The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-11-30
THE CASE OF THE SENATE.

IL is reported that there was some
very plain and animated conversation
between the President and the Com
mittee of Senators the other day on
the subject of the appropriation of the
patronage, the Senators insisting with
perfect fraDkness that they ought to
be allowed to control tine appoint
ments in theiI own States, and Mr.
Hayes denying that either the Con
stitutioD or common sense entitled
them to anything more than the right
of objectiDg TO improper nominations
Whether this version of what took
place at the conference is precisely cor
rect or not. there can be little doubt
that it represents substantially wIiaf
the two treats powers must have said
if they gave full expression to their
thoughts. The claim which the Sen
ate is said TO have put into words, i
exactlv the claim which it has long a.
serted in practice, and the answer
which the President is supposed ia
have made TO it is only restatemeni
of the theory of reform which h. ex
pressed with emphasis in his inaugural
address, and has repeated on all pro
per occasions since.
Without und. riaking to discdss
again aquestion upon which the views
of the Tribune ought to be pretty yell
known, may remind President Hayes
that If the Senate arrogates privileges
which seem to him altogether incom-
pstible with The proper exercise Of the
duty of the Chief Executive, be has
perhaps allowed some of his Cabinet
counsel,ors to supply them with pre-
texts and arguments, IfIhe rule is in
deed to prevail that no appointments
are to he made except for merit and no
removals except for cause, than the
Senators can have no excuse for de
mapding the allotment of the patron
age in shares for political purposes: /:
the Presidents theory is absolutely IN
assailable. Bat if the patronage is To
be taken away from the Senate Only
10 order that the President and one or
two of mis- Cabinet officers may exer-
else it in the old way, making appoint
ments no more creditable than those OF
General Grants worst times, for rea
sons no less personal than those that
used to prevail, and with all the fanil
lar concomiiants of bargaining and job
berry, then the Senators will be most
formidably armed against the attempt
ed revolution; they may well say, II
the Civil Service is to be used for a.Iy-
thing except the transaction of tine
public business, it must be used for the
good of the party, and we know what
the party needs IN our own States
much better than the President.
Take this Toledo case, which is now
rising again TO a disagreeahle DotOrie
ty A change was made in the Post
Office at Toledo for no known reason
that can be reconeiled with the pnnci-
Piles of reform, but apparently in or
der TO reward an active politician Who
aided in the election of Mr.. Stanley
Matthew'S 10 the Senate. The sffAir
turned out very badly. Its most i'm
portant results seem to have been a
loss of /, 900 votes in the county, aud a
bitter quarrel which will outls-t the
scandal that gave rise to it. Whether
the election of Mr.. Stanley Matthews
even was an unmixed benefit 10 the
party, is a question upon which Re-
publican opinions differ. Thenitbere
was tie affair of the Englih Mission.
IL vas not Civil Service reform for Mr..
Eyarts to offer that important post
70 the Pennsylvania delegation. IL
was not Civil Service reform to alIot
rhe Berlin Mission to the delegation
from Illinois. IL Eas not Civil Sery
ice Reform to send Mr.. Sanford to
Belgium, or Governor Osborn, of
Kansas, to South America. IL Gas not
Civil Service Reform to yield to Mr..
FnIton's Establishments in the matter
of the Baltimore Collectorship; or to
tender the Swiss Mission to Mr.. Schuei-
der; or to make the disgusting appoint
pent of George II. Butter, in order to
please his uncle. the General. We
might extend to great length the rec
ord of Instances io which the practice
OF the Administration has given the lie
to its professions; but We are not max
ing a catalogue of the Presidents uis-
takes. II We can induce him 10 muz
zIe the talking members of his Cabi
net. and suppress the amateur states
men who have done 90 much to make
their own proclamations ridiculous, We
shall do him the service of a true
friend. The gentlemen around him
have talked so finely that the public
exacts a great deal of ths IN. The p-t
ty lapses of ordinary men of the world
are unnoticed or easily forgiven, but
moralists and reforrners are judged
severely by their own standards.
They may depend upon it that the
Sent at all events, will Judge them
with Rhadamanthine rigor. - NsU
York Trsbgns,