The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-18
The Tenure. .ei.OGice law.
To,n Lhe N. Y. Times.

From the N. Y. Times.
whether the Civil Tenure of Office bill be
repealed or not, General Grant or any Presi.
dent as highly in the confidence of the country,
will find no difficulty in selecting men for ex-
ecutive trusts. We Vneture 10 say that If he
were even TO send to the Senate on the 5th OF
March names for nlpe-teDths of the offices, and
the public good, they would be confirmed.
Practically therefore, we see no difficulty in
Lnis Owl Tenure OF ONCE biu."-Trt6une,
Possibly this may be true. We hope it is
We are inclined to believe, indeed, that the
general inclination of the Senate will be to
confirm General Grants action in the removal
of incompetent ofioe-holders and the appoint
ment of better men in their places. The
Senate, as well as the great body of the Re-
publican party, and of the people of the whole
country, has confidence in General Grant-in
his integrity, his disinterested patriotism and
his determination to reform the abuses and
correct the evils which enfeeble and disgrace
every branch of the public service. And
therefore we think the Senate will be inclined
to confirm the appointments and approve the
removals, which he may attempt to make.
But General Grants ability to accomplish
these results ought not to rest on the Senate's
disposition at any particular moment. It
must be remembered that nearly all the men
now in Office throughout the country have
been pat there by the influence of Senators,
and that Senators will, therefore. naturally
enough not be inclined to favor heir removal.
The Tribune, we are confident, can easily un-
derstand how this works in the case of very
many men holding important Offices in this
city, and so IL is throughout the country The
ofioe-holders, as general thing, are the per-
sonal friends Of Senators-appointed by their
influence, and retaining office under their pro-
teotion. There is not one of them probably
whose removal would not be strenuously
resisted by seme one Senator, and by as many
others as he could induce to sustain him. By
promising an exchange of good offices, in this
respect Il will be very easy to form combina-
tions among Senators which will defeat nearly
every important removal that General Grant
NAV attempt to make. In general sense
the Senators will be inclined to support Gene
raj Grant; but when II comes directly to the
@; >ction from Office OF their special friends and
prot6ges, they will cling to the men they have
put in places of profit, and whose services
there are of direct benefit to themselves.
The Tribune moreover, overloOks the delay
which the compliance with the Tenure-of-
Office law of necessity involves in the matter
OF producing a change OF Office holders. Under
that law, the President cannot make aremoval
at all, until after he has been specially autho-
rized 30 to do by the Senate He may suspend
an officer for twenty days after the meeting OF
the Senate; but every such suspension must
be sent 10 the Senate, accompanied by the
reasons for it-and these reasons must be sent
to a committee for inquiry and consideration;
and that committee must make a report to
the Senate upon the case, and upon that re-
mort the action of the Senate must be based.
II the Senate approve the suspension, then
the President may remoUe; but not other wise.
Under the most favorable circumstances and
with every disposition on the part of the
Senate to meet General Grants wishes, and
to respond to his action, this process involves
very great labor and very long delay. But II,
in any specific care any Senator desires to
preoeni the attempted removal, it gives him
the power to accomplish that result with abso'
lutte certainty.
If the Senate really desire to aid General
Grant in purifying the public service OF dis.
honest and incapable inoumbents, let IT repea
the law 10y which his hands are tied. THAI