New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-20
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SENATOR'S

| THE RESPONSIBILITY of SENATOR'S.
If is renorted that Republican Senators show
| q general disposition to confirm the appoint
ments of the President wherever there Is fohhd
| no personal objection, and wherever 1t does not
| annpar that the tenure of Office law has been
| disregarded in the removal of predecessors
| This shirt is commended, as showing desire
| not TO place factious obstacles III the way OF
| fine President. and as evidence that the Rcpub-
Ijcans are not actuated by care for the Offices
The Senators will be sustained by pubic
opinion in refusing to make any factious oppo-
sition to the President lie has been elected,
if not by a majority of the people, at least
| through the forms of law. He has thus Deeh
intrusted with the responsibility OF appoint
ment 1t is proper that Senators should ieaVe
as much of that responsibility to him and to
his political supporters i'll the Senate as que
regard for the laws and the public welfare
will per.nit But there are some consldera-
tons which should lot be overlooked.
1t is certain that, three years hence, When
another Presidential election is at hand, Demo-
cratic orators and journals will reply to all
criticism of the selection of officials by DEM
ocratc Administration But there was
Republican Senate which approved appoint
aments. 1t was eager to find fault, as was
| natural 1t scrutinized closely, but so
marvellously excellent were the Democratic
" selections that, out of many Thousand
q oppojntmcnts, even the Republican Senate
found occasion to object to only one in a
" thousand or So" The answer will be impress
sive. 1t is important to realize no that 1t VIII
be impressive because it will be strictly JUST, III
shirt if net in letter. 1t will not be possible
for Republican Senators to claim that they
wanted to have greater care exercised III
| appointments, for the purity OF the service OF
! for the public welfare, than they were WILING
| TO exercise in confirmation. Their acton, IL
will be Justly said, was not influenced. as that
of even the best President must be III many
! cases, by the pressure of party friends or by
| personal relations with party leaders. II they
do not object, having this independent van
| topc-ground of criticism, 1t will be sad with
reason that the country should not object.
! Tim, the action of the Senate will be power
full support TO the Democratic party, if 1t finds
the Presidents appointments generally unob-
| iectionabe, and in that case the party Will be
! fairly entitled to such support and iudorSe-
mcnt. But it is not entitled to commentator,
! if amendments are passed because Republican
! Senators are too indifferent or TOO compaccnt
to discharge their duty with care ana strict
fidelity.
One other consideration should not be for
gotten. Republican Senators during th'
session will be making that unwrittcn law
which is stronger and broader than the
statutes. 1t is their duty to determine how fan
the spirit Of the Civil Service Act should
govern removals and appointments. 1t vii
not do to say, three years hence, We Rcpub-
Glicans believe that officials ought not to be
"rcmovcd for mere participation III polltlca
campaigns, where the public service ha'
"reccived no detrimcnt. We do not believe il
"removing one man for partisanship, and thcI
"selecting in his place mOle notorious ant
"oflcnsive partisan. But the President chose
"to place such 1t construction upon the laws
land we as Republican Senators thought !
" would be factions opposition to object
Public opinion will rightly decide that the vlcv
of the law and of the Presidents duty which
Senators did not see fit to take III Judging IN
appointments was Il view which the Presldcn
himself was not bound to take in making
removals and appointments. III the Scnai
without protest permits the law to be vrtualI
whitfield away by constructions III Che lntcrcs
of partisan service, it will be cstopped iron
claiming that this abuse should be prcvcnte
by ntrustng power to a party with nlghe
and kccner sense of the need of a non partisan
service. What the law as it stands actual
means and how far it governs, is now to b
! determined by the concurrent action OF Dem
ocratic President and Republican Senate
The Republican Senators should not forget tina
they are making law, and sho wing VIVA
Republican ideas of reform really are, whc
they confirm the Presidents appointments.