Litchfield enquirer., 1878-05-30
CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT

A very interesting paper on the foregoing subject was read last week, before the socia Science Congress at Cincinnati, by Mir. Gam aliel Bradford, of which the New York Times furnishes the following summary:
 ''I think there is no violent assumption 1T presupposing general and deep dissatisfac' ton with the present working of our National Government. The Republican party, after holding control of the Government for many years, has been steadily losing it's ascendency, and would have wholly lost it ere this but fol the dislike and distrust, not decreased by the recent conduct of their majority in the House of Representatives with which the country re. gards the Democrats. All attempts to reform these parties or create new one have hitherto failed, and the danger now is that for the lat ter purpose broad and simple issues involv- ing an appeal to the passions, may be made use of, such as currency imitation, an attack upon corporations or combination ef labor agrinst capital, not proving of necessity that the people are perverse and wrong headed, but that the means are wanting for the formation of party upon questions involving more of detail This being so, inquiry is naturally di- rected to the methods of government by which both parties work. Everybody knows that the leading idea to the formation of our Con- stitution was a complete separation ef the three branches of legislative, executive and judicial, so that their functions should be dls tinct, and that neither should interfere with the other Nothing is more certain than that each branch will try to increase it's own pow CTS at the expense of the other. If the con fiict is carried on in public, the country will have full information, and the public, sitting in judgment, can give support to one sloe or the other. If in private, corruption and in- trigue will have full sway, the people be kept in ignorance and the weakest go to the wall. History is full of examples of executive en- croachment It is accomplished through standing armies, and is resisted by control of the money power.
 Although it is a most instructive history, l cannot stop to trace the past effects of the legislative absorption of power. l can only ask you to follow me, first in tracing the ac- tual methods of conducting cur Government business, and next their effects upon the polit- ical relations of Congress and the President. In order to get anything done it was necessary to create number of standing committees to which everything should be referred. Gus tom, you observe, and not a constitutional pro- vision. It is again purely matter of custom, that Speaker has the appointmen of the con- mittees for the House. though in the Senate they are elected. All business being referred te these committees, they have nearly abso- lute power to suppress anything they do not like The Speaker, of course, appoints them to suit his constituents, the majority of the House. If history offers an example of p0- ltical arrangement more certain to produce at once impotence and corruption, it has escaped my study. The institution known as the lobby was the direct fruit of the committee system, having for it's object the manipulation of the committees, and both theory and experience teach us what methods and course Of practice this new branch of the Government would adopt As the interests and functions of these committees jar in every possible way, their ac- ton is not based upon any general principle, but on that of finding some practicable com promise. One thing is especially to be noted both with regard to the committees and the houses, namely, that every member represents a locality, has direct interest in pleasing his constituents, and no direct interest in the national welfare. The object is, threfore, in the committees, to interest as many mem bers as possible in any measure or set ot meas ures, and push them through the houses by force of majority without effective debate. One word now as to the Executive. It has no direct and legitimate influence whatever upon legislation The Messages of the President and the reports of the departments, while they may be received with somewhat more ef eXter- nal respect, have exactly as much weight as similar communications from any outside cltl- zen. If Congress wishes to attend to them 1t will, and if not. it won't. In the latter case they are thrown to the committees, and dsap- pear like cannon balls in cotton bales without leaving any trace. If Secretary wishes for any legislation he must lobby, hat in hand, with a committee precisely like anybody else. One means, and only one, the Executive has of Obtaing the necessary provision for carrying on the Government-the apportionment of of fees among Senators andmembersof Congress. Till some other means Of influencing leglsla- ton is provided, civil service reform will con- tinue to be that which it very naturally ap- pears in the eyes of members of Congress- deIusion and sham. If, then, as stated, our political difficulties may be mainly summed up in this. the attempt of the legislature to eX- ercise all the powers of the Government, the remedy is to be sought in raising the Execu- tive not, prehaps to greater, but to indepen- dent and legitimate power, accompanied by the real safeguard of free government, definite responsibility, which cannot now be said to exist anywhere at all. And the entering wedge to this, thin as the end may appear for the accomplishment of such great results, is the admission of the Cabinet officers to seats, without votes in the two houses, with the right of taking part in debate, and the duty, subject to parliamentary forms, of answering personal inquiry. The Executive Administra- tion under fire of cross examination from both sides, and before the the eager attention of the whole country, would be under the heaviest responsibility to seek the truth and nothing but the truth. Such position, again, would furnish rallying point for honest and patriotic members more numerous, l fancy. than is generally supposed-who are now lost and silenccd amid the wrangling of partisan leaders.
 1 pass to the subject of finance, and can folya nm aNonNTla item thai 0f tha' rency. In the whole range of society three is probably no element which more deeply effects the happiness and moral character of the peo- pie there is none which require more steady and systematic treatment, and none which from the foundation of the government, has been left more to the blind working of chance and private interest. It is not difficult to foresee in the future a violent conflict be- tween the advocates of the greenback and na- tional bank note. In general way, it may be said that the East inclines to bank and the West to Government issues. Instead of seek ing some common standing ground, both sides proceed by vituperation, the very worst thing that can be done. A national system of cur rency should be treated by a national official under his responsibility to Congress and the country, standing inthe arena of public debate as a mediator between hostile sections, and able to propose plan which shall commend itself to both sides as affording the best mode of adjustment If one man cannot do it he must make way for another, but this is not the only way in which any successful result can be obtained. believe that the passage of the Silver Bill was most injurious to the pros perity of the United States, and quite as much 80 to this Western section as to any other But the national side was never presented ex- cept in the heated rhetoric of the Eastern pa- pers. The arguments in favor of silver lie on the surface, and are much more easily availa- 6le to move a crowd, by people who care only for immediate effect, than those against it.
 The third topic which I wish to present is that of the civil service. That the state of this service is unsatisfactory, and that reform is demanded by the country, is proved by the greater or less prominence given to it in the platforms of both parties. Yet, in spite o1 this the politicians on both sides pronounce the reform to be entirely illusory and impracti cabie-and under the present system it un doubtedly is so. The method of doing al business in secret committee, and forcing il Il AL kt.