Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-07-03
SENATOR CONGER TALKS
The SENATE AND APPOINTMENTS
Our Senior Senator Says that the Re
mosals tor Offensive Partissnship
Will De Investigated.

A reporter OF the Detroit Aslos found Sen
ator Conger at tie Russell House yesterday
and that Journal publishes the following in
tervies as a result:
1T i bard 70 tell said he, What the
senate will do in regard % appointments
made by the President during the Senatorial
roctss.
Have yoa talked with your Republican
colleagues a. 10 the course they viii pursue
ia such appointments
The newspapers say that We have eau
cused on that point. Nov, without saying
that We have or have not caucused, II may a.
we'll be understood that We have conferred
with each other, exchanged views. and, 10 d
certain extent, formulated plans for next
winter, when the nominations come IA. You
may put II down az pretty certain that the
Republican Senators will concede TO the
President the absolute right 10 name men of
his own choosing for any of two kinds OF
positions The first i those where the terms
Of Office have expired. In regard 10 them
there Will be no controversy whatever. The
second Is those positions which are IN any
way connected with the policy of the admin
IstratiOn. This Is for precisely the same
reason that the President should and does
have the privilege of naming his own Cab
met. There Is hardly case on record
where the Senate has in any way interfered
with such an appointment. Amy Others that
are in any way identified with The policy of
the administration will be conceded TO the
President without question
but" continued Mr.. Conger, ''the Senate
has an undOubted constitutional right not
only 10 consent 10 the appointment of gov
ernment officials but To advise III their Sc
lection. In pursuance of this right in the
cases of appointments to purely business
offices, where removals have been made dur
ing recess, they will make careful inquiries
into the causes of such removals. IL Is due
10 mans friends and to himself that such
a thing should be done. When a man has
left his private business and has accepted
a position under the government for GER
tain term or for an lndetermlnate period,
ne has right 10 expect TO remain III po-
session of the office. If he attends strictly to
its affai.s, at least as long as Congress has
repeatedly expressed Its opinion what term
of Office should be-that i, for years.
'Will not that, Senator, squarely raise the
offensive partisanship question IN the Sen
ate z"
1T certainly will. The raising of that
question Is inevitable. 1t Is bound TO come.
| cannot say authCritatively, but | have a
pretty good idea that the questions will be
something like this: What has the person
removed done TO make him an offensive par
tisan: Has he done more than to exercise
his rights a. an American citizens? If these
questions are answered by the statement
that he has acted on Republican committees
and has been largely instrumental in keep
ing the Republican party in power, then
questions will be asked and inves;iga-
tions made concerning the man who has
been appointed in his place. Has he acted
a. Chairman of Democratic committees, and
has he been an offensive partisan on the
Democratic side the same as the man remov-
ed has been on the Republican p
''And if the Senate finds this state of
things To exist what then will they do?"
They will probably refuse to confirm"
"Ahr'
Yes, sir; there viii be no sntagonism
except in instances of this kind, but then
there may be-"
You must have been an interested spec
tator in the fight between the Congressional
delegation aud Don NJ. Dickinson for the
distribution of patronage"
The Senator smiled and showed his inn
maculate upper false teeth and remarked:
Yes, have been. 1t pleases me, too,
from my standpoint as a Republican. All
know Is what / see in the papers, that Dick
inson has got the best of 1t. There Is a sting
in ii for every district. The man whom the
majority of the people IN congressional
district select as their representative must
necessarily have great many friends. Those
friends, as well as himself, are cut by the
Presidents policy of entirely ignoring the
congressional delegation. Yes, 1t will tell.
| cannot say that | am sorry for it, but
would be if | was a Democrat"