Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-24
THE AproINTIvE POWER.

The theory upon which, under Ameri-
ran institutions, the executive eNer-
cises the appointive power while the
legislative department exercises the
prerogative of confirmation or rejcc-
ton, is this: The people elect the eA-
ecutive in the expectation that he viii
surround himself with such subordi-
mates as will he friendly to him and
IN harmony with his policy, and that
he will be held responsible to the peo-
pie for the results of that policy. The
right to confirm or reject Is designed
to be check upon the executive only
to the extent of preventing him from
placing in power men who, for rea-
sons capable of definite statement and
reasonable proof, are unfit to exercise
It.
In other words, the legislative de-
partment will not refuse to confirm
nomination made by the executive ex-
cept for cause relating to trustworthi-
ness. The politics of the candidate is
never deemed n cause justifying re-
fusal to confirm. The history of the
exercise, by the United States Senate,
of the confirming prerogative, illus
trates the truth of what Is here enun-
riated. What would be said by the
American press of that body were 1t
TO reject a nomination made by the
President OF the United States because
OF the political views Of the nominee?
The relations existing between the
Mayor and City Council of this city
are analogous to those sustained be-
tween the President of the United
States and the national Senate, and
the rules observed by the latter body
should control in the exercise of the
confirming power by the city Council.
The fact that a nomination made by
the Mayor is that of a man who sup
ported the ticket on which the Mayor
was elected. furnishes no ground
whatever in law, reason nor custom
for the rejection of the nomination by
the Council. So the fact that the
rominee has political enemies cannot
rghtfully be alleged as ground for
refusal to confirm him.
Any attempt by the city Council to
discredit or weaken the non-partisan
cause or sentiment in this city by re-
fusing for partisan or political reasons
to confirm the nominations made by
the Mayor, will prove utterly abortive.
Such a course by the partisans either
in or outside of the City Council VIII
create public sympathy for the nom
partisan Mayor and the movement
which placed him in power The
Council has adopted u resolution re-
citing that the police department is in
a dlsorganized condition and asking the
Mayor to make haste In appointing its
officers and members. 1t is very de-
sirable to secure harmony in that de-
partment and the selection of its oth-
GERS and members will no doubt be gov
erned by this purpose. When the head
of the department shall be determined
upon, but not till then. can his sub
ordinates be consistently chosen,
Then whose fault Is It that the po-
lice department continues in the con-
dtion described in the resolution
adopted by the Council? If the city
is being given n political administers
ton characterized by partisan rather
than business methods. as limited at in
the resolution, who is to blame? Does
the Council propose TO exercise the APP
pointing as well as the confirming pre-
rogative? 1t cannot rightfully do by
indirectlon that which 1t cannot law
fully do directly; and the nominations
made by the Mayor ought to be con-
iirmed unless better reasons can be
given than have yet been advanced for
not doing so.
1t seems evident that at least ma
jority of the City Council have begun
to think that the opposition of that
body to the Mayor was being carried
too far. The confirmation of DIR. Keogh
as head OF the health department.
after being hung up so long, and the
adoption of the resolution above re-
ferred to, are Interpreted as signs of
this sentiment, and It is to be hoped,
for the sake of peace and the city's
welfare, that the sentiment VIII grow.