New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-15
been obtained Young Tton lies in precarious co
ditiOn.
FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT.
TIE EXECUTIVE AND THE SENATE.


DUCT or ATFAIRs-HIs INITIATIVE MOI TO BE
UsURPED BY The SENATE.
| To the EditOr Of The TrtbUne.
SIR: Il will be q grave misfortune If the eagerness
of personal interests shall succeed III confusing the
public to the real responsibility for the tfecntVe
conduct of afays, the administration OF which
! rests by law, by usage from the foundation OF the
! Government, and by tho universal understanding
ard acceptance Of the people, with tho President.
| The conduct of the Government under the law Is
a great single work. cOnfded to Chief Executive
! whom the people elect and instruct at the same
time. The President represents q policy of admin
i5tratiOn defined at the time Of his election; policy
I not personal to himself in any narrow sense or,
rather not to be shaped for his personal ends, but
one which his powers under the Constitution, If
freely exercised, permit him to carry out, and that
therefore. the people tightly hold him responsible
! for. There has never been construction OF tue
relation the Chief Executive holds to the coordinate
branches Of the Government other than lhis or OPP
posed 10 II. The President conducts an AdmlnlStra-
ton he is the head Of it, he appoints his ASSISTANTS
and he 10 hold responsible to the people for 1t.
| Ii is fact not altogether pleasant to find that
new view Of the relations of the Executive to tho
Legislative branch of tue Government Is taught, or
urged, transferring the responsibility OF administra-
ton from the President to members of tho Senate.
Not tho senate itself In its collective capacity but
individual Senators, who for The purposes OF eXecu-
| tive administration. divide the country up INTO
provinces each one ruling absolutely within his own
territory and asking his colleagues to defend him
! in this assumption The President, who comes III
| with a fresh instruction from the people. and
who pledges them his best efforts to con-
| form to their orders. is confronted by an
! intrenched camp Of resistance 10 his authority.
| The party that nomiuates him ana the people who
elect him. demand re- form ID the service 81 collect
ing the revenues and that the holders Of Office shall
devote themselves faithfully TO the specific service
! to which they are appointed. And the pdbllc ur-
| cency is not relaxed, nor the source Of power
! or responsibility admitted by them to be changed.
! They do not ask The Senate, whose mem
] bcrs we're neither elected nor instructed
| by them for the reform of any service. II
! any Collector OF Customs, Foreign Minister. or
Cabinet officer. j. untathtul to his duties or open
To objection IN his general manner they look to the
| President alone for his removal. Can the Senate
| in any manner take his place i the appointing
power properly lodged whore 1t r., or wodd the
! public accept any part Of this new doctrine Of
/ provinces if they saw what itrca.iy VAST
| II was not incumbent uDOu the President to sub
icct the members OF I'll, Cabinet Of his predecessor
- an investigation to their fitness before select
ing other secretaries for hrs own Cabinet. j. was
| not incumbent on HIM TO investigate the Minister
! 10 ENGLAND OF 10 France, efore appointing others
10 those posts. The veiy dcccncie, oi Official life.
wo NAV saw have from time lmmemorial Suggested
! 10 these leading administrative officer, 10 place
their position 1T the wish OF an incoming President,
| and 20 regard practical renewal OF their appoint
rrnts % ne .eSsary condition of their remaining IN
Office Who ever heard, until recently OF organized
menace # President 20 force q retention Of high
1,.,,. e.. tf,.yt to- .r9 l..- tfis
ce<sion Is not new or responsible Administration.
ifit,- not permitted to appoint it- Instruments.
Who then administers, the former President? Of are
tn. principles Of the Government changcG-Scnstor~
becoming Presidents over their respective terrific
r;rs7 The barest declarat ton ofthe facts on tins point
! suggest, tho answer: there can be but one EEeeu-
tive and but one Administration. The assumption
! If Presidential functions by Senator is, uncon-
scior-ly 80 doubt, fragment Of reyol,t-on. IT rs
wholly dIff, rent from those ISSUES Of general policy
which, IN connection with the reba'lon,led the Sen
ate to strengthen its power of reeistence 10 EIecu-
tive instruction. Even then tho Senate mover
suggested tue Limitation of the Presidential inita
tive the primary act of appointment. The Pre,i-
dent shall appoint. tho law declares, and the re-
served right of confirmation ia presumably based
on the character Of tho appontec. not on an as
sumption that the Senate SHALL practically itself
appoint.
! Certain leading Customs officers have from the
! beginning been held 70 be particularly indicative
/ Of the tone of an Administration. If Offices were
held 10 be the rewards of political service, these
particular ncumbcnts were engaged solely III pOIit-
| zeal manpna;ons If the public demanded a
change on this point and tLat these officers should
give close attention 10 the duty OF collecting Oh"
revenues they would elect and practically instruct
| a President TO that effect. THIS precise thing
has been done, yet the most extraordinary efforts
| are made, not by tie people, nor by any persons
elected by the people, to defeat that purpose, and to
retain, from one Administration to another. repre-
sentative officers Of the order of THINGS he people
have rejected This struggle to obstruct the just
and necessary exercise of executive authority cannot
be long one; nor would it be tolerated for day
# ITS scope aud dangers fully under
stood 1t Is an attempt TO divide tho country into
provinces, whose chief executives would be Sena-
tors Ii Is neg alton of the most vital function Of
tho Executive authority, placing power IN the hands
of persons the most remote from the people, and
neither known to in any way Responsible to them
II 10 worse than separate election tor separate
President in each State, since then, reform de-
manded by the people could and would be enforced
by them They could act directly on the respon-
sible officer aud compel the appointment of accept
able persons.
| would not intrudo, in the least degree, on the
right of the Senate to reject an appointment on its
merits as an appointment. The danger and the
wrong lie in usurping the Presidential in tlatiye,
and in binding a President elected specifically 10
change certain practices TO the exact practices aud
to the same Official assistant, employed by
his predecessors | Will not say which
right or which wrongj it is enough that
"A change WAS demanded. This change the Presi-
dent IL resisted in making; resisted in an
tagonsm to his prcrogaHve, and IN drroga-
ton of his dignity. 1t is an effort to prevent