The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-12-15
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS
Senator HaIe's Attitude in Regard to
Them.

The attention If Senator Hale having been
called to the numerous and conflicting statements
of his attitude in the recent Republican caucus in
relation to the policy to be pursued in regard to
the Presidents appointments, he said;
81 cannot, of course give any account of the
proceedings of the Republican caucus on Friday
touching Presidential nominations which came
before the Senate, and have no desire to do So.
can only properly say that all the accounts which
have seen in New York papers have been en-
tirely freaks of imagination and have no founda-
tiOn in fact. l have just been informed by tele-
graph from Boston that the Herald correspondent
states that took ground opposed to President
Clevelands appointments generally. wish here,
because the subject is an important one, and the
course OF the Republican party upon il may be
largely affected by its standing with the public to
state what my own position is now and has been
everywhere since the present administration
came in. l am in favor of confirming good ap-
pointments and rejecting bad ones. If President
Cleveland takes the responsibility OF removing
good officer who is serving under fixed term OF
office, whose term has not expired, and appoints
in his place good man, against whom no objec-
tiOn lies, | propose to leave the responsibility
with the President and to confirm the nomination;
1 would reject all nominations of men with bad
records and bad character, and would emphasize
the contest made in such cases in confirming good
est Senators in the party, who believe all nomina-
tions should be rejected where removals are
made under flxed term of Office unlesss such re
movals are based on the unitness or deltnquencleS
of the party removed. have enforced this ground
everywhere, and have no doubt it will be the poll
cy OF the RepuDllcan Senate, tnOugn IL Is Dy no
means the doctrine held by all Republican Sena-
tors. believe that no good will come to the Gov
ernment of the Republican party by general OPP
position to the Presidents appointments. The
contest should be made upon bad appointments,
and the spirit and makeup of the Democratic par
ty are such that the President will give the Sen
ate plenty of opportunity for opposition to such
appointments. Where there is removal based
upon charges touching the character or official
conduct of persons removed would have such
case thoroughly investigated, giving the officer re-
moved a full chance for yindication against false
charges. Wherever good soldier has been re-
moved would protect him in every possible way,
but am squarely opposed to entering upon
wrangle with President Cleveland over his nomi-
nations generally, and l am not in any way divert
ed from this policy by the provisions OF the tenure
of Office act, the occasion for which arose in the
exciting years of Andrew JohnSons Administra-
tion, and l have no fear that shall be held re-
sponsible for the Presidents removals when made
in contraventi0n of his previous letters and decar-
otions, by cOnsenting to the confirmation OF the
same where appointees are good and unobjeetion-
able men. ond 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