New-York tribune., 1886-01-09
PRESIDENTIAL INFL UENCE.

President WITHOUT p0ncy lS not unkuoWh
in American political history, but has not been
a success thus far. That sort of President has
been tried more than once, and past experience
has not led the country to regard repetition
of the experiment with enthusiasm. But Presi-
dent Cleveland may nevertheless succeed In
recommending that kind of government to pub
lie confidence. If correctly reported, he means
to try. 1t appears from an account In Ihe
Herald that he was not pleased because that
journal had represented him as 1nquiring
closely into the opinions of candidates for
office, particularly on the silver question. 1t
had been implied that the President was in
clined to select officials with some regard to
their opinions and thus to strengthen the sup
porters of measures which he deemed essential
to the public welfare or honor Many other
Presidents, and among them some OF the most
honored and useful in our history, have pursued
this course but President Cleveland cOnceives
that they had not correct idea of the limita-
tions of executive power. He thinks he has
done all that it is within the province of the
Executive to do when in public messages he
has given Congress information as to the state
of the Union, and afterward has affixed or re-
fused his official signature to bills passed by
spcct any of his recommendations, he holds, if
correctly reported that it is not his part to try
in the least degree to influence Congressional
action.
This conception of executive duty was not
that of some of the wisest and most honored
founders of the Government. While Presidents
have always disclaimel desire to control or
unduly influence legislative action, they have
from the earliest held it proper to make ap-
pointments with intent to uphold and
strengthen some opinions which they consid-
cred of vital Importance. On no other ground
has the selection of public officers wholly or
mainly from one party ever been defended. II
President Lincoln had appointed to position OF
political influence a man who believed In the
right of secession, or who denied the right OF
the Government to maintain its authority IN
the rebelIiOus States, he would have been con-
demned by public opinion. little later, when
President johnson made appointments based
Oh the belief that his ideas of reconstruction
we're vital to the welfare of the country, though
many condemned him for seeking to force his
policy upon Congress. he was defended and ex-
tolled by nearly ali those who aided President
Cleveland's election.
Thus past history indicates that in the judg
ment of the people, ii is right for President to
use executive power 10 promote principles
which he deems sound in some cases, but not in
Others Some judged that there was reason for
such exercise of power by President johnson
others Judged that there was not but all men
agreed that President Lincoln had been per-
fectly justified in appointing only persons who
heartily upheld the Government in suppressng
rebellion. If President Cleveland holds that
all other Presidents who have so used the
power of appointment have dlsregarded their
constitutional duty, it is safe to say the country
does not agree with him. 1t will then be asked
on what ground can he Justify the selection of
Democrats rather than Republicans for Offices
of political influence, if not because he holds
that Democratic principles are essential to the
public welfare Doubtless he will be
tanned by a large majority of his political sup
porters, not in affirming that a President has
no right to use public patronage to strengthen
any political principles whatever but in the
Judgment that the silver issue is not one of
those which justify such an exercise of the ap
pointing power. 1t happens that the majority
of that party dissents from his recommends
ton, and an attempt to use his influence on that
question would divide the party. But unless
the rightfuness of government by party is
recognized, it is difficult to See why the Presi-
dent should separate his convictions on the
silver question from his other convictions which
lead him to select Democrats rather than Re-
publicans for political offices.