Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-06-07
The President and Congress.
rrron phIl. lpem } Timesl


cabinet officer, but as political letter writer
he is not success He undertakes to jump
the stream long before he gets to it, and un
less he shall be shaken up before he plunges
into the muddy, bosterous, rocky sea OF poll
tics, and made to understand that cabinet OF
ficers are not of the infallible sort and that
they should not ALWAYS tell even what they
think they know, he will be likely to get sadly
tangled in his enthusiastic efforts to oyer-ride
old party lines. In recent letter addressed
to his brother, in Chattanooga, Mr. Key dis
PLAYS his verdancy in politics, and blurts out
Just what he should have kept to himself, even
if his dream Of breaking party lines in support
of the administration had reasonable GER
tainty of fulflment. He says what is true
enough, that 'it is important that he (the
President) havs majority in both houses ia
yorabe TO his administration" but it is not
essential that he should accomplish the impos
sible feat of Transforming a score or so of
Democratic statesmen from their old political
faith to the embrace of the party they have
honestly antagonized But the gravest blunder
of the Postmaster General is his statement
that if the Southern Democrats "oppose The
administration, elect Northern Democrat
such as Randall or Sayler, to the Speakership |
and ally themselves with disaifected Republi |
cans to fight the administration he the Presi- |
dent) will be compelled TO use his official pat |
ronage in such way as to give him strength |
in his own party; whereas, should Southern |
Democrats wisely extend him support, he |
will be able to deal his patronage to them lib |
eralIy." This Is a most marvellous statement |
to come from. cabinet minister and it ex~
hibits AZ little skill in the trade Of political |
direction as il presents Of the qualities OF true
statesmenship II the chief aim Of a national
administration II 10 dispose Of lis public pat~
ronage 70 the best adysutage--to tho highest
bidder Ia either party, aad the chief duty Of
Senators and Representatives is 10 50 dispose
of their favor as 10 command most for place
men, then the broad notice . an admiulstra
ton auction il consistent and III the line Of
cabinet duties; but If, as has been generally
believed by most good men Of all parties, the
first duty Of both administrations aud legis-
lators is TO give peace, prosperity and faith
full public officials to the country, then POST
master General Key has strangely mistaken
his mission.
The assumption that Congress can loosen
President Hayes's anchorage in the Republican
party, or that the administration can destroy
the legitimate political majority in the House,
is simply absurd The President is a Repubi>
can by conviction, and is a Republican Presi
dent by every consideration of good faith and
individual honor The House is Democratic
by from ten TO twelve majority, fairly chosen
bv the people, and i:s very integrity is guess
toned when il is invited, upon any terms, to
be ANYTHING else For Hayes to cease to be a
Republican, would be to immediate himself; and
for him to depart from the policy that is
ranted by a just recognition of the political
principles he has protested before the country,
would be to make him feeble imitation of
TYLER, Fillmore and Johnson. They sought to
disntegrate parties by patronage; they stood
in the political market places, as Postmaster
General Key seems to stand, and hired fol
lowing of camp ravashers for the emolumentS
of power, and they gathered contempt and
disappointment as the fruits Of their efforts.
And so it will be to the end of time. On the
other hand. Congress is charged with distuc
tive duties by the nation. The House is the
organ of the people, the check they reserve to
themselves to restrain ambitious or fathless
Executives, and to bring hayward Senates to
bay. 1t is not a marketable commodity in
any sense, and it would provoke the execra-
tons of those who created it. were it to barter
its sovereign prerogatiye that the President
might ''be able to deal his patronage LIBERAL
w." In such case both President and Con-
cress would merit and surely feel the consum-
ing scorn of free people.
There ia no need for the sacifice of any
principle on the part of either tho President
or Congress to accomplish, in patriotic and
statesmanke manner, what Mr.. Key seems 20
contemplate by way Of political commerce.
The President is simply performing his duty
according to his public pledges both before
his election and at his Inauguration. True, 1t
was not expected by his leading partIsans that
he would be faithful to the letter and spirit OF
his plighted; but he has disappointed friend
and foe by displaying the standard of integrity
and truth in the midst of the political demor-
slization that has long reigned in the sanctu>
ary of authority Aud while he is consistent
in his devotion to law and to the interests OF
.he whole country, he commands the support
of Congress by right that none dare d'sre>
gard whether Democratic or Republican. Dis
amounted partisans may chafe and indulge in
fretful assaults upon the administration, but
every honest Democrat must sustain the Presl
dent in all that is patriotic and just, or be
condemned by the masses OF all parties. Nor
is the position of the Democratic Congress
different from that of the Republican Presi
dent. 1t is Democratic by the judgement OF
The nation. and it will be nothing else 1t will
choose Democratic Speaker aud will have
Democratic committees; but no man can be
selected in Democrat caucus who will not
sustain President Hayes in all measures es~
sential for the public welfare. The Senate
cannot reject his nominations, whether Repub-
licans or Democrats.if they are competent and
honest, and the House cannot withhold its ia
vor from any proposition of the administration
that aims at the tranquility and prosperity OF
the country But the President will be Re-
publican if he would not be broken on the
wheel; The House will be Democratic it 1t
would not be esteemed the temple of the
trickster, and both will harmonic on the vital
public issues involving the supremacy Of law
and the maintenance Of enduring peace to all
sections.