The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-04-28
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purposes of our government. Were
the evil to never assert itself any
where but at Washington, there
might be no very serious results
ariseing from it, but here in Texas
and elsewhere we constantly see
states enates aping the airs of the
federal senate, and looking more
after the distribution of offices, to
suit the whims and desires and
trades of even one-horse politi-
clans than the people, while matters
of vital public importance and great
necessity are neglected or forgotten.
The case at Washington arises in the
fact that few leading Republican
senators have not been consulted by
the President before all appoint
ments for their respective states
have been named. The god-like
senator from New York named q
great many places to be filed by his
friends, and they were so filled at
his dictation, but it was not q Man
Friday of Mr.. Conkling who was cho-
sen for the New York custom house;
and, therefore, since the assumed
prerogative of senators is infringed
upon, there is this dead lock. The
object of the constitution makers in
fixing a plan of government was to
make one of checks and balances
Legislative, executive, judicial-all in
one, but Independent of each other,
and corrective of each other. The
Senate was created a legislative
body, but to limited extent it is
also an executive body, since
it is called upon to affirm, in
many cases the acts of the
purely executive branch of the
government. In legislation, it may
be a check on the lower house, ap-
proving appropriation bills, or re-
jecting them, but not originating
in execution, it may approve or dis
approve agents named by the execu-
tive, but it was certainly the sense
of the constitution makers, that the
Senate would be a conservative
body, looking to Federal and not to
personal interest and personal graft
fication, in the execution of
law. The Federal feature, pre-
sented in the Senate, was proposed
as supervisory over other pow
ers of the government, central and
discentral. In the matter of execu-
tive appointments,it was understood
that the appointing power should
be responsible for the personel of
his executive force, and that the SEN
ate should have the power OF OBJ
jecting alone where there was OBJ
yious disqualification for office. No
framer of the constitution ever IN
tended that personal dislikes of
senator's should interpose in pre-
venting the Qualifying of capable
men for position, and yet this is what
the federal senate has assumed to do,
and the senatorial code requires one
senator to sustain another, even 10
the extent of exercising retaliation
for non-support in a senatorial can
vass. 1t is an open secret, that this
deadlock is because Republican SEN
ators would not have men named
for federal position in their states,
who are not the political and per-
sonal friends of these senators. This
is the sum total of it, and it is GER
tainly sweet complexion to which
the so-called august body, represent
ing states, has been brought. But
the refusal to go into executive ses-
sion is not alone disgraceful; it is
detrimental to the public interest.
1t is properly said, that the
politicians may wait for their
Offices until doomsday, and, so
long as the present incum-
bents discharge their duties faith
fully, the people will not COM
plain. But with the judiciary diff
ferent state of affairs prevails. The
Supreme Court has recently been
forced to adjourn several times and
neglect important eases and inter
ests, because it had no quorum of
justices, and the Republican sena-
tors decline to act upon the new
appointment of the President. We
do not favor the confirmation of
Stanley Mathews, but his nomina-
tion, ought TO be acted upon, so as
to clear the way for better ap-
pointment. There is now no mar
shall OF the District of Columbia,
aud the Republican senators decline
to act upon the appointment of the
successor to Fred Douglass, whose
term has expired. No warrants can
be served, no writ of ha-
beas corpus issued in the
District, because there is no marshal.
As the Republican senators decline
to act upon the nomination of Judge
Pardee, of Louisiana, the fifth dis
trict is without a Judge and its busi-
ness has been suspended for three
months. One of the judges of, the |
New York district has resigned on
account of insufficient salary; but |
his successor can not be appointed
because the Republican senator's re-
fuse to go into executive session |
until the Mahone-Riddlebargain is |
consummated. The foreign minis
tiers, the consuls, the custom house
officials, the postmasters ana the
marshals can wait and suffer with
out greatly interfering with the con-
venience of the business public or |
the good government of the coun-
try. But the neglect of the Repub-
ican senator's to provide for the
proper administration of the law in |
the United States courts is grave
matter and may lead to serious con-
sequences. i1aaf ~ ~ lE 37o
Tm;,u<,x.y hal;avad that tho verita