The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-18
Senatorial Abuse of secret Sessions.

Senatorial Abuse of Secret Sessions.
Washington Special to New York Herald
Senator Edmunds could, if he chose. tell tales
of men confirmed, under both Hayes, and Gar
field. whom he rightly believed unfit, but who
went through in secret session, only because the
whole question of fitness was argued with closed
doors where also the bargains were in the safety
of secrecy carried out which made the presepta-
ton of facts and discussion mere waste of time.
The same thing is going on now. Democratic
senators are fussing around to get their men,
confirmed, and some of their men, are no.
toriously and conspicuousy unfit. Republican
senator's are willing to confirm the Presidents
nominations ever where he has superseded I'M
doubtedly good men, if only they can have their
wishes gratided. Any intrigue is safe when the
Senate closes its doors. If the Republican sena-
tors are in earnest. if they really want to serve
the public, let them determine to open their
doors and discuss removals as we'll as appoint
ments before the people and in the light of day.
MIR. Cleveland has himself to blame for the
trouble which is falling upon him, and which is
very serious. He may stand upon his constitu
tional right and assert that the power Of re-
moval Is his alone not to be questioned by the
Senate. He is on strong ground there. But he
has mudded his affairs by his complaisance to
| senators and representatives in the matter of
officers-by his determination to keep secret the
| sources of applications to him. He has made
| but very moderate use of his power OF re-
moval, and il he had acted upon his own motion
he would be on safe ground. But he has. on the
solicitation OF Democratic senators and repre-
sentatives, removed men who were fit and vau-
able public servants: he has, on the same solicit
tation, appointed unfit men 10 Office, and these
things are known to Republican senators. If
from the beginning he had refused
to let senator's and representatives dictate or
solicit Offices from him; if he had
obliged them to respect that independence of
the two coordinate branches of the govern
ment," as he has respected their independence,
and If he had made public the names of persons
soliciting him for Office with their indorsers he
would have been saved from mistakes which
now come home to trouble him. Unfortunately,
he has not yet brought himself to deny the right
OF senators to claim Offices from him.
Ii the Republican senators are sincere friends
of a reformed civil service-if they want in good
faith to good retained in the service,
bad men expelled, and only fit and proper men
appointed-they can attain these ends and fix
the precedent forever very easily. Let them de-
long been done in secret Let them discuss
nominations openly. and the President will not
dare, even if he wished, to refuse to assign with
equal publicity his reasons for removals.
One thing is very certain-the Republican
senators have already confirmed nominations
which were not fit to DO made. If they continue
this work in secrect sessions they will be even
more guilty in this regard in the future than
they have been. They will for various reasons.
most of them dscreditable, consent to nomna-
tions now before them which are unfit
Finally, if the secret sessions are to continue,
the Republican senators may worry the Presi-
dent, but they will not benefit either themselves
or the public. The whole dispute will presently
cease. and it will cease because the Senate and
the President will, as in Andrew Johnson's time,
enter into a partnership for division of the pub
lie plumber. This would be a sad and absurd
ending for an administration which began with
many promises. But General Grant began with
just as many; Mr.. Hayes canted more loudly and
fell more meanly than anyone before him; and
General Garfield, who had written like an angel
on reform civil service, was. during his short
reign, no better than Hayes.