Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-27
THE SENATE AND THE PRESIDENT


The recent talk as to the intention Of
the Senate in regard to the confirmation
of the Presidents nominations has given
rise to many suggestions as to the duty of
the President and the Senate. 1t is said
that the President himself has made one
suggestion in regard to the demand OF the
Senate for the reason for removals, and
it is that il the Senate wish to discuss his
removals upon information furnished by
him, it should be done in open session.
This is an excellent suggestion, but will
scarcely be so thought by the Republican
Senators. What objection can there
be to an open discussion of the
removals OF various officials if such
removals are objected to on the ground
of the public welfare? The Republican
Senators could not possibly wish to make
virtuous display ofinterest in the general
welfare of the whole people merely for
the sake OF display and buncombe. Oh!
no, they wouldn't do anything like that,
because all Republicans, and more par
ticularly Republican Senators, are virtu-
Gus beyond the dreams OF Plato or More.
1t is constructive il not actual treason 10
the Government to say that Republican
Senator would do anything for the sake
OF buncombe and in the hope OF making
political capital out of it.
1t is clear that those Republican Sem
ators who wanted to know the Presidents g
reasons for making certain removals
desired the information for purely
proper motives, and such being
the case, what objection can
there be to discussing the
reasons for such removals in open session
None in the world. Such public discus
sions should not stop here. Whenever n
man is an applicant for Office, his merits
and dement's should be thoroughly dis
cussed both by the appointing and con-
firming power and by the people. 1t is
safe to say that two-thirds of those who
apply for and hunt office would never
make known their desires if their charac-
ter, merit and record were to be placed
before the world for discussion and APP
proval. They could not stand the glare
of the light which would thus be thrown
upon them, and the consequence would
be that they would be eliminated from
the contest for office from the very
beginning. The public servant should
be before all others worthy servant, but
the worthiest will never be had 80 long
as the fitness, both as to character and
capacity, OF candidates for Office is
determined on the ground OF favor
itism and political influence. And
this remark is equally true Of Democrats
as of Republicans. A bad system of
selecting public officials is bad no matter
what party employs it. The utter alb
surdity and inadequacy OF the present
system OF making appointments to office
is shown by the fact that men very fire.
quently make application for appointment
to half dozen offices, the duties OF each
being OF an entirely different nature, and
are content with any one of them. The
chances are ninety-nine out OF hundred
that the man who applies for half dozen
Offices is not fit for any one OF them, and
If he had special fitness for some par
ticular office he would recognize that he
was not fitted for half dozen offices.
The man who is so universally fitted for
office ought to die, for the angels, who
are the just made perfect, alone are
worthy to associate with such man.
Yetsuch are the majority OF office seekers,
and the consequence sand always will be,
that the Government is worse served
than the proprietor OF corner grocery.
Ii q man is fit for office, he need have no
fear when he is asked to compete with
some other man to show which is the
better qualified for discharging the duties
of the Office sought, and ii he really cares
for good government, he will see with
satisfaction the best man get the office.
There should be some sensible and rea-
sonable method of determining the fitness
OF candidates for appointment to office,
and the theory of civil-service reform in
dicates, thus far, the best method for de-
termining this fitness, while the spoils
theory is the most senseless and unreas-
enable of all