Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-26

tions for personal friends, or rewards for
benefactors, as was common |
i'm GRANTS day, nor could cabinet du- |
ties be performed by proxy.
Each head of department would
be compelled to acquire full and
exact information as to his particular
field of duty, and would venture only
upon such courses and appointments as
he could fully explain and justify in the
fare of public and hostile criticism. AL
this would be an immense gain, ana
one to be sought with eagerneSs
~ II he not Offset by great
necessary evils. And the first and
greatest objection which suggests itself,
and the only one we shall now mention,
Is involved in the inquiry how far the
presence of Cabinet officers In Congress,
and their mingling in its debates, might
tend TO break down the barrier between
the executive and legislative depart
ments, and impair that fundamental
nrinciple in our government which aims
10 secure the complete separation ana
independence of these. Any leglsla-
tion or practice which would initiate
against this great and salutary principle
Ia contrary to the ideas on which our
Constitution was based, and tends TO
confound that beautiful system OF checks
and balances which its founders deemed
essential to free institutions. LII
il known that in the convention
that framed it, there were prop
ositions looking both to council OF re-
vision, with power to revise legislation,
and a council of State to share in the
duties and responsibilities of the eXecu;
five office. Both were voted down, anu
the whole executive power was Vesteu
in q President, who il made responsible
for his acts by his liability to lmpeacn-
III SSTy HvTJT O'oIDTTTvt mas IIU rpCOg-
milton in our law. II is borrowed from
England, where it is in fact a committee
of the party holding the majority in the
House of Commons. There the mon
arch is but figure head, and the Gov
eminent is this committee OfParliament
which holds the great executive offices,
and also initiates and shapes most ofthe
legislation. Members Of the Cabinet
with us are not representatives of the
majority in Congress, but agents
of the President. The ConStitu-
ton only recognizes them by
giving him power to require their writ
ten "OpiniOn on any subject relating to
the duties of their respective offices"
General Washington occasionally con-
vened them for oral discussions, but
never to decide questions, which power
he reserved TO himself. Mr.. JefierSon's
rooted aversion to personal government
made him more prone to Cabinet cOun-
ellis. The practice of other Presidents
varied with the men and the times.
The necessities of the war did much
TO erect the Cabinet into sort of direc-
tory, and Mr.. LincOln's well-knOwn
joke, that he had very little influence
with his administration, indicates the
growth of independence and power in
the Executive offices. 1t reached its
climax when a Republican House, in
impOtent rage, actually impeached An
drew Johnson for exercising his Consti-
tutiOnal right to remove Cabinet Off
Ger who was thwarting his administra-
ton. We refer to this to show what is
the position of Cabinet officer in our
government, and how fundamentally
different from his status in England.
We may refer to the PendletOn hill
when it reaches the surface in Congress
again.