The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-06-01
GOV. hill OF new YORK
ON THE CONFIRMING POWER OF
SRyATES,
Both State and NatlOnal-He Thinks
II Should Be Abolished, and
ut Once.

NKw YORK, May 3l.-The New
York Herald this morning publishes
a four column interview with Gov.
Hill In the course OF the interview
the Governor sroke in regard to the
confirming power Of Senates, both
State and national, as follows: II
have thought long and deeply on this
whole question l have consids red 1t
apart from any collision between my
self and the Senate OF the Stae, but
not without consider tioo OF the pre-
tensions of The Federal Senate in its
action against Mr. Cleveland and
other Presidents. TIE time has come
for a thorough, sweepiug and radical
reform. The oligarcoy aod arist1c'
racy in our national system are reprc .
sented by the sena'e OF the United
States. lie obstacle to homoge'
neous and responsible admins
tratiOn in our State system is the
Senate OF each State In both the
cause of intolerable Senatorial pre-.
tension resides in the confirming
power. The remedy is the immediate
and total abolition of the confirming
power. The substitute for it should
he direct executive appointments,
with full right in the executive to
remove for cause at will those whom
he appoints. The Senate, national or
State, has never been an interviewer
in this business except with bad re-
suits"
"Cdn you give some instances
"Half a century Ego the Federal
Senate, for reasons OF partisan rancor
alone, rejected a great New Yorker as
Minister TO England, The people
elect d him President rs a rebuke to
his reiectors. Half decade ago the
final result of the play Of violent pas
sions between the Senate and the
President on the latter's selection OF
bis own agents, was the assassination
of the Chief Magistrate. The con-
firming power has been used always
only to be abused. 1t does not reject
bad men; it rejects good men to keep
bad men in. II does not work as
help or enlightenment to the Presl-
dent or Governor. 1t works as a ball
and chain on both. 1t makes, in the
Federal Senate, series Of as many
Presidents as there are repre-
eentatives Of States in that
body. 1t makes Senators office
brokers and executives the boDdsmen
OF such Office brokers. The duty OF
executives is administrative. They
should have the right to appoint aud
remove their agentsin administration.
The business OF Senates is participa-
ton in legislation. They should be
free TO attend to it. Now they claim
to be, in effect, assistant Presidents
and assistant Governors, and SEEK to
make elected Presidents and elected
Governors subject to them Fresi-
dents are chosen by the people indi-
rectly, but really Federal Senates are
chosen by subidiary elections in State
legisa ures. Senates are not amenable
to public opinion, for it cannot reach
them. They use the confirming
power to abuse it, to strengthen and
at times to enrich themselves, in that
satire on all fee and responsible gov
ernments known as secret sessions, a
menace and an ,abomination to de.
cency and liberty. On the ruins Of
the courtesy of the Senate, let us
build the rights of the people and
crown them with the principle OF the
freedom and the responsibility of the
executive whom they elect to do their
Will, and who should have the power
to do it through agents of their num-
Der, selected by himself. l trust this
will be made an issue by the Demo
cratic party in its next national plat
fo...D "