Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-05-12
Courtesy Of the Senate"

" AsElINGToN, April 800 much has
been said on the subject OF senatorial cour-
tesy 10 connection with the recent nomina.
tirn of Mr.. Robertson for collector of the
port of New York that it may he of interest
to recall the origin and trace the growth of
The system through which Senators hive
been 10 large degree enabled to usurp or
controi' the power of appointments to office,
lodged by the Constitution in tho hands of
the Executive, 1t was 10 tho days of An
drew johnson that the Senate commenced
to arr"yale TO itself powers and privileges
which, prior to that period, no member Of
that body ever dreamed of being 10 bold as
to lay claim to the possession Of The
Senate went long way ahead of the
House in originating measures trenching
upon the barriers of The Constitution, and
en'bndened by success in this and cncour
aged by the bitter pnrtizan feeling pervad-
ing the country, that body Invaded first one
and then the other Of tho prcrogatives of
the President, 50 that 6ually he was rem
dcrea completely powerless, and no nomi-
nation that he mado had any chapoe of
confirmation unless through previous un-
derstnnding with the Senators representing
the States ih which the office was located.
Of the scDatorins cubal which then dcouli.
mated ut tho White House aud the Capitol
Senators Couklng and Edmunds were
among the most prominent. When Gen.
Grant came into power, the senatorial caba,
although ho was the President of their own
choice, refused to move the hedge (the
tenure of Office law with which they had
cnrironed his predecessor. Gen. Grant
never cared to make any fuss about it, for
all that he had at heart was to stow away
in comfortable places few of his cronics.
The cabal made no objection to this, for in
return Gen. Grant turned over to them
practically the control Of their local Offices
For eight years no man could hope to attain
Federal position in New York unless he
was friend or retainer of Mr. Coukling.
SO with respect 10 Senator Chandler in
Michigan, Senator Edmunds ia his section,
Simon Cameron in Pennsylvania, and others
who might be named, in their States.
When Mr. Hayes came into Office no did
not exactly appreciate the condition in
which he found affairs He thought the
President ought to have something to say
90 the subject of appointments in fact as
well as in name. Hc commenced TO send
in nominations without first obtaining the
permission OF tue membersof tho senatorial
cabsl, They had nsurped for 90 long the
powers of the President that they had come
to tho conclusion they had the ipheyent
right to do so. They we're astounded and
indignant ut the presumption Of Mr.. Hayes,
and it was determined that he must be
brought to reason through the dcfeot of his
nominations The war wagcd pgainst Pres.
ident Hayes 90 this account by Mr. Copk.
ling and his colleagues of the cabal during
the whole period of his administration ia too
recent to uced any detailed rehearsing.
The spectacle vas presented over and over
again of powerful element of his own
party denying aud opposing tho constitu-
tioual rights Of Republican President, and
many tunes those rights were only enforced
through the aid Of tho Democratic opposi--
ton. Victorious OF times, defeated at
other times, the oabal stubbornly held to
its position during the whole term Of the
Hayes administration When tho Garfield
administration came into powor it, or oerteia
members Of it, put forth the same claims
and protentions to the control Of appoint
ments. But Mr.. Garfield, like Mr.. Hayes,
concluded to exercise little free agency.
The result is that the oabsl has opened ifs
batteries on him, and Wo may oxueot a