The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1867-12-12
NUMBER 45.

and if not diminished, will soon bring Us in
| TO total ruin and disgrace. Public creditors
| ard tax payers are alike interested in an hon
est administration of finances, and neither
| class will long endure large handed robber-
les of the recent past. For this discreditabls
state of things there are several causes
Some Of the taxes are 30 laid as to present
an irresistible temptation to evads payment
Great suus which officers may hold, will, By
connivancs with fraud, create a pressure
which 10 more than the virtue of many can
Withstand, and there can be no doubt that
open disregard of Constitutional obligations
aVowed by some Of the highest and most in
huential men in the country, has greatly
weakened the moral sense Of those who serve
in subordinate places.
The expenses of the United States, includ-
ing the interest on the public debt, are more
than six times as much AS they we're seven
years ago. To collect and disburss this vast
amount requires careful supervision, as well
as systematic vigilance. The system, never
perfected. was much disorganized by the
tenure of Office bill, which has almost de-
stroyed official accountability.
The President may bs thoroughly con-
Vtnced that oticer is incapable, dishonest
or uniaithful to the Constitution, but under
the law which 1 have named his utmost en-
oeavors Will be 10 complain to the Senate, and
ask the privilege CT supplying his place
with better man. If the Senate be regard
ed as personally or politically opposed 20 the
President, 1t is natural and not altogether
unreasonable for the officer to expect that it
will take his part as far as possible, and re>
store him to his place, and give him tri~
umph over his acknowledgements. The ottl-
Ger has ether chances Of impunity arising
from accidental defects of evidence. Under
the peculiar mode Of investigating it, and
the secrecy of hearing it, it Ia not wonderful
that official malfeasanee should become bold
In proportion IS deliqusnts learn to think
| themselves safe. I am entirely persuaded
that under such an irresponsible rule the
President cannot perform the great duty as
| signed to him of seeing the laws faithfully
executed, and that 1t disables him most es>
pecially from enforcing that rigid accounta-
bility which Is necessary to the due execu-
ton of the revenue laws. The Constitution
invests the President with authority to de-
eide whether . removal shall be made IL any
given case. The act Of Congress declares In
substance that he shall only accuse such as
| be supposes to be unworthy Of their trust.
The Constitution makes him sole judge in
the premises. but the statute takes away hiE
jurisdiction and transfers 1t to tbs Senate,
| and leaves him nothing but the odious and
| sometimes imprscticable duty of becoming
| prosecutor. Prosecution is to bs conduct
ed before tribunal whose members are not,
| like him, responsible to the whole people,
but 30 separate constituent bodies, aud who
| may hear hh accusation with great dsfavor.
The Senate u absolutely without any
known standard of decision applicable TO
| such case. Its Judgment cannot be antiei-
pated, for it Is not governed by any rule
Law Goes not define what shall be deemed
good cause for removal Il is impossible
1 IN paT1A fnr hat b.
| so considered by the Senate--the nature of
the subject forblds clear proof. II charge
be tncSpacity, what evidence would support
| ii I Fidelity 10 the Constitution may be
| understood or misunderstood in thousand
different ways by violent party mon in VIC
| lent party times. UnfAithfulness to the
Constitution may even come to be consider
ed msritorious. If officers be accused of dis
| honesty how shall It be made out2 Will it
| be inferred from acts unconnectsd with pub
| lie duty, nom private history, or from gen
| e1l reputation 2 Or must the President
| await the commission of an actual lnisde>
meAnor In office7 Shall he In the meantime
risk the character and interests Of the nation
I in ths hands Of men TO whom he cannot give
| his conhdence7 Must he EOrbear his com =
| plant until mischief is dons and cannot be
prevented If his zeal In the public service
| should impel him to anticipate an overt act,
must he move at peril Of being tried himself
for the offence of elanCeriPg his suboIdinate7
| In che present circumstances Of the country
some one must be held responsible for Off
cial delinquencies OF every kind. 1t is ex-
tremely difficult to say where that RESPONSE
bility should be thrown, if It Is not left
where It has been placed by the Const;tu-
tion but all just now Will admit that the
President ought to be entirely relieved from
such responsibility if he cannot meet il by
reason of restrictions placed by LAW upor
his actions. The unrestricted power of re-
moVAl from Office is very great one 10 be
trusted even to magistrate chosen by tbs
general suffrage of the whole people, and sc-
couutable to them for his acts. Il is IN
doubtedly liable to abuse, and at some peri
ods Of our history, perhaps. has been abused
Ifh be thought desirable and constitutional
that It should be so limited As to make ne
President mtrsly common infoYrnsr aga nst
other public agents, he should at least be
ermittsi TO act in that capacity before some
oIsn tribunal, independents Of party politics
| ready TO investigate the merits Of every case
furnished With the means Of taking evidence
and bound to decide according to established
T rules. This would guarantee the safety oi
the sceuser when he acts In good faith, anc
t 1t the sane tine secure lie rights Of III,
other party. speak, Of course, with al
: proper respect for the present Senate, but Il
does not seem to ne that any Legislative,
q body can be so constituted az 10 insure It,
!, fitness for these functions. It Is not the ths
e ory Of this governments thai public oEce.
are the property of those who hold them
They are given merely a. . trust for the pub
D lie bene6t-sometines for q fixed period
n sometimes during good bsAavios bat eea
q orally thoy ere liable 70 be Terminated a
= the pleasure Of the apPOiRting powsr, whic'
f represents the collective majesty and SPEAK
y the will Of the people. The forced retentio
If in Office Of a single dishonest person ms
q work great injury to the public interests
If Danger to the public SerYics comes not fro
e the power to appoint; therefore 1t was tn