St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-18
A MUGWUMP CHASM.
The President and Representative Branch
of the Government Display Little
Sympathy.
This Policy of Indifference Believed to be
Inspired by Oleveland's Independ-
emit Followers.
Republican Senators Fail to Agree in
the Matter Of Opposition to APP
pointmentS.
Dakota to Receive Attention by th'
Senate This Week--Interstate
Commerce.
Congress and the President.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE New York
World publishes an attack on the president
and his independence of congress, of which
the following is an extract: The Demo-
Gratis in congress are in a singular position.
They have a handsome working majority
in the house of representatives. The Re-
publican majority against them in the SEN
ate is small. The president is a Democrat,
yet there is so little accord or sympathy be-
tween the Democratic representation in
congress and the executive that legislation
which finds favor at the capitol is likely to
be very different from that suggested from
the White house. If the Democratic house
succeeds in passing some measures through
the senate it will be in as much danger of
encounterlng all executive veto as when it
had to be submitted for approval
10 Republican president. Not that there
is any breach between the president and
congress. not that the Democratic repre-
sentatives are hostile to Mr.. Cleveland.
Their relations are friendly. Such con-
greSsmen as visit the White house when
they desire to pluck feather from the fat
goose of official patronage are courteOusly
received. whether their mission is success
full or failure. But the president has sep
arated himself from the sympathy Of con-
gress. Alarmed by the pitch theory Of
the Mugwumps. that "a president can't
touch a congressman without being defled,"
Mr.. Cleveland has adopted the doctrine
that the powers Of the executive and legis-
lative branches of the government should,
forever and i'm all things, be kept separate
and apart. The founders of the republic
never contemplated
SEPARATION NOR ISOLATION.
L &c
the government, as the Mugwump theory
has forced upon the president But Mug
wumpism is a law unto itself. In this in
stance it has opened a chasm between the
white house and the capitol. Mr.. Cleve-
land never asks advice from anybody. He
deems his duty done when he formally sug
geStS laws which occur to him as eXpedient.
lie Is under the conscientious conviction
that it would be an offense to urge upon
congressman what he considers a wise
policy. He would regard himself false to
the peculiar theory of reform which he has
adopted if he should labor with congress
men to prevent them from passing mex
pedient laws and to induce them TO pass
good laws. Democracy in congress is
a left to itself. 1t has the admin
istration, but the policy of the adj
ministration is a personal and not a
party policy. Is it not natural, under such
circumstances, that the recommendations
the president should fall on barren
ound? Can any great measure be carried
cesSfully through except by the united
= myth of party, legislative and executive
,nbned? I venture the prediction that
) leading recommendations made by the
president will be adopted by congress, and
mat such legislation as he might oppose is
likely to find favor with the house Not l
repeat, because of any antagonism; but for
the reason that the executive has dropped
out of congressional business, and because
the majority of the house, composed of ac-
tive and loyal party men, who might have
been easily controlled by a sympathetic
president, is essentially cold and indifferent
to an independent president