The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-23
PRESIDENT and SENATE.
AN INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE
WILLIAM CURTIS.
The Present Dispute Between the
Two Branches OF the
Executive.

NEW YORK, February 22.-The Her
aid this morning prints a long inter-
view with George William Curtis, in
regard TO the dispute between the
President and the Senate. Mr.. Cur
tbs said that perhaps the President was
justified in refusing TO make coniiden-
tial communication public, but his
refusal should only apply to such as
had already been made to him. He
should give the people to understand
that in the future all papers would be
open for inspection, and then any one
who had any information to lay be-
fore the President would know what
to expect. No one could suffer by
such an agreement. Ii would serve
to make people more careful of what
they said and for whom they signed,
and that certainly was desirable. The
signing of petitions for office had
grown to absurd proportions. Many
prominent men will sign anything,
and a Governor of this State, Mr..
Curtis said, had told him that he
signed every petition that was pre-
sented to him, but whenever he
signed such papers he wrote to the
appointing power to say that the sig
nature meant nothing at all, and that
if he really wanted to help an appli-
cant he would write in a private way.
This was not fair to those who had
secured the signature. President
Van. Buren's practice was similar.
If Martin wrote and said such and
such thing it would not do to rely
upon it, but il Martins son said or
wrote it, why, then, it was perfectly
reliable. These were tricks of politi-
clans to be sure, but they showed how
great this
ABUSE WAS CAPABLE OF BECOMING.
Mr.. Curtis said that he agreed with
Senator Sherman on the right of the
Senate to see the recommendations
for appointments. The Senate was
part Of the executive power. The
constitution said that the President
should nominate and by and with the
consent of the Senate appoint certain
officers. AS part of the executive
power the Senate had the right TO
know what influences, considerations
and information had decided the
President in making a nomination.
Its action could not be thoroughly in
telligent unless it had such informa-
ton. The object of the Senate in de-
handing these papers was twofold. |
First, it wanted to defend the charac-
ter of the men who had been re-
moved. In the second place, it wished,
if possible, to throw discredit on the |
President and to show that he had
his pledges. The latter was
its prime object. The Senate be-
longed to the opposition party, and it |
had the right to attack the Presidents |
position if its warfare was honorable. |
The President could block the Senate's |
game by furnishing it with the infor-
nation asked. The Senate has said
that the information was wanted as
secret information. 1t was pretty GER
tain, however, that if anything likely
to injure the President was obtained |
in this way it would speedily become
public. Let the President try the
secret session plan. If the
information thus given should leak
out he could thereafter reply to the
demands by saying, II shall
give you the information you ask, but
shall also give it to the public at the
same time"
THE PRESIDENT,
Mr.. Curtis thought, had nothing to |
fear. Suppose that his reason for re-
moving postmaster was that he
was drunk, would the publica-
ion of that fact hurt the President?
Would not such action deter other
oastmasters from like offenses? In
Mr.. Curtis said that he
vas compelled to differ with the Pres
dent as to his prerogative. Mr.. Cleve-
and was perhaps right in declining to
make his action retroactive, and in
to turn over communications
as confidential, and in many
'ases 80 marked. But his course in
he future was clear. He should place
I'll communications on record, and the
writer's should knowthat letters to the
resident are letters to the country.
Mayor Lows idea was praiseworthy.
lie let the people know that he felt at
liberty to make anything public, as he
leemed best. Mr.. Curtis said that Il
lemand OF this sort had never been
omplied with by any other President,
rom WashingtOn's time to the pres
mt, but Mr.. Cleveland was elected
nder peculiar circumstances, under a
novement intended to reform politics.
! great step for reform would be his
utting an end to all secrecy that was I
ot supported by reason of the eonsti-
ution.
ERAIIn AMI NnRRuPTInN