Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-05-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lFrom our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. May 0. 1es

WASHINGTON, May y, 1851.
This week has witnessed the end Of the
deadlock. Senator Dawes, VINO for
nearly two months, as the organ OF the
Republican caucus. has been able to pre-
vent the transaction of public business,
on Wednesday flung out the signal of
distress which every body knew was COM
ing and which public opinion had made
necessary. After a deal of mouthing
and moaning, growing and groaning
over the action of the Democrats, he
made motion to go into executive ses-
sion-the same motion that had been
made on the Democratic side time with
out number. For two months the Senate
has stood in waiting, because Mr.. Dawes
and his party associates wanted.
"To change the man who tends the door,
To change the scrubbers of the floor,
The wench who cleans the cuspidor."
That is the whole of it, and if the secrets
of the Republican caucus could be re-
vealed, it would be known how keenly
some Senators on that side feel the
shame of their position, and how en-
phatic have been the expressions that
caused halt. Mr.. Dawes undertook to
say to the Democrats that his motion
must not be taken as surrender or back
down, but he knew that this little bit of
bravado amounted to nothing, and that
the struggle over the offices can not be
continued. The chancesfor Gorham and
Riddleburger, now or hereafter, are
worth very little. President Garfield in
a letter to the chairman of the Republic
can caucus put himself ON record as not
particularly anxious to see a struggle
continued the only object of which was
to elect to office man who in his news
paper abuses him and his administra-
tion. This is what Gorham, in his de-
fense of Brady and partisianship for
Conkling, has been doing.
And now the interest centres III Conk-
ling's contest for control Of the New
York appointments. He has succeeded
in having his plan adopted by the caucus,
that no nomination shall be acted upon
at present which is objected to by one
Senator from the State in which the of
flee is located. In this way he may stare
off action until the other nominations are
disposed of and then secure an adjourn
ment, thus postponing the issue until the
next regular session. But unless he has
,, Democratic support it is very doubtful
if he can even do that. This thing called
senatorial courtesy, of which we hear SO
much, is all very we'll so far as it relates
to the ameties of the chamber, but the
sort of courtesy that enables Senators te
unsurp and control the power of appoint.
ments to office-the constitutional pre-
rogative of the Executives carrying 8
!, good thing long ways too far. The his
tory of this system of eneroachment d!
soon told. 1t began in the days. of Ain
drew johnson, when the Senate took The
lead in originating measures trenchinG
4 uDon the barriers of the Constitution
and aided by the bitter partisan feeling
: pervading the country, that body wen
y on step by step until the Executive wal
! shorn of every vestage of power-un
> able to appoint postmaster or discharge
T worthless official without permission
/ of the Sena tors interested.
: OF the senatorial cabal which ther
II dominated at the White House and thu
d Capitol, Senators Conkling and Edmund
were among the most prominent. Whel
y Gen. Grant came into power, the senate
= rial cabal, although he was the Presi
e dent of their own choice, refused to re
l. move the hedge (the tenure. of office law
n with which they had environed his pre-
e decessor. Gen. Grant never cared t
l. make any fuss about it, for all he had a
y heart was to stow away in comfortable
n places few of his cronies. The cabe
1, made no objection to this, for in retur
is Gen. Grant turned over to them prac
n tically the control of their local offices
E. For eight years no man could hope to al
I: tain Federal position in New York unles
lie he was friend or retainer of Mr.. Conk
I ling So with respect to Senator Chanc
III Ter in Michigan, Senator Edmunds i
to his section, Simon Cameron in Pennsy
le vania, and others who might be name
We in their States. When Mr.. Hayes cam
lie into Office he did not exactly appreciat
s. the condition in which he found affairs
:? He commenced to send in nomination
10 without first obtaining the permission c
tn the members of the senatorial cabe
a They had usurped for so long the power
or of the President that they had come
ct the. conclusion they had the inherer
Id right to do SO. They were astounded an
ur indignant at the presumption of M
e. Hayes, and it was determined that l.
in must be brought to terms through th
of defeat of his nominations. The wt
rs waged against President Hayes on til
account by Mr.. Conkling and his co
Of leagues of the cabal during the who
e. period of his administration is too recel
" to need any detailed rehearsing. But ii
p weak point in Mr.. Hayes position W;
ed his own vascillating course, and the lac
M sd of respect generally entertained for h
W title to the office. This last cripple
,at him at every turn, and was of itse
@ @'o' enough to break him down.
~ And now President Garfield enters tt
W. arena possessed of determination to exc
&C. &c, else little free ageney-to be Presidel
'i- in fact as we'll as in name. The adva
hg tages are all on his side. He is legit
erS mate President, and has the hearts of Il
'h' people. His bold course in withdrawn
'as all the New York nominations exec
by Robertson, created decided sensatit
here, but as an indication of pucky res
luton excites admirat tion, Democra
here look on with interest and satisfa
of ton. Malone now drops out of sight
at an important factor in political NOV
en- ments and companions.
no '[Tifin Daily Herald, 9Th
It's Last Tuesday night the inmates