Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-03-06

I ment OF the nominee Even then III
deciding on the appointment after nomina
/ ton, the Senate and not the senator is per
mitted to give advice and consent
/ Now, Mr.. Speaker, in the light Of a re.
I qntrement like this, one which both charac.
terizes and illustrates the very BODY Of th,
constitution, how startling and sad il tht
iact that great states and great parties ar,
to-day disturbed aId embittered 1y the fac
that one senator is alleged TO be permittec
to make, through the mouth of the sub
ordinate President, fewer or more nomina
tioHs to his own body, the Senate, for advie,
and consent, 10 a nomination made to him.
self by him elf
The - civil service REFORM which will
eff ctually end, and end forever this one ol
the shamvs OF the times, may save the re.
public. but which tres it will in the end
certainly destroy it. Again, another mere
Illustration and example: If the members oil
the House of Representatives, as such, and
IN virtue Of a usage to rapidly becoming a
law, which demands that they shall control
the appointment of their - districts, " may
Illuminate or influence the nOmi1ation Of the
oihcers OF the government, then why has the
constitution SO thoroughly withheld from
them each and all, even as 4" House of
Representatives., the right to participate.
not merely in nominating. hut even in giving
- advice - and - consent - to the President
as to who shall be appointed to any Office,
and has limited the right to 80 advise and
consent carefully to ths Senate?
A = civil service reform that shall end
this control by the representative of the
appointments OF his - district" will rescue
the constitution from one Of it, msst threat
ening daagers. OF course, Mr.. Speaker,
am not by this fOrbidding the President to
ke information "a to the fitness Of appoint
ments from any intelligent and virtuous citi-
zen, although he may be member of Con-
greFs, but what l am depreciting and de
nandIng To be reformed j : that bad usage
not attaining the strength Of law, by which
senators and members are expected, and even
constrained, TO control the appointments of
their states and districts.
This fratricidal war against the foundation
qualities of the government was began thirty
J ears ago by tie Democratic party. The
war took for its motto and put upon banners
this. To tic victors belong the spoIls : -
May Heaven maze it so that il shall be one
OF the new and crowning achievements Of
the Republican party to eface that motto.
and eface it forever. And may there be
wrioten over it in letters inextinguishable,
81 To the people belong the off ,es, for free
bestOwment upon those most worthy to ill
them"
Take still one further illustration since
the constitution has given 1t to Congress to
define the quail tications for Office, only re
stT4Ining it tIOm prescribing religious tests.
and since, moreover, the constitution, with
great det1iteness and detail. prcscribes how
every offcer OF the United States shall be
selected, and since IN this detail, it ordatn5
that the House shall choose none but its own
lf1icers. and the Senate none but its own,
rttt D~1zt1arr ralI
by and with the advice and consent OF the
Senate, appoint every other officer of the
government, subject only to this exception,
that - the Congress my Y law vest the ap
DJIutment OF such interior oic rs as they
think proper, in the esIdent alone, in the
courts OF law. or IN the heads Of depart
.nonf@; - tucI cIcforc. how can the Congress
either President, court, or a
head Of "A department, that they shalt not
look TO the entire body of the people il
iecidng which one of all the people who
have in fact every qualification for the Office
which the C0Dgr, IS has chosen to require by
aw -? How shall the Congress order them,
holding such app5inting power, to select one
yut of a designated three. whom an agent |
hv Congress. called - civil ser |
wee commission shall command the ap-
1Jintlng power t. select from; and to do THE !
,lt ough tie fact should stand confessed |
sat csch one OF the three named by the |
geut OF tile Congr fss to the p. .esident to be |
c cc.cd from is ic-s fit for tile appointment !
han he whom The Pres dent would ap
point were he MT lettered in his selection by |
he order Of this commission interp)sed by |
,3nsrcs5 between the President and his con
t,JutiOuIi Prcrogatiyes
Ngte carefully that ! am not combating |
he right Of the President. as mere instru |
uen. Of his own in aiding his selection for
,fice. to constitute suc1 civil service commis-
lon as he has recently called to his aid IN
hat behalf Against the leIal prOprlety ol
constituting that commission | have no word
ID saw Il favor OF the prudential proprIety [
+ that act OF the President, as a return BY
MS own act t1 the lust thOrics OF the cOnsti-
utiUn. as | have sought 70 state them, much
,u.,ht to lie SAID W bat do design To say
Ouching this uJInt II, that Congress can ny
he law. int,rpose between the President
md the entire body Of the citizens having
III legal Qualifications and eligibility tor
ippointment to ,ffce. on ard OF commis
non the instrument Ol Congress. when
~ anv device. shall be enabled to prohibit
the President from appointing whom he may
please Of this BODY Of citizens 10 any oth;e
Tor which he s so legally qualified. ii Con
gress can thus, Though the agency OF lts
own instrument, called - civil service
=" compel the President TO select
the ofi .ers Of the Government from three
men thus nominated to him by tins Doaru'
A creature and instrument OF Congress, tneh
whv may it not make these nominations Dy
A iIint committee Of it's two Houses ANA
if it may confne him to three outoi all the
thousands equally qualified in law, then why
NAV it not coufne him TO two, or even on,
and thus muster the President out OF tne
Constitution
Mr. Speak ker, I viii not 20 on with th's;
| have accomp ished the purpose when
arose If have indicated by these sugges-
tions clearly these five thinLs:
First How supremely vital ls this quality
of our Constitution which apportions It's
great powers to coordinate dep irtments.
Second. How completely just eompre-
tension and enforcement OF these " checA9
and balances - Of the Constitution covers
AMI defines the whole field OF - civil service
reform.
Third How absolutely vital is the nee
cessitv and the resulting duty of Congress I'D
instantly bringing back the practices OF Tue
C;overnment 10 the designs OF the Consti'u
tion. and the usages of the first halt century
of its life.
Foyr,h How requisite it is that this last
ehonld he done. so lar as it may by the Con.
stitut N be, by he requirements o' per han,'
law binding on all administrations anu
m n s. and Of not leaving these ' ta' IN 80
h. transacted under single ana "hoiiy !
aanatn - and indefnite section of an apPropr'-
t;i,n Hill. and to be done only so long as
elpn da I P9esidept @ nay choose t. do them and to
ota.d,nod ,rhen a bad one comes who snail
goid ,bot :, to the victors belong the spoiIs.
"0 E,ftb How equally absolute is our duty not
20 nnsb this attempted reform by law lDto
20 rtp"rnation p of the powers of the Executive as
aec9Ted co bv the constitution; powers by when
co. the congress has fixed the equalitlcatlons
G,r r of;se. the President is permitted 70 seiec.
from the entire body of the people ,ba n1vm ',ogs
those qualifications the ofhceIs OF nsotion sne 9Ir