The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-05-20
a SCRAP OF CONSTITUTIONAL
HISTORY.

In connection With the present stu
alton in Washington it is interesting to
recall the fact that the section of the
Constitution giving the Senate share
in the appointing power, by requiring
its confirmation of nomination for
the completion of the appointing act
begun by the President, was not adopt
ed until after long debate. 1t was
in fact sort of compromise between
the delegates who wanted to exclude
the Senate entirely from all voice in the
matter of selecting public officers ard
those who desired to give that body a
restricted appointing power indepen-
dent of the President. In the first draft
of the Constitution, says Story, the
power was given to the President to
appoint officers in all cases not other
wise provided for by the Constitution.
and the advice and consent of the SEN
ate was not required; but in the same
draft the power to appoint ambassa-
doris and judges of the supreme court
was given to the Senate. The arrange
ment finally adopted was reported by
committee as an amendment.
While the matter was under eonsid-
GRAFTON correspondence took place-be-
tween John Adams and Roger Sher-
man. Mr.. Adams did not think the
Senate ought to have anything to do
with appointments. He wrote long
and strong letter giving seven reasons
against adopting the proposition that
nominations should be sent to the SEN
ate for confirmation or rejection. He
foresaw that the power of rejection
would be misused by selfish and ambi-
tious men to gain control over nomin-
ations, and employ them as patronage
to promote personal ends. Here is a
portion of his letter which is closely
applicable to the controversy now going
on /:
"A Senator of great influence will be
naturally ambitious and DESTROYS of
increasing his influence. Will he not
be under a temptation to use his influ-
ence with the President, as well as
with his brother Senators, to appoint
persons to Office in the several States
who will exert themselves in elections
to get out his enemies or opposers both
in the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives, and get in his friends, perhaps
his Instruments Suppose a Senator
to aim at the treasury Office for him.
self, his brother, father, or son. Sup
pose him to aim at the Presidents
chair, or Vice Presidents, at the next
election, or at the Office of war, foreign
or domestic affairs, will he not natural
ly be tempted to make use of his whole
patronage or his whole influence in ad-
vising to appointments, both with
President and Senators. to get such
persons nominated as will exert them
selves in elections of President and
Vice President, Senators and House of
Representatives, to increase his inter-
ests and promote his views? In this
point of view am very apprehensive,
and this defect in our Constitution
will have an unhappy tendency to in
troduce corruption of the grossest kind,
both of ambition and avarice, into all
our elections"
Roger Sherman was a good deal of an
optimlst. He had high opinion of the
senatorial Office, and thought it would
always be filled by men of such dignity
and character that they would not
stoop to the business of seeking places
for their friends. In his reply to Mr..
Adams he wrote:
The Senators, from the provision
made for their appointment, will COM
monty be the most respectable citizens
in the State for wisdom and problty,
and superior to faction. intrigue, or
low artifice to obtain appointments for
friends; and any attempt of that kind
would destroy their reputation with a
free and enlightened people, and so
Illustrate the end they would have in
view As Senators cannot
hold any other office themselves they
will not be Influenced in their advice
to the President by interested motives.
But it is said they may have friends
and kindred to provide for. 1t is true
they may; but when we consider their
character and situation, will they not
be difident of nominating friend or
relative who may wish for an Office and
be qualified for it, lest it should be sus-
pected to proceed from partiality?'
Delightful old idealist! Little did
Roger Sherman think that the time
would come when many Senators
would devote most of their time to
seeking offices for their friends and
would keep their own places through
their skill In distributing official pat
ronage among their retainers. Skep-
tical John Adams had a much clearer
view OF the probabilities of the future,
but even he did not imagine that the
time would ever come when Senators
would insist that the President was
bound to follow their wishes in MAX
ing nominations, and would get mad
when he ventured 20 act on his own
iudrment.-Ne7D " TX Tribune