Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-18
Senator. .Edmundss Letter to the President.
The following is the full text of the letter
of Senator Edmuhds to the President, on the
subject of appointments in the civil SER
UNITED STATES SENATE CHAMBER. !
WAsuINlrnS. dec % Ia11

sence from town, find your note of the Ii ii
inst. In it, referring to prior conversation
between US in relation to the intervention o.
Senators and Representatives in respect tC
nominations and appointments by the Execu,
tive Department of the Government, you ask
mo to give you again my views and expert
ence on the subject. do so with greater
pleasure and freedom. from the circumstance
that your views and my owp concerning
what ought to be the independence of the
Executive in making nominations and suo-
mitting treaties. and the independence of the
Senate in acting thereon, are entirely in ac-
cord, and that believe this independence
would be made much more perfect if what is
suggested below could be carried into prac-
tice.
In the great number Of selections required
to be made to fill the necessary Offices in all
parts of the republic, the capacity and char
acter, and in many instances the opinions Of
persons suggested for places, ought to be
known, and must generally be ascertained
by information from some source extraneous
to the Executive Department. 1t has not
been possible. generally, for the President or
heads of departments personally to know the
propriety OF particular selection. This has
naturally led to the practice ofapplicants for
place, and citizens recommending them COM
municating with the Executive branch Of the
Government through the Senators ana Rep
resentatives in Congress. and reciprocally 10
the President and heads of departments ask
ing and receiving the information and some
times the advice of Senators and Representa-
tives on the subject. So far think the pro-
cess was natural and reasonable, and perha ps
in degree necessary, as the simplest and
safest means Of the Executive Department ac-
quiring indispensable information.
But, as in almost every kind of affair un-
restricted by position and binding limitations,
useful habit became custom ; and the custom
gradually transformed itself from its true ma
ture as means Of information into the course
of practically disposing Of Executive local
appointments according to the judgment or
the will of Senators and Representatives.
They came gradually to volunteer recon-
mendatlons In every instance, and the Exc
rutive Department in like manner came to
receive and treat such recommendations as
final, as relief from perpoDal scrutiny Of
testimonials and objections, and from ELuch
of the sense Of responsibility for selections.
This was evidently an abuse and peryersicn
Of the constitutional theory of appointments.
as well as Of a salutary process in admins
iar,on. T% .,; oeoo o,
TI a:.;s y. .' - o,ooa y. s' - w =
n&aa n ,aaana 30 oI,on tbs na.sdna1 p "a a
herent of the Senator or member who Sc
cured him the place, and the disappointed
ones became the reverse. Senators and
-asanno,ds, ,;ons br c,n,;d.ra,;nns of omb;
49, o. of f.ra,;,,de ,o ,boso wbo bad ron-
do"aS y, rars s1nsctsd 70 render aid 10 tbe;r
:, .,sonaI a;ms in noI;,;cs The I;her,v Of
e.. nnI;,;caI e,n-ess;on and ac.;nn be1ona.
r. ,,Isoa-b,Idsr 90 a c;t;1an hecar1c
aIs. ,Is, " I., - o,amnad 81 amb,r,assad
paohana LII more ;p;nr;ons ,o tbe nnbI;c
:.,. a', ,La,t.o.Iaa,t La or ,ha raIa
,;nns bs,ueen Senators and Renrfscntatives
IL ~ C~.o,,;r. Dano-,mon, Wbo oan
n,aasnrs NO. in sncb cases how mucb of E,ecn-
-,o;.,r.,,.,; :, a. % = Jos;ro
y, ~ ,a"nro a ~ apponr;a,;on Nv oro;J ;nres,;
W ia .a,rord Io,;sIa
sa.'on' .; 8. $4,000 en s,uOu;noS VII ,aIl
w =. a"no - ,ar ,ha S.n,,or ~ 80
Gn, n 'u. =, aaa;ns,a @ fasori,e trea,v o- nomins-
~, .;o, u 90 ,hs Renrsssnta,ive Who votes for or
n, ~ - ,nn,pnr;s ,;nn or on ;non;-v has
hsan nor.d m ,bers,o by wba, has been or What
oeon I ino ~ -, 80 n,n;,,oi H. -
-. ~ ,ho 5;rao,;nn =, IL
;aso"o harai, na.d Gov ,b.,t ,beso ,h;nas
" IL. .aa,;a - ,bo d. o
son.. uu n n ~ anv one Tbev ;mnlv rather HAS
"a;',a;,o 80 "a narro-s;op of ;nd,men,
p'sJuu'.e anu p. p and Iae;no af
als - n.sa.l -, sh;oh bnman "a
-. 80 -.
'u,C IT, - .... ;.so5,,.
me uis',ue. 'ePalan Patar a a. h. Dn
=, ."' '".'o .;,o;nins H., -, nn;rarsaI
ies. upon P,.u1 p 80. - ~ ,no a,,"n.i,,
eaIe .a;ai al IT, ' S:,a,oand IL. of Per'
-naan,",;roa mo, u ,be;- -esnec,;ve snberes
~" - w ..;.;-. - Al ,r;,b e 80
so "A'on ana 80 IS ,Io Ero,n,;ro Dsns-,ment
w. ey -, ,d,,;r;.,a- ~,
1" uu W: :. ,t.'.t r.n,n. aron,s r,aa f-or,
IA" as IL 10 ,"iousu po' -
uIe.a.on u IN ~ ,o,,s,;,, o;,har =,
Ia - -; .;,a,;,ns ~ ~ ;nfnence or
o,.,u " ,hom , hn ,ha hss,owal Of natronaoc
e0i,uPs IN r. s,',,os,;',,s are siu,le
..,;. b,, ~ or. ,bnse tbat cannot he
.lSr.. a,nj Than orc s,o,aJ in ,no,o
'oo oi',u ieP asa,',,;,, as
sea.iui 'o,u: ~ ,"e IS H. nHnn,rr
" yo'n t"o IL - shaiI ,r,
III MI a. 80 =. ha. onu..,od 10 ma ,bat
'oiio" '"o u, .ItD ~ :, ,ha -,
inueu ooaiu 20 49, p pntr,o.,;a nf So
uite''io,' 1y tno .;. aD So rna,n,nenJ
W INV onn.;n,,nan,s a, ali rnIess
.hg par''cuiar aPPo,nh Po I'M hv ,bs Fxscn,;rs
n"aa.,., I'd ,.,.,rd;n,Iy since tho in.
ss H. .dmi,;s,r,i,on have on
Jo I. VI a;,.o,,Ir and s,.aaiIv m abstain
eeaIoiea e 80 hai;.ye haze tcnt nv
- ~ 1s + rar., ,hon,bt II Consistent witb
r. pos nbao snn,ic.,;ons of recon-
'nis Po'i'o", Ia hoo,, s,,,, mo -
rI nenuao ~, ~, ,ha nroner ot6,.s w;rb a
,o'na,u , ~ -, ramn,andnm of rho
sr -. - a,a,J;n, Of .be s;sners If
s sna,a. anN 81 bas. Thought f. ricbt
.HIu W nv -, a,n of nv cnnsii,r,
- ~ ,ho n,Io,ment of the Executive De-
s,a, - - ~ o,,,nrla;ncd a, it, action "a
P1.'"'". nao -, % ,n,ks tho moe
unJus' ~ aDd ond.s,or +, rectifv
essaiS inqa" ha ,ro,r These I
WA. WA .t, h, rho cI.,r and nositive
hsa.;a', l., rosne.t of .nnnintments he
-. ,ho ,,.o,,hars oT the two branches of
wv" W. a., ,,ra,,sad in believing
'"o .e'n'n ;a,ietao,arv IN INV con,
'na' .ni' 80 a :. fsai;na that nsirber NV
striaen's' anu ~ -, ,ho Exec,,;,e
1lnciai On oou.s' ~. ~, cnn,erned can
pepal'hent' ~ 'ai ~ - sh;,.h I bave
DC anee'eu W 'no inA
aiiuueu' e,i- 0g.o, wbat-
pu' 'o nave piop0' " :, -, =, ho nj
ever eourse s puiIu.u' - A. s,s,en,
iorm' cohs.anI anu uni'. n III r.,
Will oe rauicaiy 49,. .tA a" - I'D bnn,
opens tue ranu!ua'y 'o' 'uo .1 ai,;.ana IS Ono
ors OIL Puoiic 'rusts W '"o -. .rs " ~
STATE or s's'I1u 1niy uIo" @ ~
Ahowieueo u '"e at -, ,,o-.o,,.
silnpie ieeoniHre u -;
whiie lnefe Is orousnt " oeai 'oi W tn0 eaua
oates oi other 1'a'es anu se''iVnS .ne po"oi
Iui ana personal soi'e''a'lons VI o.na'o,9 aul
Representatives "nose eiatI'uuo .oi SUI.
may DC ura"n upon III 'Iny e"e kenoS, "
whose uisappoin.nhen' III iaiiuio , n,a, P'eJa
dice them against some ii1s' no.oSsai' ~
nres reeommehueu " 'n' i-Ae0u.Ne =.
be easily seen, 100 'ne' mere "ouiu oe uI ~