The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-31
The Senate Almost Prepared to Assume the
Pressure and Guarantee that Only Hon.
est and Capable Men Be Given Office.
Commissioner Sparks's Friends Trying
to Make a Showing in His Behalf.
Speaker Carlisle Will Have His List Of Com
mittees Completed by the End of the
Week-Other Washington News.
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS.

HhESlDENIIAL APPOlNIMENTS.
Mr.. Cleveland's New Departure and the Re-
sponsibility of the Senate.
SpeciaI to the Indianapolis Journaa.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.-President Cleveland
If we are to credit the public prints-says
that with few exceptions, he does not consider
himself responsible for the character fitness
of his appointees. This is new departure es-
pecially for a President who relies for COM
mendation solely upon his stanch adherence to
the civil-service law. If l mistake not. one OF
the reforms sought to be worked out by that
law was to do away with recommendations Tor
Office from members of the national legislature;
i. g.. to make it impossible for President to be
badgered into appointing men whose sole recon-
mendation, in most cases, was political services
to the member or senator soliciting the appoint
ment. Mr.. Cleveland now admits that he has
made many such appointments, but that he will
not vouch for their integrity or fitness. These
men, mind you, in nearly every instance have
been appointed to and placed in charge of offices
where there is great pecuniary responsibility,
and the man who signed their commissions is
not eveo willing to say that they are honest
He appointed them because he was asked to.
This is indeed novel civil service. 1t is not like
the civil service we have had in the past twenty
five years, when Presidents assumed the respon
sibility for their appointees. But there is diff
ferent party in power, and it is tampering with
new and strange ideas, because the ideas
of its immediate Democratic predecessors
In Office are not popular now 1t
is experimenting, as it were. and the experiment
is coaked under the disguise of reform in the
civil service. 1t will be readily seen. after the
last declaration of our reform President, that if
the public service is not only to be improved or
kept where it has been for twenty FIVE years, but
kept at all respectable great task is imposed
upon the Senate All applications have been
shaken up in a hat, and the names first drawn
out have received appointments. OF course,
the President does not know any thing of them.
but all the same these men hold the public
monies throughout the country. If the loss in
collections by the government revenues is to be
kept at less than per cent, as it has been for
seven years. heavy responsibility is imposed on
the Senate.
think the Senate is almost prepared to as
sumo the responsibility thus thrust upon them,
and guarantee that only honest and capable pub
lie servants shall receive their approval. Sena-
tor Harrison said to me if this last proclamation
of the President is true we have greater task
before US than | supposed. He put the whole
question of conirmations before me in an entire
ly new aspect He said charges have been in
vited against Republican officials Some Cabinet
officers have said that, under the civil l-service
law, persons guilty of offensive partisanship
were liable to removal Charges of this
character among others. have been fled in hun
dreds of instances, and the offensive official
ty,ro I'D ant tC Hnr f1a 1axr
No matter how honest. how efficient, or how
worthy Republican official may have been, if
he was guilty of offensive partisanship, that is,
II he edited Republican newspaper. or made
stump speeches in favor of the Republican NOM
nees, etc, he is not fit for public trust. How is
it with the new appointed Must it be taken for
granted that he Is not also an offensive partisan2
OF course not The Senate would be bound,
certainly. under the Interpretation of the law as
given by Mr.. Cleveland and his Cabinet, to look
into the matter and that offensive par
tlsan is confirmed as there could be no gain, no
reform, simply by turning out one offensive par
tisan and putting in another, to say nothing of
the relative character and abilities of the Off
cial and his successor. So the Senate, to be in
full accord with the reform, after having first
satisfied itself that the outgoing official was an
offensive partisan. must see to it that the ap
pointee is not also of that class. If it is shown
that he edited Democratic ne wspaper or made
stump speeches in favor of the Democratic nom
inees, then he is not fit to hold office, and should
be rejected.
AS l stated last week the Republican
senator's are being loaded down with pleas
and denials from those whose names
are before them. or soon will be, for action
There is no let up in that direction. They are
all anxious to be properly defended vindcated
or confirmed. In talking on this subject, Mr.
Harrison said that it appeared to him that the
first thing to do was to determine the truth of
the charges against the outgoing official If
they were sustained and considered of such a
nature as to unfit him for federal Office well and
good. But if they were not sustained the
question would naturally arise AS to how and
why the President, under his policy of reform
made the change. In all cases where the official
was either dishonest or inefficient, or in any
other manner incapacitated from holding office
the way would be clear, but not |
otherwise. And the name coming before
the Senate, he thinks, should be
subjected to the same scrutny-the same tests |
apped-as was exercised in the case of the out
going official
This is eminently fair, and would certainly |
meet the approval of the appointing power, as
we'll as the appointee. From purely partisan
stand point it would be much better for the |
Senate to confirm all names put before it. and
thus allow the administration to stand the re- |
sponsibility for the thievery and bad manage
ment of some Of those who are waiting the ac |
tion of the Senate But this will not be tie |
policy, imagine. It is not the policy of the |
Republican party to allow anything that would !
mar the prosperity OF the country, or bring
shame upon its administration 1t is safe to say
tnat the Senate will do all in its power to secure
the best possible officials
LAND COMMISSIONER SPARKS