Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-05-28

nOnlnutlOH, use them 10 compensate. tnAC
failure, IL II can he supposed that all these
public trusts are TO be, or Would in any event
be, made personal perquistes, TO be handled
and disposed OF not only 20 punish indepenh1
ence s0t Senatorial votes and action, but TO
liuuidate the personal Obligations Of any fnd-l
vidull, however high in station, The conditions
are utterly vicious and degrading, and their
acceptance would compel the representatives
of States to Hing down their oath and repre-
sentaiiye's duty mt the tootstQol OF Executive
power. go
Following this sweeping and startling Execu-
tive act came onlinOus avowais that dissent
or failure 10 ddvise and consent would be
held an act OF 0ffens6, eNpUsing all Senators,
from whatever State to Executive displeas-
ure. Thus we find Yourselves confronted by
tho quest on whether we shall surrender the
plain right and sworn duty of Senators by CON
senting to what we believeStd be vicious and
hurtful, or be assigned positions Of dsloyaly
to the Administrator which we helped to
bring in, and the success of which we earnest
ly wish for every reason and motive which
cah enter into the ease. We know OF no theory
avowed by any party which requires such sub
mission us is now Bxacied Although PARTY
service may be fairly considered in making Il
selection of public officers, it can hardlybe
ynatntftne cd that tho SQpato II lsOgilf f0rcinQAe
,sttt totft 5dc jd-1 l-tttlahftsS iAcf Ato anpEto
places for those whom any individual, even
President or member OF his Cabinet, wish
es ~ repay for being recreant TO others or
serviceable to himself. Only about
two years. ago the Senate advised
that Geheral Merritt disappointed Collector nj
New York. II is understood that among the
Senators who so advised was Mr.: WihdbI1
nowSecretary of the Treasury and head Of
the Department whose subordinate General
M Merrltt is. Another known TO have given the
advice was Mr.. Kirkwood, now Secretary OF
tho Interior. lt is said that like the Post
DasterGeneral from our State, these Cabinet
o iicCrS were not taken into consultation
Touching the removal of General Merritt. But
thelrswo and Official action of Senator'S is
none the less instructive. That the late Setre-
taryofthe a1prea sury Hnd the late ADMINISTERS.
tion up TO its expiration (less than ten weeks
ago approved OF General Merritt us al officer.
is well knOwn, and it is not even suggested
that any citizen had petitoned for his remoy-
a., or thAt Official delinquency on his part Is
l the reason for it. In place of an experienced
officer in the midst of his term fixed by law, il
is proposed suddenly 10 put manin who has
| had no training fof the position and who cam
not be said to have any special fitness for its
| Official duties.
! In the inaugural of President Garfield de;
liyeIed ON the 4th of last March, stand these
words: -t. .,..'
! ''lhe Civil Service can never be placed on a
| satisfactory basis until it is regulated by law.
| For the good OF the service ITSELF for the pro-
| tectiGn of those who are intIusted with the ap-
! pointing power, against the waste of time and
| the obstruction OF publ cuisines caused by an
inOrdinat c pressure for place and dfOrprOtectiOn
| of inoumbents against intrigue and wrong,
| shall at the proper time ask Congress to fix the
! tenure OF minor Offices of the several ENecu-
! tive Departments, and prescribe grounds up
ON which removals shall be made during the
term for which the incumbents have beeen ap-
pointed"
How good the distinction is which would
make major offices a prey to intrigue mud
| wrong, ard shield minor offices from Ike
| havoc, and whether the cQlectorshipS OF the
/ country should belong to the exposed or to
the protected class, need not be decided here
| Assuming General Merritt to be an officer 0l
average fitness and honesty, it might be rea
sOnably argued that all Senators should, with
| alacrty, advise his displacement by man ol
\ obvious superiority. Possibly 1t might be
| said that all Should advise the selection in
I General Merritts place of a man who without
superior illness, had rendered his country ol
event his party conspicuous and exateC
| service. The case in hand does not be
| long to either of these classes. The vocation
of Mr.. Robertson, and his legislative ant
professional r experience ana surround
lngs, do not denote superiority i'll the
qualities. the knowledge, business habits and
familiarity with the revenue laws and system
2I lbs bAl5sd SlaIss .IS Winch rmGht make mn
lect the vast revenues and administer the vas
busn ness perta ng to the Port of New York
Certainly he cannot In this respect be held az
exception to othe rules of right and oOnsiSten
cy on which the Constitution and laws hav'
placed the public service. We know OF NJ
personal or political service rendered by Mr.
| Robertson so transcendent that the Collect
orship of New FORK should be taken in thu
midst of a term and given to him as recon
lpense. .. .-
| Mr.. Robertson is reported by the New Yorl
ITribWie to have declared that his nominal ol
was a reward for his action as delegate Z
1.-THE National Convention. If Robertson in al
Faction was influenced by sense of duty, /
he voed aud acted his honest convictions, /
lis difficult to see what claim he has for any re
ward, not to speak of such great reward. Th
act on of which an estimate is thus, s,lnytted l
understood to be this: Robertson and sixty
nineother men accepted from the StateConyen
ton certain trusts They sohght and accepte
the position of aQentslor delegates to a Ma
tional Convention. The state Convention dc
clared plainly the stated judgment and polio
missoned 40 this declaration all seleete
as delegates gave an Implied onsent bu
several of them, in addition, made mos
specific personal pledges and engagements
exert themselves in good faith throughout I
secure the nomination of General Grant
b. They made this pledge as the. nlcans OF OF
. tanning their own appointments as delegates
and they did, as we both personally know, ol
J tain their seats in the National Conventio
upon the faith of their personal statements o
| their earneslness and fidelity. The obligatio
: thus assumed we understood to involve IN
! integrity as much as the obligation of one VIII
| receives the, proxy. OF q stoekholder l
would vote. Whether Mr. Robertso
was or was not himself bound not only unde
honor and implication, but by expressly giN
ing his word, becomes quite immaterial
: view of the claim made for him. 1t is insste
that he "Organized the bolt" or as ii has bee
Z sometimes state :, "he was the leader of tn
9 bolt This is to tayithdt he invited, persua'
ed, induced others whom he knew had give
i ther.w d, and had obtained their seats b
9 doing so, to violate their word and betray, nj
g only the Republicans assembled in State Co
2 vention, but the Republicans of their ridistic
Q as well who had trusted in their hen0f, Wh
9 ever counsels and procuies another to DO
7 dishonest or dfshonorable act must share wit
8 that other the guilt, and should share also tt
L odium justly attached to it, I' 't-D y.
r Weare, therefore, wholly unable, upon wha
u ever ground weput II, to see u aJustihcatlon u
ourselves should, we become parties, to usir
! thepublic trusts which belong to the people.
! requite such secYicein such modes.l But Il
Il appliances employed 10 effect the results $
y up new standards of responsibility and inv al
q as we believe, the truths and PRINCIPLES {
which the separate and coordinate branch
, of the Government stand A senator has
d own responsibility. He is amehable to b
State, and to the body of which he isa membs
g He Is bound by his oath 70 "adyise and co
L sent" on his conscience and judgment befo
?, God. Whatever or whoever else mny 90
o strain him, he is to be exempt from EXecutiN
I menace or disiavor on the one hand, anu y
, ecutive inducement on the other. Long stan
y ing on the orders of the House OF COmmo
i has been declaration that member shi
e., suffer expulsion who even reports the wish
D of the Executive head of the Government
Is influence the votes of members. The Britt
70 Constitution is not more jealous than ours
W this regard, 70 give advice 'and honest
I, dependent advice, US to an appointment pI
e posed is as much the right,and duty OF Sen
l Tor as ID is the right and duty Of the Preside
s. to propose the nameA BE his adviceone WI
:, or the other, it is no more an act of dsl
L spect or treason to the nominating pow
IS than the verdict of a Juror or the decis
y of a Judge The idea that the Senate
simply to find out what iswanted and then
u it we cannot believe sale or admis Ible,. a
N thus fitr no party has dared or descended
le set up 'such a test OF party fidelity or !
n legiance. In this Instance prominence b
d been given TO the subject, and such distrl
: has been expressed OF the correctness Of o
le r,ncitinns fhnr Nun think Ii riuht and nnfifI