The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-27
And May Refuse to Confirm the Mis-
souri, Spectators Appointment
"a Secretary Of Interior.
OPENLY FOR GOLD
But INDIRECTLY WORKING FOR
THE SILVER CANDIDATES..
His st. Louis Newspaper a PopOcratic
Organ-Bryan's Managers Anxious
to Keep His Wife mt Home.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

IDS noiuilatcuO IAdiCls,
or Missouri. to be Secretary of the In
terror. vice Hon. Hoke Smith. resigned. ii
does not necessarily follow that the Sem
ate of the United States will confirm the
appointment. 1t is not altogether fanciful
to discuss the possibility that the Senate
may exercise its prerogative of either re-
fusing to confirm Mr.. Francis, or in case
it does not care to go so far, 10 administer
a singing rebuke TO the President by hold
ing up the confirmation for several days.
The members of the Presidents Cabinet
are, of course, usually considered his in
dividual appointments, and their confirma-
ton by the Senate is ordinarily a mere
routine. Indeed. so general is the prompt
confirmation of the Cabinet officers that
the authority Of the Senate TO discuss
these appointments is frequently lost sight
of. But, nevertheless, the Senate can re-
ject Cabinet officers and has done so.
Roger Brooke fancy. best known in his
tory as the great Chief Justice of the SUI
preme Court of the United States, and as
the author of the famous bred Scott de-
cision. was rejected by the Senate of the
United States when President Jackson in
September. 1889, nominated him to be Sec
Rotary Of the Treasury. In 1881 Mr.. fancy
had been unanimously confirmed as Attor-
n~ey-general, but when two years later
Secretary Of the Treasury Duane resigned
because of an honest difference of opinion
in politics and when Mr.. Jackson trans
ferred fancy to Duane's place, because he
was more complaisant to the Presidents
views. the Senate very promptly expressed
its dissatisfaction and Mr.. fancy was
turned down by a vote of % to IS.
The situation at present. while perhaps
not entirely similar, is certainly analogous.
Mr.. Cleveland is at variance with the Sem
ate. just as was Mr.. Jackson, and in
cidentally. over a question of finance, too.
Mr.. Cleveland's Secretary Of the Interior
has resigned because he does not hold the
views which his chief demands Of his Cab
met officers, and the President has APP
pointed a successor who. while subservient
TO the Presidents views. is in direct con-
fiict with the policy advocated by an over
whelming majority of the Senate 1t will
when the illness of Justice Field. of the
supreme Court. made the nomination of
Secretary Carlisle or of Postmaster
& Genera that " be%eh to @ b be m eon,ier
gency. Senator Faulkner did not hest
tate to state openly that the United States
Supreme Bench any member Of the Cabinet
who was a gold man. Certainly this OBJ
lection would apply with ecu, force to
Mr.. Francis's nomination as Secretary of
the Interior. He is one of the most prom
inent gold men of the middle West. and
his nomination by President Cleveland is
due to his very prominence as the fore
nest representative Of the anti-silver policy
In his section. In addition 10 his financial
views, which would properly earn him the
resentment of all the silver men in the
Senate. Governor Francis mas incurred the
bitter personal hostility of both the Mis-
souri, Senators, and Messrs. Vest and
Cockrell could very easily raise the ques-
ton Cf Senatorial courtesy and defeat
Mr.. Francis. just as Senator Hill defeated
Messrs:. Hornblower and Peckham. Mr..
Cockrell owes Francis an old grudge be-
cause of old party differences. Mr.. Vest
hates him because President Cleveland
never missed an opportunity to turn the
junior Senator down in all matters of Mis-
souri, patronage.
In addition to the financial views which
Mr.. Francis represents. and which are. as
stated. obnoxious to SO many Senators. all
the granger Senators from the South Of
f 5se, type o. George, Of Mississippi; would
Francis's nomination. The new Secretary
OF the Interior represents the most sue
cessful type of grain spectators His
enormous fortune was amassed in the grain
PIT. He Is the type OF men against whom
all the attempts made by the Southern and
western Democrats to enact anticipation
legislation have been aimed. In the Fifty
third House there was a memorable strug-
gle to pass the Hatch anti-option bill. and
IL came dangerously close to enactment.
The bill had very many supporters i'm the
Senate and these gentlemen may make his
prominence as a grain speculator a cloak
for their opposition.
AT the same time Mr.. Francis is a very
shifty gentleman. He talks openly for the
President and at the same time those who
came in frequent contact with him at the
Democratic convention at Chicago were
permitted to infer that the Bryan and
Sewall ticket would have nothing TO fear
from him. He is the controlling stock
holder Of the ST. Louis Republic, which
supports tie ticket. and yet when he was
here on Saturday he is said to have ex-
pressed bis opposition to the ticket. How
ever. he will enter on his new office on the
LIST of September. and even If the Senate
fails to confirm his appointment in Deem
Der. he can hold on to his Office until the
4th of March. There is a parallel for this.
Some three years ago President Cleveland
appointed Mr.. William Marbury United
States district attorney for Maryland. He
was a bitter enemy of Senator German
and the Maryland Senator has during all
these years successfully held up the APP
pointment, with the result that Mr.. Mar
bury has always served till the expiration
of the term of Congress and has then
been consequently reappointed by the Presi-
dent. So Secretary Francis. who is not be-
lieved to be particularly thin-skinned. can
laugh at the Senate if it fails TO confirm
him. and can hold on to the lend of the
session." for the end of that session marks
the end of Clevelandism i'm the United
States.