The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-29

| ana determined that no more removals
should be made Determining that his adj
ministration should not have the appear.
ahcc even Oh personal favor, he declined TO
appoint Or. Henry Curtis, his brother-in-
/ law, as treasurer Of the United states
though DIR. Curtis had received the promise
OF Harrison, He required the Postmaster
Venera 10 issue a circular that no editor
should hold office, and during his whole
Term cautiously abstained from appointing
any man 10 office who was actively con-
nected with a newspaper. holding the old
doctrine that the press, the great instru-
mert Of enlightment TO the people, should
not be subjected, through its conductors. 10
n system OF rewards and punishmcnts
PRESSURE.
These measures and others similar IN
them, adverse 20 the principle Of patronage.
contributed greatly 20 the rage of the Adams
and Clay factions in the WING ranks. Led
by these two gentlemen, the Wing Congress
insisted upon pressing upon Mr.. Tyler the
issue OF bank cXerting corporate powers
IN the States. Mr.. Tyler, though feebly sup
ported by the Crawford Wings in Congress,
who were cOwed 10y the unexpected turn
Things had taken, met the united powers
with the veto. And thus f0iled in their de-
signs and mortified at being cut out Of the
spoils Of office, which they frankly admitted
they contemplated, the whole Wing cabi-
net, save Webster, resigned.
AGAINST REMOVALS.
The whole character and policy Of Mr..
Tyler were against making removals. but
the unprecedented position in which he
found himself, after the resignation OF the
Cabinet, as the common object Of attack
of the Federal elements Of both parties, to-
gether with the admitted incompetency of
many Of the oflice-holders, rendered the
the policy often unavoidable. Mr.. Upshur
says that, despite the breach with the Wing
leaders, Mr.. Tyler continued for some time
to draw the majority of his appointments
from the Wing ranks. And IL was only
when he found that the appOintees rcquited
his Kindness with the blacklist ingTatltude.
and used their offices for the purpose of
prescription Of their subordnatcs, that he
called halt. IL is certain that
there was not man removed during
Mr.. TyleT's administration who did not
richly deserve the punishment for neglec
of official duty. And yet during his whole
term Of office the foreign missions were mo-
nOpOliZed by his political enemies, and
Observation-Disclosures of the Office holders at
home were active and aNOwed champions of
Mr.. Clay and Mr. Van Buren,, and they OPP |
posed and abused the administration in a
manner hard TO understand at this time. |
The one thing which might have saved the |
President from eXerting the power with |
which he was armed was urged by Tyler in |
his message of December 1874, but was left |
untried 10y those Who most impugned his mo- !
ties. 1t was to call into action the authority |
of Congress 10 define in some way the limits |
of the executive discretion and necessarily |
the responsibility of the Office holders. This |
recommendation the President made, and |
it is the first Of its kind in any message. |
In the House Of Representatives the Presi- |
dents intimate friend, Thomas W. Gilmcr, |
proposed a bill to impose upon the Presi- !
dent the requirement of giving a reason for |
every removal. Why Congress paid no at |
tentiOn 10 either the Presidents message or |
Mr.. Gimer's bill is not difficult to under |
stand if we consider the violent PARTISAN |
ship that characterized the times, produced |
by the lust of spOils. The members Of Con- |
gress were nearly all friends and parisans |
Of Van Buren, and Clay, who stood at the |
head of their respective parties, and neither
side, while perfectly willing to hamper |
Tyler, cared 10 impose a permanent re-
strictiOn which would initiate against |
themselves. and their fayorites in the near |
future.
And so far was Tyler from desiring in any |
way to embarrass his successor, like John |
Adams OF old, that he abstained entirely |
from making any new nominations after
the Presidential election of Polk save in the
cases of resignation or other peremptOry |
circumstances. Indeed, il is well known
that at Folks request. expressed through |
A. y. Brown and Cave johnson, he put Mr.
Polk own brother into the only Office of dig |
nifty open TO him for appointment by the re-
turn Of the incumbent yiZ.-the mission to
the two >icilies-a nomination which Polk |
could not well have made without mourning |
the charge Of ilagrant uepOtism.
And il is also known that before sending |
the messenger TO Texas with the Joint TesO-
buttons for the annexation Of Texas Mr.
Tyler sent Mr.. Calhoun 10 consult Mr.. Polk,
the Prcsident-eiect-a proof Of his anxiety |
in all cases to do the proper thing. Nor did |
he vanish in the night Of March 3, as John
Adams also did, treating his successor as
kind of infection to be avoided as carefully |
as possible. On the contrary, Mr. Tyler I
welcomed Mr.. Polk 10 the White House
with dignity and respect, gave him and |
Mrs. Polk dinner party, and while not
choosing 10 embarrass the new President by |
a continuance at the White House longer |
than > O'Clock Of March 3, he remained in
Washington at Fuller's Hotel until in COM
pany with him at the CAPITOL he saw him
take the oath of Office TO support the Con-
stitution Ofthe United states.
STRICT CONSTRUCTION VIEWS.
Tyler made him the natural enemy of pa
tronage. and Of its effect, "spOils and cor
ruptiOn." BY his yetOes Of the bank bills,
tariff bills. and bills for internal improve
ment, he deprived himself of extensive OPP
pOrtunities TO extend the range OF his per-
sOnal fayOrs and lid the government Of a |
host Of appointments. BY these means,
and by strict supervision over all disburse-
ments, while he enlarged the navy, restored
L. |
numerous important treaties, he man.
the government by many millions under
the average of the expenditures
of Mr.. Van Buren,. "lu all things
respecting the public expenditures, he
Tyler)". wrote Webster. "was remarkably
cautious, exact and particular" And JEFF
tersOn Davis states the surprise OF the mem
ber5 Of Congress appointed TO investigate |
the charges against Mr.. Webster In 1916,
when Mr. Tyler appeared before them, and,
without the aid Of a memorandum or other
wise, explained to the minutest details,
the particulars N the expenditures of the
secret Service fund. y. q. Adams, Jack
son and Van Duran had enjoyed the con-
troll of the executive printing, but this
by act Of Marcn Is, 1912. was for the
first time required to he let out TO contract.
though the two Houses Of Congress retained
the disposition Of their own work, aDd re-
warded with their patronage papers mimi
cal 10 the Administration. No provision
was made to pay the Presidents private
secretary and all the expenses of the White
House were met by the Presidents meagre
salary Of$2J. 900. Now the President Is paid
$50, 600. and he is also allowed annually $Gj,-
MOO 10 meet the current expenses OF tho
W hite House.
But the best commentary on Mr. Tyler's
use Of the appointing power, ON the high
character of those he selected. and on his
own vigilance and jealousy in supervising
the discussing agents Of the government
remains vet 10 he mentioned. Mr.. Tyler
came into office on the issue Of REFORM"
when the spirit Of spoils engendered by
he tariff, and American system had made
very land receiver a defauter and every
nest for negroes. lie came
In, not as j. q. Adams did, as the successor
If James MOnrOe-a man so honest that
Jefferson said Of him: You could turn his
.pul inside ont and NOT find "A stain uDOn