The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-06-27
THE FEDERAL PArRoNAaE.
Senator Butler Thinks the President
is Able To Fill all the Offices without
ine Dictation OF C0ngressmen.
[FrOm the Warrington Poei

In answer to q South Carolina con
stituent, Senator Butler has given hi
ideas about the Presidents course ii
dispensing Federal patronage. III,
thinks the Chief Executive is full,
capable of naming people for the Offices
and shows the authority with which
he Is vested to do so. While he holdl
himself ready to give the President
his opinion of constituents fitness fol
office he does not understand how Sena
tors or Representatives can expect Mr.,
Cleveland to abdicate his constitu
tional duties'and delegate them to Con
gressmen, and says he has never beer
able to understand why they should
expect or desire to assume them. His
letter to his constituents Is as fol
| lows:
UNITED STATES SENATE, !
WASHINGTON, d. c., June II, 1893. (
My Dear Sir; have received your
| letter In which you criticise the action
of the President and his Cabinet in
| regard to the so-called "South Caro-
lima patronage" and ask my opinion.
Itis not part OF my business to defend
the Presidents official conduct. He is
abundantly able to take care of him
| self but I may say that believe he
will be sustained by the great body OF
the people, who are much more inter-
ested in an honest and wise admins
tration of their Government than in
the doling out Of patronage"
Let us see what some of his duties
are under the Constitution. am quite
sure that O better understanding in
that regard will aid very much in
clearing up the political atmosphere
and recall to the minds of Senators and
Representatives land to the peOple)
fhnf,, o. NJ olof e.,
the Executive branch of the Govern
ment. In Section 2, Article III, of the
Constitution, it Is provided
The President shall be commander
in-chief OF the army and navy, ETC., and
he shall nominate, and by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate
shall appoint ambassadors, etc, and
all other officers of the United States,
but Congress may by law vest the ap-
pointment of such Inferior officers as
they think proper in the President
alone, In the Courts Of law, or in the
heads OF departments"
This is the authority, and the only
authority, under and by virtue of which
appointments are made. If anybody
can find in this provision any right or
power In Senator or Representative
to dispense patronage, should be very
glad to have it pointed out. 1t may
be said in reply to this that nobody
has claimed such a right or power in a
Senator or Representative, but that,
being representatives of the States
and the people, they have the right
to recommend, and their recommends
tions should be potential with the
Executive.
That they have the right to recon-
mend nobody denies-any citizen of
this country has this right, but that
Senators and Representatives have
~the right to dictate appointments, or
that Their. recommendations should be
conclusive and urfpuestioned is denied.
That their political favorites and
friends should be selected in preference
to the political friends and favorites OF
other people is also denied.
The recommendations of Senators
and Representatives are entitled to
consideration and respect and weight
80 far as they are judicious and wise.
should complain that their recOmmen-
dations and endorsements Of applicants
for Office are not adopted by the Execu-
tive cannot understand. The theory
of our Government is that the legisla-
tive. executive and judicial depart
ments, while coordinate, should be
kept independent of each other. The
trainers of the Constitution wisely
determined that the preservation Of
the whole could only be secured by the
independence OF each branch.
The Executive is held responsible
under the Constitution for I" all officers"
and should, therefore, be allowed the
fullest latitude in making appointments.
The legislative is held responsible for
call laws" and should, therefore, be
exempt in the fullest degree from the
dictation of the Executive. This in
dependence and responsibility can
only be maintained by the freest ex-
ercise OF their respective constitutional
functions.
Take for instance the post offices. 1t
Is assumed, in some quarters, that
Senators and Representatives have
the right to control and dictate the
| appointment of postmasters. Where
do they get this right? Certainly
not from the Constitution or any laws
that know of. OF all of the depart
ments the postoffice departments is
| who is better qualified to select post
masters than the representatives OF
the people. / answer, the people
themselves. They are more interested
In the proper conduct Of their, respec-
| tive postoffices than anybody else.
"Home rule" is the fundamental
principle of our Government, and
| although the President Is not bound to
consult anybody in making appoint
ments, am quite sure he intends to
observe this principle as far as practi.
cable in making his selection of post
masters. He certainly ought to do So
Subject to his constitutional right and
duty to make appointments, the
patrons OF the offices, the people them.
selves, those Immediately Interested
In the proper administration of the
postoffices, should be consulted.
| stand ready at all times to give to
the President and Postmaster General
or other members of the Cabinet such
information as 1 may have touching
the qualifications OF applicants foi
office, but / shall certainly not take
offence ifumy recommendations or sug
gestions are not followed. On the con
trary, / would much prefer to be left
perfectly free and independent to pro
perly discharge my constitutional duty
to advise and consent" to such nomi
nations as may be sent to the Senate
for confirmation. That freedom anG
independence Is best preserved by my
having nothing to do with appoint
ments until they are sent to the Senate
when the Presidents responsibilit,
ends and mine begins.
/ think that the custom which hal
grown up, outside Of any constitutions
or legal authority, of Senators ant
Representatives demanding this o.
that appOintment or being exOectat