St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-04-02
The Tenure of office 4ct.

There are clearly two sides TO the
question of repeal of the tenure OF office
act. which is now the topic of absorbing
interest, and fear of not little bad blood
at Washington. Seeing the tremendous
evil of having all the offices dependent
solely on personal and party favor, and
dreading the shameful scrambles Tor office
which. occurring once in four years, fill
Washington with office seekers well
nioh kill every new president keep the
public service infested with incompetent
or corrupt officers, and fill the country
with sore heads, we have thought we
could see in the bottom principle OF the
bill. something which promised purer and
better times, in conjunction with the civil
service bill, il that measure should ever
10y kind favor of Heaven, happen to be-
come q law.
Bu5 there are strong arguments on the
other side. \ friend i'll whose judy
ment and political sagacity we put high
confidence, says in letter which lies be-
fore us Il do not agree with you on
the tenure OF office bill. The system be-
fore that law was bad indeed, but by no
means as bad as under that law ; and II
such law continues in force for SIX
wears. there will be none but scoundrcls
in tie Senate. put there and kept there
bv the Scoundrels that the administration
will be compelled to keep in Office. .
There Is Il point here which has been
mainly overlooked thus far in the discus
-ioms on the bill, and to which, we con-
fess, we had given little thought. The
effect of the tenure Of office law on the
! President. and on the office holders, ha:
| been much talked over but what Is
likely to be its effect, if continued IL
force. on the Senate, has been little con
,idered 1t cannot be denied that there
i and will be danger in the direction Ill
dlcatcd 10y our correspondent. The ten
ure Of office bill, in any shape, can only
he of service with Senate of high mind
ed. pure and wise men. There is risk
that the weight of corruption in the pub
lie service may pull down the Senate III
stead OF the Senale's freeing the servic,
from It's load.
Jude Noah Davis of New York, nov
a member of the House, made auothe
point against the act, in the House de
bate. He said:
The President could be impeachcd
he appointed corrupt officers : but il til,
Senate should restore corr upt officer
where was the remedy? Could til
House of Representatives impeach tn
Senate ? No. The representatives o
the people would be powerles>, and there
would be placed in the Senate unim
pcachablc, irresponsible power not to b
reached under the Constitution or laws
all ihai Executive power which the Con
-tilution had declared that the Pre,iden
should take care faithfully to execute.
1t seem, to u that this too. has weight
Ii j. clearly possible that with corIup
Senate, the situation might be Just wha
Is there set forth by .Iud"e Davis.
There l. thus rood deal to be- said OF
both sides OF the question One thin
only i pretty clear, there is nothing /
the tenure Of office bill. which the coun
Try d,>r,> To re preserved. at the eN
pcu~r of a serious collision between tn
Senate and the President. There is wor
enough to be done by them, and the
should he about it. with a prumptuc-
aud efficiency for which harmony be
tween them i a, essential condition.
B,, jir,,t",, Fire, Pres