The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-06-12

ult4O1ld4 0AA4OOAOOSx 4
by the Constitution, makes his euj
thority and influence overwhelming.
1t is but recent history that the Pr9it
dent declared his wish and intention
that a certain important financial mat
ter nearly affecting the people at large
should pass Congress. There was no
secret made that Senators and Con
gressmen not supporting the executive
view would find no favor at the White
House. 1t is also generally believed
that the pressure of applicants for
Office and their friends was so great
upon Senators and Representative that
many of them deserted their declared
and often announced convictions of q
lifetime that they might receive execu-
tive approval of the appointments
which they wished to make in behalf
of their personal or party friends, &C
cording to customary usage, and as q
part of the p~erquisites of the legisla-
tive offices. 1t is no secret that this
was the most potent influence in carry
ing the measur through Congress.
Without this presidential influence can
it be doubted that the measure would
have failedG What was then SO easily
done can be done again and again On
important occasions, until Congress
shall be little more than the beds of
Justice of the old French parliaments
which met simply to register the de-
crees of the sovereign.
Q. The system practically in force is
injurious to the legislative department.
itself. which should not be invested
with the appointments. 1t often leads
to trades" and combinations for the
appointments of individuals as post
masters on account of their influence
instead of their fitness and acceptable
ity to the public. In this way, not in
frequently, nominations and elections
are secured. AS the patronage is
yearly increasing, with the value and
number of misunderstanding, this source
of public corruption will grow.
It is no answer to say that many
Senators and Congressmen-let it be
said if you will, a very large majority
of them-do not bestow these appoint
ments with any view to reward past
services or secure future support, but
with an eye single to the public good.
Still the Constitution is perverted by
the bestowal, in practice, of any part
of the appointing power upon members
of the legislative department. That
some of them abuse it and that the sys-
tenn affords, nay invites, misuse, is a
condemnation of it. The only test of
a postmaster's appointment should be
fitness and acceptability to the public
Of the locality he is to serve. The best
Judges of those qualifications are the
people themselves, expressing their
opinions and wishes in the matter as
collected from the ballot box.
Besides it interferes with the dis
charge of their proper func ions that
legislators should be practically thus
invested with the appointing power
and called upon to decide upon the ad-
vantages of making this or that ap
pointment. Then, too, as already
stated, it destroys the independence of
the legislative department by making
it subservient to the executive, in order
to avoid the veto which the latter can
place upon a Senator's or Representa-
tive's appointments and thus destroy
all chances Of re nomination. The best
men in both branches of Congress
would be glad to be relieved of this
thraldom and to be relegated to their
constitutional duty of legislating for
the best good of the people, unswayed
by outside and personal considerations.
3. From the standpoint of the people,
the present system is equally injurious.
It is educating a host of men to look
not to the people themselves as the
source of all power and authority, but
to regard the appointing power as
something beyond and above the PEG
pie. 1t is creating a a of courtiers
and political traders, who rely for ap-
pointment not upon fitness or public
approval, but upon the pull" they
may have on the virtual &ppointing
poWer-the Senator Or Representative
whom they may have aided to uring
into off e or TO whom they have ad
vanced money either bona fde, or some
times, it may be, under the guise of a
subscription to the campaign fund.
The opportunity which corruption is
afforded is great. Let us hope it is mot
often used.
These being some of the evils, and
, than oro Oroot 0noJ -whiDI iii -