The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-01-27
THE PRESIDENT AND THE SENATE

elements which were intended to coordinate
their separate functions toward the common
end of governing. This coordination was
intended so that each element would perform
certain functions without hindrance from
other coordinate branches. But for many
years these functions have been confused,
and it has come in one way and another that
the Senate has absorbed both legislative and
executive powers by a series of usurpations
that have produced legal anarchy.
While socially strong anarchy is the
actual condition of our Government, and in
lesser degree has been its condition for half
a century. Instead of co-ordinating branches
with Well-defned functions we have a score
of warning factions. 1t is grave weakness in
our Constitution that 1t nowhere provided
for a controlling force. 1t seems that all
effort have been concentrated to de-
stroy any controlling force, and to so
hamper the action of all that none
OF them could exercise function without
the improbable concurrence of four separate
elements. There has been constant strug-
gle for mastery between them ever since
public affairs partook of political import
condition of suppressed civil war, in which
one faction and then another has been domi-
nant and despotic.
The strong instinct of self-preseryation
aroused by the civil war barely carried US
through the crisis, and this more through
popular momentum than by effort of the
Government where q continual war of
factions made the country the prey of n
thousand rulers. Not one dollar out OF four
contributed TO carry ..on the war reached its
proper destination; the balance was captured
by contractors cliques and rings that by
collusive participation, ramifed throughout
the entire legislative and judicial, and
through the Cabinet, even to the executive
branches of the Government. This anarch-
ical inefficiency was so enormous that, al
though after the close of 1862, the
Government never had less than
1,150,0OO troops upon her pay roll,
it never succeeded at any time during the war
in getting even so many as 10000 within
| striking distance of the enemy. The enOr-
nous corruptions of rings for stealing the
revenues-the famous whisky ring being only
one among the many; the credit mobilier
schemes, and a thousand other similar en-
terprises, were engineered aud maintained
by men prominent in affairs. Grant was
| totally unable to control il, and gave it up
in disgust. Popular sentiment and even Con-
gressional legislation is agitating that the
control OF Indian affairs be given to the
! army, because it is the only element OF the
Government honest enough for the trust. 1t
must be said, to our shame, that in the army
alone, OF all the instruments OF Government,
! is there any controlling force, method and
executive capacity. 1t is destroyed in other
/ branches from the excessive subdivision of
authority or power. 1t is true of the law.
| because the instruments OF the law are
affected by the same weakness Taxes and
offices were farmed out to the highest bidder
through Senatorial courtesy. After the
| Senate by an act OF revolution, usurped the
| total functions of government this practice
of selling the offices was continued by SEN
ators a personal prerogative. Garfield at
tempted to cure the evil and was shot. So
deep-seated had this perquisite become, that
two Senators resigned in high dudgeon the
moment this authority was questioned.
And still it continues, as fragrant and shame
less as ever, an0 still ii must continue until
the Senate is stripped of the power it has
forcibly usurped.
To talk of civil service reform in this con-
nection, according to the popular apprecia-
ton of the term, is like talking of empty
| ing the ocean with a spoon. The evil lies
not there, but in the Senate Chamber, and
il is there the remedy must be applied, even
if the constitutional powers of the Senate
are revised and curtailed by constitutional
| amendment. and il is as certain as fate that
if this thing is not susceptible of peacea-
bic cure, it will end in a civil war. 1t is
| just as certain as that the cure is necessary
| for the preservation OF Republican institu-
| tions, so entirely subverted by this oil
| garchy that at present is the only real ruling
| power in the United States.
Oligarchy is the grave of republics, and
| imperialum is the grave of oligarchy. There
is not man in the country who would not
| prefer the despotisin of Bismarck to the
despotism Of this oligarchy represented in
this Senatorial assumption of power which
| only governs as a robber. Nearly all the
| evils that afliict us can be traced to this
very point. 1t was the. ruling power
that caused the civil war. 1t never
did, and never will until the
usurpation is overthrown, be more than a
constant menace to security and prosperity
| The lot OF Senators who went off by them
selves, in the face of an overpowering public
opinion, to set up an opposition Govern
ment solely because they could not have
their own way With quite so much abso-
luton as they had been accustomed to WELD,
found exact repetition when two more re-
signed because their personal perquisite,
the New York Custon-house. was refused
them. 1t ia the same thing, and It ID the