New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-02
n,. rllr m.nnNG TRlCK.

on THE URONG TRACK.
A story comes from Washington III reEa'u
10 the pending action of the senate on holh-
nations which is neither easy nor pleasant 10
believe. 1t is related that part OF the Com
mjttee recently appointed 10y the Senate Re
publican caucus has waited upon the President
and represented to him, in effect, that MI
Conkngs disposition is not imphcablc; that
he has hitherto prevented the Senate from
going into executive session because his constlt-
uents were dissatisfied with the nomination of
Judge Robertson for Collector OF the Port OF
New York that if the President would WIN
draw that nomination Mr. COnkliug would then
allow executive sessions To he held ANA the
rest of the nominations to- bc confirmed. ne
report further states that the Committee recon-
mended the adoption of this course, and that
the President declined to accept Their recon-
incubation.
Prcposterous as this story seems al hrSt II
comes too well authenticated 10 Ice doubted
A committee of Senators appointed to expedite
puhlc business, which has been suffering 10y
protracted neglect and delay, can find no oiher
or better way of getting ahoat their task thah
by going to the White House and requesting
| the President to abdicate, for the time beng
| his constitutional function of making n"hlha-
tions to Office far as the state OF New "Ik
is concerned. The simple fact that such pro-
cccding is possible, proves with sufficient clear
ness how far the Senate has become injected
with the idea that there are thrty-elght Pres
idcnts in the United States, instead OF the one
provided by the Constitution.
The grounds upon which this singular claim
is made. are az false "a the claim il absurd
Mr. Conkling asserts that his opposition TO eX-
ecutive sessions has been Gin Difference to the
wishes of his Newly York constituents who
thought that delay would result in the with
" drawal of Judge Robcrtson's nomination. In
what way have the wishes of his constituents been
ascertained The nomination of Judge Robert
son was received with universal approval in this
State. The entire press spoke out In chorus in
favor of it, before Mr.. Conkling's views were
made known, and even then very few papers
had the puslanmity to recall their words.
Roth branches of the State Legislature passed
resolutions heartily lndorsing the appointment.
After all these weeks of discussion not a word
in dercgation of Mr.. Robcrtsons character or
fitness has been heard from any quarter The
| ONLY pretence of an argument against ms con
frIpation is that he is not agreeable to one OF
| our Senators, and that this particular Senator
IL entitled to have "his prmacy recognized
This is a new term in our political language.
bnt it defines claim with wide range.
There have been dozen or so important
nominations made from New-York 10y the
present Administration, a large proportion OF
which are now before the Senate. All Of these
but one are agreeable TO Mr. COnkne most
Of them indeed are from among his personal
following. One only has been made 10y the
President and Secretary Of the Treasury which
lac would not have recommended, and THIS Ia
an Office of national dignity and interest
and the "prmacy' o! Mr.. CouklmS j.
Sc touched by this. that no executive SEES
sions must be hell until the President
performs a public act of pcnInce before
the Senate aud the country which shall
serve at cncc as a rcpaTation Of his fault ana
pledge of future coed conduct. The En-
p.ror Henry, shivcring il tho snow at CanoNSa
under the discipline Of Pope llldchahd
would be more than matched by the degrading
spectacle which these Senators propose to
make of President Garfield.
The committee are clearly on the wrons
track. Their business is to 90 to our scnio
Senator. and to tell him in a spirit Of love
ard can1or that the harmony of the part
reauircs him at the first executive session t.
rise and propose the confirmation OF judge
Robertson He could find many good thing
to saw of him-he could find nothing bad-an'
he would be doing an eminently graceful anC
Droper thing, which woIld he to his credi
and advantage for years to come.
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