The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-04
PENDLETON'S SCHEME.
SHOULD THE MEMBERS or THE CARL.
NET BE GIVEN SEATS I'm
CONGREss7
The Dinerence Between the Form of GOV.
eminent In the United states ana Eng.
land-The Defects In our system.


MEMBERS OF THE CABINET
the right to participate In the debates of
Congress, serves to call public attention to n
subject which was discussed In the oonven-
tion that framed the Federal constitution.
But Notwithstanding Its lack Of novelty, the
idea advocated by Mr.. Pendleton Ia Interest,"
Ing, and must always find more or less Of
place In our public reflections and discuss
sfons. 1t 10 hardly worth while to consider
the objections urged by the mediocre Sem
at9r from New England because they seem tn
have been hctuated rather by chat persona
desire to reply to- Mr.. Pendleton than by
the pressure OF his information on the sub4
ject, and to have been based more upon hid
ignorant preiudices than upon his enlightened
judgment. Moreover,
THE SPEECH or MR.. MORRILL,
was remarkable for the ingenuity which ,ts
author displayed In talking an hour on one Of
the most suggestive Of themes without reaeh-
ing single conclusion worth place In
school-boy's composition. In point OF fact
there ID but one really valid objection to be
urged to
MIR. PENDLEToN's SCHEME,
which will try to point out Some time ago
In conversation with the honorable and de-
bonnnir Senator from Ohio / called his atten-
tion to the fact that the essence Of the theory
OF parliamentary participation on the part Of
the Cabinet lay In the responsibility which
that privilege carried with 1t; a feature which
could not be introduced into our system With
out q constitutional amendment involving d
considerable change in our pollty; amounting
n tn an al rf< ~
ernment
This was admitted by Mr.. Pendleton. But
he said that the question OF responsibility
might subsequently be introduced as COM
sequence OF the success Of his scheme, which
was simply In the nature OF an experiment
q feeler, 80 to speak, put out In search Of some
method by which certain admitted faults In
the prevailing means OF communication be-
tween the legislative and executive branches
OF the government might be corrected. After
the experience we have had with LandauIet
Williams, Belknap, Robson and John Sher-
man, IL does not require much argument to
establish the proposition that the machinery
INVESTIGATION OR IMPEACHMENT
is altogether too cumbrons unwieldy and
slow Of operation to afford adequate means
oil public redress as against Cabinet officers
who debauch their high places by committing
low and vulgar crimes. So far as the scheme
Of Mr. Pendleton might operate to check the
turpitude OF such, 1t must receive the favora-
bic consideration OF all right-thinking men,.
The question here would turn upon the point
OF efficacy solely. and the efficacy of Mr.
scheme as check upon executive
vice would depend entirely upon the personal
or nature Of the individual to ba
operated upon. No doubt the bare liabilitS
TO be- questioned and catechised, without
ffr nuuc or,I
concoct subterfuges with the advice of counse
would operate as q powerful detrIment on
Cabinet officers OF no more than ordinary
hardihood andsimpudence. But nobody need
ing questions two days In a week, not upon
oath and without the slightest fear OF prose-
gution for perjury, or OF Incarceration for con-
tempt, would have q particle OF effect upon
hardened criminals, whom long fmpunity has
emboIdened to snap their fingers at the more
formidable and summary machinery of the
that Mr. Pendleton's scheme, So far
as Its character as system of restraint ia
would be likely to operate with
correction.
But this is not pleasant point Of view
whence to treat such a subject; albeit tine cir
OF the time-let US hope tempora-
~ only-necessitate such treatment and from
such q standpoint. 1t is not pleasant to write
Of those who govern us as we would write Of
common felons But the fact that we have
seen one Cabinet officer expelled for species
Of grand larceny, and another convicted Of
Of forgery ami perjury within
four years, must be taken into account In any
discussion touching the institution to which
they belonged and whose history they have
befouled. 1t may be expected, however, as 1t
Is to be hoped, that
THE DAY OF BELKNAPs AND JOHN sHER
MANS
In the Cabinet Is transitory, and that there
will be no permanent need OF Mr.. Pendletons
scheme or any other scheme, as a measure OF
mere criminal jurisprudence, for the sup
preston OF the more vulgar forms OF vice ID
that quarter.
We may therefore turn. to consider the
as measure OF civic poIty. At
! superficial glance the thing might seem TO-
be- suggestion borrowed from
THE INSTITUTIONS OF GREAT BRITAIN.
But upon comparative examination 1t will
be found to assimilate more nearly to the sys-
tenn now under experiment In France, Lack
ng, however, the element Of responsibility
,he effect that the scheme aims at migrating
1pon our institutions feature peculiar to
British life, demonstrates nothing, except
Mr.. Morrilps ignorance OF what the civil life
i the British government really is One
peech, that the British government was
divided, like ours, into three coordinate
branches the legislative. executive and the
judicial; and that there was In our
Iystem, as In the British, a ball
nee between privilege and prerogative; In
hort, Mr.. Morrill, seems incapable Of
letecting the distinction between govern
nent OF absolute popular sovereignty based
lpOn written organic law, like ours, and q
calm Of three estates based upon unWritten
tradition, like that OF Great Britain. It Is,
lot my intention, however, to analyZe Mys.
1orrilPs display Of dullness, and I refer to
lis misconception Of the scope OF MIR. Pen.
leton's scheme merely by way OF sample.
There is, In point Of fact, no similarIt. IS
peration between the two regimes, a'.u yei Y
My theory which they embrace II anon
3 tnat OF representation, and even this is sa
modified by different plans OF suffrage that
ne analogy Is IN name rather than in fact.
1t is obvious that Mr.. Pendleton's scheme
must be regarded as an attempt de moro h
emedy faults which have grown up out Of
THE DEFECTS OF OUR OWN SYSTEM,