The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-03
THE PRESIDENTS FAULT.

dent or his hackers can mislead the public as
to the merits Of the issue between the execu-
tive and the Senate The Presidents right to
remove officials is conceded. His pledge that
no one would be removed, except for cause
and the good of the service, was taken for
what it was worth from the outset, and no
one not mugwump is disappointed, for
the reason that no confidence was placed in
the pledge. The Senate is willing that Re-
publican officials should be removed and their
places given to Democrats, and this without
the apology of reason beyond desire to get
rid of Republicans and to reward Democrats.
If Republicans had been sent adrift by col
umns instead of by platoons and Demo
Gratis been wheeled into line by regiments,
there would have been no protest Re-
publicans would have contented them
selves with directing attention to the
inconsistency between Democratic promise
and Democratic fulfllment, and that would
have ended the matter. But while this has
been done-that is, while the dishonesty of
Democratic pledges has been demonstrated
it did not end there. The President was not
content to take the offices demanded by his
party, but must apologize to his insulted con-
science by assassinating tried and trusted
officers in their official character so as to make
show of necessity in removing them. An
4. L l. e..
method is asked. Upon the Senate is con-
ferred the power Of confirming presidential APP
pointments, the evident intention being to
put brake on the presidential drive-wheel,
lest it exercise its power too arbitrarily, and
to bad purpose. Tie Senate is sharer
in the responsibility for officers ap-
pointed by the President. But while
this is true in fact, it has generally waived
the right to interpose any objection to the
Presidents appointments, except on the
strongest grounds. The Senate has recognized
the advisability of allowing the President to
have an administration in harmony with his
views. This prerogative by senatorial cour-
tesy is not the question now, and there is not
an intelligent person in the land but knows
that it is not.
The existing trouble arises from the fact
that Mr.. Cleveland was weak enough to allow
himself to be inveigled into false and dis
honest position, and he has not now the cour-
age to break from it in a manly way, which
would at once re-establish his sincerity and
self-respect. Vainly trying to satisfy the un-
reasonable and foolish pledges he made, and
at the same time meet the demand Of his not
very patient constituents, he is driven to
the necessity Of destroying regulations of men
who for years have been above the slightest
reproach. Having given his word not to dis
place an official except for sufficient cause,
and not having the moral stamina to stand out
| against the pleadings of his fellow partisans,
he has sought to honor the one and crafty
the other by manufacturing in secret the
causes" needed to Justify" removals. It is
into this conspiracy of moral assassins that
| the Senate wishes to look. Requested TO con-
firm the successors Of these men, the Senate
wishes to know what the officials suspended
have done that they should not only be dis
missed, but sent out under cloud shadowing
their official integrity. The Senate simply
demands that no man shall be uniustly as
sailed in his good name, or assailed
at all, and not given opportunity
to defend himself. It is impossible to deal
with this question patiently and pleasantly.
1t is the most infamous piece of political
hypocrisy, the most contemplate and out
rageous perversion Of what might have been
an honored pledge, or might have been man
fully reconsidered, that has ever been chron-
icled. 1t is disgusting alike to Democrats and
Republicans, an overwhelming majority of
both feeling that it would be infinitely
better for the President to make a
''clean sweep" give the offices to
Democrats, and dismiss honest of
icials with their honorable record untarn-
false in every feature. The question is
whether the President has right to establish
bureau of defamation wherein any moral
thug can secretly assail federal officials to
compass their removal, and expect the Senate
to be party thereto without the poor privi-
lege of sharing the guilty knowledge. Hon
est men Of all parties will condemn it, and if
the President persists in it he will 90 out of
Office thoroughly despised by all.
ELSEWHERE is published an additional list
of subscribers to the building fund for the
proposed new Y. M. C. A. building. The