Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-02-18
The President and the Senate.

President Cleveland is unquestionably 9
strong man-his weakness, if we may say
he has a weakness, consists in an over
| confidence in his own strength. Nc
man, in position such as he occupies, il
strong enough to stand alone; and in gov.
ernment where the sovereignty is with the
people, no executive can succeed without q
party.
A senseless, school boys quarrel is now
commencing between the President and the
Senate. Edmunds insists that the President
shall give his reasons for removals and ap.
pointments made during the vacation OF
Congress. These reasons the President prop
erly refuses to give, and the quarrel pro-
crosses. #
Similar questions have already been before
the courts. During the trial of Aaron Burr,
jefferson was President, and was called upon
to produce letter in his possession; this,
without giving reasons, he refused to do.-
Marshall, who was then Chief Justice, said:
"If there be a paper in the possession of
the Executive which is not of an official ma
ture he must stand as respects that paper as
any other individual who possesses paper
material to the defense. But letters to the
President in his private character are often
written to him in consequence of his public
character and may relate to public concerns.
Such letter, though it may be private one,
seems to partake of the character of an Off
cial paper, and to be such as ought not, on
light grounds, to be forced into public view.
In this case, however, the President has as
signed no reason whatever for withholding
the paper called for. The propriety of with
holding it must be decided by himself, not be
sons for and against producing it he is him
self the judge. It is their operation on his
mind, not on the mind of others, that must
be respected by the court. They must, there
fore, be approved by himself and not the
mere suggestions of another for him."
This question of Withholding official papers
has also been passed on by other eminent
jurists, notably Sharswood and Gordon, of
the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, who
said: .s.%
"We had better, at the outstart, recognize
the fact thai the Executive Department is a
co ordinate branch of the government with
power to judge what should or should not be
done within its own department, and what Of
its own dOingS and communications should
or should not be kept secret. And that with
it in the exercise of these constitutional pow
ers the courts have no more right to interfere
than has the Executive, under like conditions,
to interfere with the courts"
Edmunds is too good jurist not to know
of these decisions and to recognize the sound
ness of the logic, but, as Goldsmith said OF
Burke, he "narrows his mind and gives to
party what he owes mankind" and expects
to gain some petty partisan advantage by
getting up quarrel with the Executive De-
partment.
The whole matter could have been easily
avoided, and can still be speedily silenced, by
the President standing with his party. Dlda
Democratic Senate ever ask Republican
President why he removed Democrats from
Office? OF course not. The incumbents
were Democrats, the President was Republi-
can, electedby Republicans. the measure was
political-this was sufficient. Let Cleveland
adopt the same course. When he became
President the Offices were all filled by Re
publicans--he was a Democrat elected BY
Democrats. The voice of the people hai
spoken for change-not only Of the Chic.
Executive but in all departments and avenues
of the public service! That the removed was
a Republican and the appointee Democrat
Is the only reason the President would be ex
pected to give, it would be implied, and evel
Republicans would ask for no other. Blu
when it is understood that removals will onl!
be made for cause other than political Their
is iustidable curiosity, even if there be nj
good cause, for asking the reason why.