　the　famous　Western　poet；　had　given　a　typical　expression　of　this　sentiment　in　some　scornful　verses　concluding　with　this　defiant　notice：

These　quondam　rebels　come　today　In　penitential　form；　And　hypocritically　say　The　country　needs　〃Reform！〃　Out　on　reformers　such　as　these；　By　Freedom's　sacred　powers；　We'll　run　the　country　as　we　please；　We　saved　it；　and　it's　ours。

Although　the　Democratic　party　had　won　the　Presidency　and　the　House；　the　Republicans　still　retained　control　of　the　Senate；　and　they　were　expected　as　a　matter　of　course　to　use　their　powers　for　party　advantage。　Some　memorable　struggles；　rich　in　constitutional　precedents；　issued　from　these　conditions。



CHAPTER　IV。　A　CONSTITUTIONAL　CRISIS

As　soon　as　Cleveland　was　seated　in　the　presidential　chair；　he　had　to　deal　with　a　tremendous　onslaught　of　office　seekers。　In　ordinary　business　affairs；　a　man　responsible　for　general　policy　and　management　would　never　be　expected　to　fritter　away　his　time　and　strength　in　receiving　applicants　for　employment。　The　fact　that　such　servitude　is　imposed　upon　the　President　of　the　United　States　shows　that　American　political　arrangements　are　still　rather　barbaric；　for　such　usages　are　more　suitable　to　some　kinglet　seated　under　a　tree　to　receive　the　petitions　of　his　tribesmen　than　they　are　to　a　republican　magistrate　charged　with　the　welfare　of　millions　of　people　distributed　over　a　vast　continent。　Office　seekers　apparently　regard　themselves　as　a　privileged　class　with　a　right　of　personal　access　to　the　President；　and　any　appearances　of　aloofness　or　reserve　on　his　part　gives　sharp　offense。　The　exceptional　force　of　such　claims　of　privilege　in　the　United　States　may　be　attributed　to　the　participation　which　members　of　Congress　have　acquired　in　the　appointing　power。　The　system　thus　created　imposes　upon　the　President　the　duties　of　an　employment　agent；　and　at　the　same　time　engages　Congressmen　in　continual　occupation　as　office　brokers。　The　President　cannot　deny　himself　to　Congressmen；　since　he　is　dependent　upon　their　favor　for　opportunity　to　get　legislative　consideration　for　his　measures。

It　was　inevitable　that　numerous　changes　in　office　should　take　place　when　the　Democratic　party　came　into　power；　after　being　excluded　for　twenty…four　years。　It　may　be　admitted　that；　in　a　sound　constitutional　system；　a　change　of　management　in　the　public　business　would　not　vacate　all　offices　any　more　than　in　private　business；　but　would　affect　only　such　leading　positions　as　are　responsible　for　policy　and　discipline。　Such　a　sensible　system；　however；　had　existed　only　in　the　early　days　of　the　republic　and　at　the　time　of　Cleveland's　accession　to　office　federal　offices　were　generally　used　as　party　barracks。　The　situation　which　confronted　President　Cleveland　he　thus　described　in　later　years：

〃In　numerous　instances　the　post…offices　were　made　headquarters　for　local　party　committees　and　organizations　and　the　centers　of　partisan　scheming。　Party　literature　favorable　to　the　postmaster's　party；　that　never　passed　regularly　through　the　mails；　was　distributed　through　the　post…offices　as　an　item　of　party　service；　and　matter　of　a　political　character；　passing　through　the　mails　in　the　usual　course　and　addressed　to　patrons　belonging　to　the　opposite　party；　was　withheld；　disgusting　and　irritating　placards　were　prominently　displayed　in　many　post…offices；　and　the　attention　of　Democratic　inquirers　for　mail　matter　was　tauntingly　directed　to　them　by　the　postmaster；　and　in　various　other　ways　postmasters　and　similar　officials　annoyed　and　vexed　those　holding　opposite　political　opinions；　who；　in　common　with　all　having　business　at　public　offices；　were　entitled　to　considerate　and　obliging　treatment。　In　some　quarters；　official　incumbents　neglected　public　duty　to　do　political　work　and　especially　in　Southern　States；　they　frequently　were　not　only　inordinately　active　in　questionable　political　work；　but　sought　to　do　party　service　by　secret　and　sinister　manipulation　of　colored　votes；　and　by　other　practices　inviting　avoidable　and　dangerous　collisions　between　the　white　and　colored　population。〃*

*Cleveland；　〃Presidential　Problems；〃　pp。　42…43。


The　Administration　began　its　career　in　March；　1885。　The　Senate　did　not　convene　until　December。　Meanwhile；　removals　and　appointments　went　on　in　the　public　service；　the　total　for　ten　months　being　six　hundred　and　forty…three　which　was　thirty…seven　less　than　the　number　of　removals　made　by　President　Grant　in　seven　weeks；　in　1869。

In　obedience　to　the　statute　of　1869；　President　Cleveland　sent　in　all　the　recess　appointments　within　thirty　days　after　the　opening　of　the　session。　They　were　referred　to　various　committees　according　to　the　long　established　custom　of　the　Senate；　but　the　Senate　moved　so　slowly　that　three　months　after　the　opening　of　the　session；　only　seventeen　nominations　had　been　considered；　fifteen　of　which　the　Senate　confirmed。

Meanwhile；　the　Senate　had　raised　an　issue　which　the　President　met　with　a　force　and　a　directness　probably　unexpected。　Among　the　recess　appointments　was　one　to　the　office　of　District　Attorney　for　the　Southern　District　of　Alabama；　in　place　of　an　officer　who　had　been　suspended　in　July　1885；　but　whose　term　of　office　expired　by　limitation　on　December　20；　1885。　Therefore；　at　the　time　the　Senate　took　up　the　case；　the　Tenure　of　Office　Act　did　not　apply　to　it；　and　the　only　question　actually　open　was　whether　the　acting　officer　should　be　confirmed　or　rejected。　Nevertheless；　the　disposition　to　assert　control　over　executive　action　was　so　strong　that　the　Senate　drifted　into　a　constitutional　struggle　over　a　case　that　did　not　then　involve　the　question　of　the　President's　discretionary　power　of　removal　from　office；　which　was　really　the　point　at　issue。

On　December　26；　1885；　the　Judiciary　Committee　notified　the　Attorney…General　to　transmit　〃all　papers　and　information　in　the　possession　of　the　Department〃　regarding　both　the　nomination　and　〃the　suspension　and　proposed　removal　from　office〃　of　the　former　incumbent。　On　January　11；　1886；　the　Attorney…General　sent　to　the　Committee　the　papers　bearing　upon　the　nomination；　but　withheld　those　touching　the　removal　on　the　ground　that　he　had　〃received　no　direction　from　the　President　in　relation　to　their　transmission。〃　The　matter　was　debated　by　the　Senate　in　executive　session　and　on　January　25；　1886；　a　resolution　was　adopted　which　was　authoritative　in　its　tone　and　which　directed　the　Attorney…General　to　transmit　copies　of　all　documents　and　papers　in　relation　to　the　conduct　of　the　office　of　District　Attorney　for　the　Southern　District　of　Alabama　since　January　1；　1885。　Within　three　days；　Attorney…General　Garland　responded　that　he　had　already　transmitted　all　papers　relating　to　the　nomination；　but　with　regard　to　the　demand　for　papers　exclusively　relating　to　the　suspension　of　the　former　incumbent　he　was　directed　by　the　President　to　say　〃that　it　is　not　considered　that　the　public　interests　will　be　promoted　by　a　compliance。〃

The　response　of　the　Attorney…General　was　referred　to　the　Judiciary　Committee　which；　on　the　18th　of　February；　made　an　elaborate　report　exhibiting　the　issue　as　one　which　involved　the　right　of　Congress　to　obtain　information。　It　urged　that　〃the　important　question；　then；　is　whether　it　is　within　the　constitutional　competence　of　either　House　of　Congress　to　have　access　to　the　official　papers　and　documents　in　the　various　public　offices　of　the　United　States；　created　by　laws　enacted　by　themselves。〃　The　report；　whic