The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-03-11
The Presidents Prerogative.

OAS'oAeSAASA3 ~ SesA asSS, AS AA'sS 0SSA
making suspensions from Office dur
ing the recess of the Senate when
ever, in his judgment, the good of
the country and the success of his
administration required it. AS pre-
scribed by the Constitution he re-
ported these suspensions to the Sem
ate and named his appointees and
asked the advice and consent of the
Senators as to their confirmation
Although three months of the session
of the Senate has passed but few of
the Apprentices who succeeded the
suspended officials have been con.
frmed. The Republican majority in
the Senate now publicly proclaim
their intention not to confirm these
appointments until the President
gives the Senate his reasons for MAX
ing the suspensions. The President
has joined issue with the Senators
on this question, and in concise and
able message gives his reasons, not
for making the suspensions, but his
reasons for not complying with the
Senators request. He has sent to the
Senate, as in duty bound, all the
official papers in the departments re-
lating to the appointments, and de-
clines to furnish private papers in his
possession, papers intended solely
for his eye and not for the scrutiny
of Senators. In brief, the President
claims it as right, pertaining ex-
clusively to the Executive, to make
removals from Office whenever, in his
Judgment, the public interest requires
the removal of particular officials
This right has been exercised from
the time of Washington down, ex-
cept during the brief interval of An
drew Johnson's administration, when
a hostile Congress tried to keep in
Office partisan friends against the
wish of the Executive. To do this
then, it was found necessary to pass
what was known as the tenure of
Office act, an act that was repealed as
soon as the Executive and Congress
were controlled by the same political
influence, as they were by the election
of Grant as the successor to johnson.
Stripped of it's verbiage, the same
feelings actuate the Republican SEN
ators to-day, and their only reason
for asking the President for private
papers relating to suspensions, is to
formulate plausible pretext for
hampering the President in his efforts
to purify the civil service, and to keep
in Office their party friends.
The President has taken the broad
and statesmanlike view, that under
| the Constitution he can make remov-
ais. in his discretion, without the
consent of the Senate, and that he
is responsible for the exercise of that
discretion, not to the Senate, but to
the people who elected him, Amy
other view would make the Executive
the mere creature of Congress and
force him to retain in office, as his
subordinates, men VIGOROUSLY unfit
for the places they occupy, and al
the same time hold him responsible
for their misdeeds. Such a limitation
of the prorogatives of the Executive
! coupled with the great responsibility
of the high Office, is inconsistent with
the fundamental principles of Law
and common sense. IF the great meI
who framed the Constitution had in
: tended to limit the Executives power
of removal, they would not have said
as they did in express terms, that s'tht
Executive power shall be vested il
+ the President and that he shall takt
care that the laws be faithfully exc
cuted."
Mr.. Cleveland's fight with the Sen
ate is the fight Of the Democracy
more than this, it is the peoples fight
The Democratic party gave him thu
power which he now claims to exer
else rightfully and constitutionally
and those who elevated him to hi
high Office expect him to exercise tn,
powers that the people have confer
, red. The question is not whether I
> few Democrats, more or less, shall
immediately obtain Offices, but wheth