Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-05
THE BREAKING OF THE SENATE DEAD
LOCK

as to the right of the majority to rule is
one in which the Republican Senators
would undoubtedly have been supported
by the country had they not alienated pub
lie sympathy from themselves by the &C.
ton which produced the deadlock. The
bargain with Malone was of nature to
dissipate all possibility of pretending seri-
ously that the contest was one between the
two parties for one of the conditions of that
bargain was the appointment of a Southern
Democrat to office by Republican votes.
The fact also that the compact with
Malone involved the extension of Repub
lican support to the party of repudiation
in Virginia tended still further to destroy
public sympathy with the arrangement.
1t was felt to be disereditable and i'm
polite agreement. 1t was perceived
that it involved surrender of principle
and an exposure of machine methods indi.
cative Of great Generalization. Nor was
the circumstance that another condition
entailed the re-aIpointment Of Gorham as
Secretary of the Senate more conducive to
good feeling i'll the party. In fact the
Republican Senator's had made very
serious blunder in the whole business, and
though the course Of the Democrats was
technically indefensible, there was not
anywhere sufficient approval Of the posi-
ton which they were opposing to arouse
any strength of sentiment against them.
AS regards the Robertson nomination
the Senate has been in a curiously uncer-
tain state throughout. 1t cannot be said
that in making that nomination President
Garfield took q strong position. In fact
he deliberately threw over all the princi
pies of civil service reform in removing
| Collector Merritt That official was not
accused of any malfeasance. Ga the con-
trary, the President showed that he had
the utmost confidence in him by suisse
quently offering him an important foreign
mission. But to remove an official in the
middle of his term without cause is plainly
the most uncompromising return to ultra
machine politics. L, therefore, the Senate
had seen tit to oppose the confirmation of
Robertson on this ground it would have
had firm standing, but everybody knows
that the Senate will not do this, for the
reason that it does not believe in civil
service reform any more than the President
does. 1t was consequently compelled to
fall back upon the old excuse OF the
90 courtesy of the Senate" which, being
interpreted, means neither more nor less
than that every Senator ought to support
the appointments Of every other Senator,
to the end that the unconstitutional power
of control over Executive appointments
which has been assumed by the Senate,
should not be endangered.
Through all the controversy concerning
Robertson this has been the sole reliance of
Senator Conkling, and it has been believed
quite generally that he was justified in
depending upon it. 1t could not be al
legged that the nomination was an unfit one.
1t was too we'll known that Judge Robert
son was thoroughly capable. But in order
| to defeat it the Senate must have acted
upon the theory that, whatever the Con-
stitut;on may say, the Senate, and the
Senate alone, is empowered to make APP
pointments. For it is obvious that if the
President is estopped from appointing any
man who has not been recommended by
the Senator or Senators from his State, it
is The Senators, and not the President, who
WELD the appointing power. But while
the Senate has strong motives for holding
on to this usurped and unconstitutional
power, it has had reason enough to per-
ceivc that there might be danger in forcing
combat TO the death with an Executive
possessing firmnes5 enough to maintain the
contest to the end Perhaps it also real
lied that when the true issues were put
| before the country, the latter might take
sides with the constitutional instead of
with the unconstitutional party, and that
thus the struggle might result in the final
collapse of the machine.
Whether these reflections passed through
the minds of the Senators or not, they have
come to the only rational conclusion which
was available under the circumstances. 1t
is not as yet clear what action, if any, will
be taken upon the Robertson nomination,
but if the Senate postpones consideration OF
it there can be no doubt that the Presi-
dent will use his prerogaiivc as soon as an
adjournment is had, and therefore it can
hardly save any points to put it off. As TO
the question Of the Senate officers, the
plain indication is that Gorham and Rid
dleberger are abandoned and that when TIE
next session opens other candidates, to
whom no objections apply, will be nomi-
mated in their stead. The Republicans
have lost great deal of time, and made
no capital for the party, by their late
tactics, and this has been because they
shut their eyes to the tendencies OF public
opinion, and restricted their attention to the
machine elements Immediately sur
rounding them. 1t is to be hoped that this
experience has at least made them wiser,
if it has not brought them any satisfaction
in other ways.
TIE EGYPTIAN DISCOVERIES.
A dispatch from Cairo yesterday stated
that the Egyptian explorer Maspero has
made SONS remarkable discoveries in one
OF the S4kkara pyramids. A mortuary
| chamber has haen uncovered the walls Of