Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-03-03
NIe AepnbHrau.
THE WAR HAS BEGUN


The senate has not backed down from
It's position. The judiciary committee
has reported resolutions opposing con
frmations in cases where the reasons Tor
snsnension are wanted and are refused by
the order Of the president. 1t IS the
highest duty of every Republican senator
to sustain these resolutions. The Repub
lican- in the senate now stand between
the civil service and the greatest outrage
that was ever attempted by partisan
president. -
For the first time in the history OF the
Un;on the president has seriously denied
the RIGHT of the senate TO information
rosna,.7,ng removals which the senate is
called upon to make. The president
cannot re move he can only suspend. ihe
act of removal is completed only when
the senate confirms the successor OF a
susoended official. Therefore it is the
riyht Of the senate TO demand, and 1t Is
the duty of the heads of department to
suppiy. all possible information IN their
possession,
The attitude of the president respect
ing the responsibility of the heads OF the
heads of the department, is menace to
the very foundation principles OF the
government. 1t is denial OF the right
Of the legislative department to informal
ton concerning the conduct of the de-
partments. -
It's a revolutionary declaration that
the department heads are not officers OF
the government, but the private secre-
taries of the executive.
The president relies upon partisan
majority in the house of representatives
10 project him from impeachment pro-
ceedlngs.
This attitude is not merely destructive
of ciyil>seryice reform, but it Is the denial
bv the executive of the right OF the
legislative Branch to inquire INTO the
conduct of the departments. 1t Is full OF
DANGER and the duty of the senate to
fight against this one man power Is PLAIN
r isinfipitely better that no nomination
should be confirmed than that the mon
archical tendency of the executive should
be endured.
The house of representatives,, IN Its
Democratic majority, is giving aid TO
usurpations by the executive that threaten
the stability of our republican lnstitu-
lions It has passed bill with the ad-
mitted purpose of having the president
set aside the sentence of a court-maklng
the executive the absolute master CT the
judicial branch of the government. NO
constitutional monarch in Europe has to-
day any such power as the Democratic
house comedies to the president when it
charges him to oyer rule the sentence OF
han wv nc
exercise of the pardoning power
This proposed usurpation follows the
declaration of the president that he Is
absolute in his control OF the documents
on file in the departments and that the
heads of department may refuse into-ma
lion to the legislative branch even when
publicity involves no injury to national
Interests. This declaration overturns the
system ct checks TO the establishment OF
a personal government. L the president
NAV set aside the decision OF a court and
NAV maintain secrecy as to the admins
tration of the departments, the remaining
constitutional c1ecks to executive usurpa-
tions are of little avail.
When the highest court in Prussia
reached a decision in the case of Miller
Arnold, the king set it aside and even
imprisoned the judges. That cannot he
done in Germany to-day. Ii there IS to
be that power IN one man Ia this republic,
then we need a Frederick the Great to
exercise it and not partisan politician.
In England Information as TO the con-
duet OF the administration can be denied
to the commons only upon the ground
that publicity viii endanger the success
of a government policy. Nosuch ground
is taken by the president IN this ca g
The onIy question Of policy involved is
that set forth ia the presidential message
the reform OF the public service No
body will affirm that publicity will impair
the efficiency Of true reform policy.
If any Republican senator is bribed By
the power OF patronage to consent to the
executive usurpation, The country will
hold him in an uncomfortable relnem-
brance- N55uaukee Sentinel