The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-01-04
VIII He doik2

The country is treated to all sorts of
rumors as to what course the president
viii pursue upon the re-assembling of con-
gress. Although the major part of these
surmises may be taken for little or.'nothing
there is still foundation, grain of truth,
at the bottom. The attitude of the lead
ing republican senators leaves little room to
doubt that an attempt will be made to
compel the president to retrace his steps
and take up the cause of the bloody shirt,
or else force him to leave those who placed
him in Office to themselves and their own
devices, and to rely for the success of his
administration upon the democrats. The
great certainty which exists that in the latter
half of his term the democrats will have
the majority of both houses of congress,
and the fact that even now they are dis
posed to assist him moro than his former
party friends, may yet lead to important
results, and to governmental practice in
the administration of affairs which have
never heretofore been adopted.
If the president could rise entirely above
party considerations, and bring himself to
act simply as the highest executive officer
of the nation, according Ito the spirit and
intention of the constitution, and could
adopt the idea..that affairs must be admin
istered not for party sake but.according to
the known and expressed will of the people
as represented by the majority of the pop
ular house, it would be long step in ad-
vance Of all his Immediate predecessors,
and we believe would be productive of es-
sential good to the country. 1t would at
once lessen the enormous and crying evils
of the spoils system and bring the govern
ment Immediately in unison with popular
sentiment, without waiting the intervening
years of an unexpired executive term.
The Chicago Tribune breaches the idea in
manner that indicates growing enhght-
eminent in regard to presidential duties
and responsibility. It says:
I'm estimating the probabilities of a
permanent breach between President
Hayes and the faction of both politicians
who are seeking to drive him out of the
party, the fact must not be lost sight OF
that, in leaning on the democrats for sup
port, President Hayes would only be fol
lowing out the cardinal principle of parlia'
mentary government as it prevails in al
constitutional governments except our own
1t is the very essence of responsible gov
ernment, as understood everywhere excep
in the United States, that the policy and
personnel of the executive branch shall
conform to the majority sentiment of thu
popular branch of the parliament or con
gress, because the latter directly represent
the people. 1t is known that President
Hayes has a strong inclination to this re
publican theory of government, He is re
strained now by the traditions and custom
of this country and the ties of party, but /
is not likely that his conscience woul,
trouble him if he were forced to abandon
party usages and traditions, and yield o
necessity to such an acquiesence as Mar
shall MacMahon has been forced to max
in France against his will and in spite of
majority on his side in the senate. 1t is
question for the implacable cabal to de
termine for themselves whether they ar
not likely to push their warfare upon tn
administration further than is wise or safe
and produce results which, disastrous t
themselves as partisan spoilsmeD, may b
the beginning of an important revolutio
IN the American political system"