The daily gazette., 1881-06-25
SECOND EDITION
From Forney's Progress,
General Grant stuItifles Himself.

From Forney's Progress,
General Grant stulti1es Himself.
II the new theory that the President
OF the United States must abdicate his
right to select men to fill all important
Offices to the will Of the Senate Is allow
cd TO prevail, IL Is simply to subordinate
that main function of government to. q
cahal, now chosen by money, without
reference to capacity or constituency
II 10 also to ignore the opinions of tlie
Representatives In Congress, to efface
local judgment, to treat the press with
contempt, and to make the Executive q
worse. II is to make two men dictators
Ia every State, to enable them to eject
the best for the worst citizen, because
the best citizens are always the foes Of
our modern Senators, aud to force into
high positions the worst citizens, be-
cause these are always the hatterers of
such Senators as we are In the habit Of
sending to Washington. This Is to turn
the Senate OF the United States into q
Venetian Council or Spanish Inquisi-
ton. OF course such q theory could
only have originated by modern Repub-
hcans, and yet, once sanctified into
custom, 1t will speedily be crystallized
into power under the cry Of "Senatorial
courtesy" All that is necessary to
make despotic rule Is for the President
to consent TO it. That Is the empire in
its most odious form.
/ am panied 10 see that ex-President
Grant asserts this baneful doctrine. He
believes that the Executive should also
be guided by the Senatorial decree, and
that the insolent example of Conkling,
| Of New York, should be the rule In all
the States. General Grant Is not fair
to himself. He frequently defied the
| Senate when be was President. He re-
fused to be advised by Charles Sumner,
who, indeed, rarely attempted to force
his friends into Office, and wen Grant
resolved to select his own favorites be
rode down all others. The Democratic
Grant. He was In the habit Of listen
ing to them almost as often as he was In
taking his own course independently ol
his own party. Now he would not on
ly reject the Democrats OF the Senate
but President Garfield, and confide the
whole appointing power TO Republican
dictators like Conkling. 1t Is doctrine
not only bad itself, but unworthy OF Gen
eral Grant, and utterly at variance
with his own action while President.
The odious practice never really ex-
listed until Simon Cameron tried it aftel
his purchased election to the Senate,
No Senator ever attempted 1t before,
as o system, and when Cameron be-
gan it upon President Polk, in 1S45
Mr.. Polk defied and defeated Came
ron. Andrew jackson made shor1
work Of all the politicians who trie;
to browbeat him. Sometimes the.
} got temporary advantage Of him, a
when they rejected Martin Van Burel
. for Minister to Great Britain, in 1886
but that rejection made Van Bure
Vice President and then President Q
the United States. James Buchanan
of Pennsylvania, Silas Wright, of Nev
York, Daniel Webster, Of Massa.
chusetts, 8. L. Southland, of New Jer
sey, robert Y. Stockton, Of New Jer.
sey, Thomas FL. Benton, Of Missouri
were all too sensitive of their owl
honor to attempt to dictate to Whif
and Democratic Presidents by setting
up their personal fayorites, or by de.
flying public opinion at home like Ros
eos Conkling. They Arst tried to ge
, good men from their own States, AM
when General jackson needed NOR
, direct information he asked such mel
as Henry Horn, Of Philadelphia, to ad
wise him as to the true character Q
the men seeking Office at his hands. L
this way he got all the facts, made hi
I party ::homogene ous, and kept dow
, senatorial arrogance. But in his da,
} Senators were not elected by money
and held in place by billetting rhei
creatures and kindred upon the treas
ury.
There 10 little difference betweel
the two factions now tearing the Re
publican party into pieces betweel
an autocrat like Conkling and o jObbe
like Depew. The sad part of tn
: whole drama is that General Gran
should lend lend himself to any act a
variance with the Constitution, witt
the practice of all past executives, an
, In utter contempt of his own example
, He never would have tolerated such
! tyrant as Conkling over his action
.. | while he was President, and he onl
| sustains Conkling now in his new in
sanity because Conkling stood by Gran
, IN some OF his bitter quarrels with hi
, own party.