Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-25
CONGRESSIONAL.
The Powers of the President
are Defined.
SENATOR STEWARDS SPEECH.
He Thinks that Too Much Respon-
sibility is Vested In the
Executive.
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatches to the HERALD

ASSOCIATED Press Dispatches to the HERALD
WASHINGTON, May 24.-In the Senate
the deficiency bill for collecting revenue
and the appropriation bills were reported
back. Stewart called up the joint reso-
luton for constitutional amendment,
reducing to simple majority the vote
necessary to override the President, and
addressed the Senate on the subject.
He referred to the large number of veto
messages sent in by President Cleveland,
and said they rested solely upon the as
sumption that it was the duty of the
President to nullify every law for which
he would not have voted as a member
OF Congress, an assumption not
only of superior wisdom, honesty
and patriotism on his part, bnt of better
opportunity to ascertain facts than the
members of the two Houses had. The
form of government, he said, had chang
ed from Democratic simplicity to one
man power, responsible only to the me-
cessities of party and the influence of
money. The people did not realize the
growing power of the Executive. The
President has more than one hundred
thousand offices at his disposal, and the
members of Congress were not even al
lowed to give evidence as to the qualifi-
cations OF an applicant for an office. The
President alone determined all questions
relating to appointments to office, either
by himself or by a board called
Civil service Commission, appointed
hxyh -
ure. The vast resources of the Govern
ment were practically used by the Ad-
ministration as a private fund to aug
ment the power Of the Executive. This
result was reached, partly by legislation
and partly by forced construction of the
laws. The legislation of Congress Ono
matter how secured or by whom devised)
permitted the Administration to loan the
such National banks as mighE be in favor
with the Executive, without interest or
regard to the Government; and this
power had been literally exercised by
the present Administration in loaning
over $50, 600, 900 to such National banks
as found favor in the eyes Of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury.
Stewart referred in the same connection
to the purchase of bonds at the enormous
premium OF over 81 per cent. from per-
SONS unknown to the public, but presum-
ably well known to the Executive; to the
discretion lodged with the Executive
(but not properly exercised) to purchase
Tor coin not less than two millions nor
more than four millions of silver per
and to the ruling of the Treasury
Department in the matter Of the ifnporta-
tion Of lead ore, under which ruling lead
pres were admitted that were mixed with
gold and silver, the Government thereby
losing a vast amount of money that
somebody was gaining.
It would be interesting he said to ex-
hibit for the consideration of the people |
The various rulings and determinations |
Of the Treasury Department, whereby
special privileges were granted and mer-
chant princes created in the great city Of |
New York and elsewhere at the expense |
show the almost unlimited discretionary |
power exercised by the Executive to benz
Eft his friends and destroy his enemies.
As examples Of this .extraordinary
power" he referred to the litigation Of |
private land claims in California, to ''the
aid Of the Attorney General on the Bell
hClOPnOnO SOlilduy, anu W blt LItdly-
making power which might be used to
ADVANCE the ambitious projects of the Ex-
,cutive. All these things might be RENE
lied or checked by legislation, and the
iberties of the people might be guarded
~ law if Congress had power to iegislate
against the will of the Executive. No
me denied Cleveland's absolute owner
'hip of the Democratic party. Before
'eaching Washington he had sent word
o the Democratic members of the House
o discard one Of the precious metals and
n all things to do the bidding of Wall
treet. The refusal of patriotic Demo-
rats to abandon their constituents and
o Join the golden bond-holding ring.
the admiration of the coun-
ry. The House of Representa-
ives had seemed to be an i'm
,regnable fortress against any assault
rom Wall street. 1t had fallen with a
wave of the hand of Grover Cleveland and
hat body was paralyzed. 1t could not
wen utter the word "silver'' when the
Senate sent it back its amendment on the
3ond Purchasing bill. At that rate the
rowing power of "this man of destiny,
lad but to continue unmolested for
mother term OF four years, to so intrench
irover Cleveland in the White House,
hat nothing but revolution could remove
lin. Never before in the hands of one
nan had such vast powers and resources
'een entrusted by the confding people.
t remains to be seen whether the Presi-
lent would be able to fulfill the
expectations of the Washington
Post, by initiating Napoleon and crown
ng himself because ne regarded
ii others unworthy to perform that SER
ice. The exercise Of the great natural
orce with which the President was en-
owed, was concentrating the whole
over Of the Government in the Execu-
i've, and if not restrained it would
ltimately lead to monarchy. The people
dmired courage, independence, audacity
nd will. These qualities were possessed
4 high degree by Cleveland. While
ley were guarantees of personal success,
ley were dangerous to popular lib ,
rty. They were qualities which always
,creased Executive authority at
le expense of the people. The
election by Cleveland Of the money
ings, and bondholding aristocracy /
Europe and America as his allies,
roved his sagacity, and showed his ap-
of the necessity for the use of
,oney, in accomplishing his Napoleonic
,hemes If such associations did not
rouse the people to action before it was
10 late, itwould be because the boldness :
nd daring of this "man of destiny'' s
azzled and blinded them.
The conference report on the pension ,
ppropriation bill was t,ian agreed to.
The special committee en the meat ,
roduct was announced and she Senate :
roceeded to executive business.