Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-15
the PRESIDENTS APPOINTMENTS.
Senator Hale Defines His Position Very
Clearly.
WASHINGTON, Dec. |,

WASHINGTON, Dec. l3.
The attention Of Senator Hale of Maine was
called today to numerous contradictory re-
ports AS to his attitude in the caucus. lie
said:
81 cannot, of course, give any account of
the proceedings of the republican caucus
on Friday touching presidential nominations
which come before the Senate, and have no
desire to do so. | can only properly say that
all the accounts which l have seen in New
York papers have been entirely freaks of i'm.
agination, and have no foundation in fact
| have Just been informed by telegraph from
Boston that the Herald correspondent states
that ! took ground opposed to President
Cleveland's appointments generally. wish
here, because the subject is An important one,
and the course of the republican party upon
it may be largely affected by its standing
with the public, to state that nv own position
is now and has been everywhere since the
present administration came in. | am in
favor of confirming good appointments and
rejecting bad ones If President Cleveland
takes the responsibility of removing a good
officer who is serving under a fixed term of
office, whose term has not expired. and ap-
points in his place a good man, against
whom no objection lies, | propose to leave
the responsibility with the president and to
Il
nominations of men with bad records and bad
character. and would emphasize the contest
made in such cases in confirming good ap-
pointments. In this oppose some of the
oldest Senators in the party, who believe all
nominations should be rejected where re-
movals are made under fixed term of office
unless such removals are based on the unfit
ness or delinquencies of the party removed.
have enforced this ground everywhere, and
have no doubt it will be the policy of the re-
publican Senate, though it is by no means
the doctrine held by all republican Senators.
believe that no good will come to the gov
ment or the republican party by a general OPP
position of the presidents appointments. The
contest should be made upon bad appoint
ments, and the spirit and makeup OF the
democratic party are such that the president
will give the Senate plenty of opportunity for
opposition to such appointments. Where
there is a removal based upon charges touch
ing the character or official conduct of per-
sons removed would have such case thor
sughly investigated, giving the officer re-
moved a full chance for vindication against
false charges. Whenever a good soldier has
been removed | would protect him in every
possible way, but ! am squarely opposed to
entering upon a wrange with President
Cleveland over his nominations generally,
and am not in any way diverted from this
policy BY the provisions of the tenure Of
Office act, the occasion for which arose in the
exciting years of Andrew Johnson's admin
istraiion, and have no fear that | shall be
held responsible for the presidents removals
when made in contravention Of his previous
letters and declarations. by consenting to the
confirmation of the same where appointees
are good and uDobjectionable men, and it
can fairly be presumed that they will make
good officers. My colleague, Mr.. Frye, is in
full sympathy and accord with me upon this
question.