New-York tribune., 1900-04-11
STATUS OF OFFICE SEEKERS
ry-pEEsIDENT CLEVELAND DEFENDS
THEM AGAINST CRTTICISM-EX-
elusive FUNCTIONS OF
THE EXECUTIVE.

princeton. y. J.. April 10.-Ex-President Cleve-
,.,s delivered before large audience in Alexan-
A. rsu this evening the second of his lectures
= The Independence OF the Executive
A. { o'clock President Patton and Mr.. Cleve-
"a annearrd on the rostrlm and were greeted
.,,h nro!cnged applause. President Patton in a
sr,sf speech expressed the qualification of the
university that Stafford Little ~. OF Trenton.
-u,rder Of the Iectureship. who was unavod-
.hv absent last night was il the audience to-
,,ght. Dr. Patton expressed the thanks Of the
university 70 Mr.. Cleveland for delivering the
lectures. and surprised TIE audience by an
,ou,ctns that Nj. Cleveland would deliver the
cta~ord I.i-tIe lectures again uext year. and he
,o,ed for as many more years as the ex-Presi-
seut would have strength TO deliver them.
Mrs. Cleveland was the lecture. and sat be
s,sa the venerable Stafford Little who was
sscortsd 10 the hail by Professor West.
E5e began by speaking Of the pressure for the
--r,oval Of public of1cetoIders immediately after
ne change of Administration n 1885 ard the
substitution Of Democrats il their places.
while claim" he said. Ito have earned a
,ostrton which entities me 70 resent the accusa-
.,or thai either openly or covertly favor swift
official decapitation for partisan purposes. I
have no sympathy with the intoarant people
who without the least appreciation OF the mean
.ng Of party work and service. superciliously af-
.eet 70 despise al those who apply for office as
,bsv would those guilty OF a iagrant misde-
-,aanor why should We indiscrirrinately hate
.rosa who seek office? They may not have en-
.,-.v s7nancipated Themselves from the belief
.hs- the Offices should pass with party victory;
IN, even If this IS charged against them. II can
.urely be said that in all other respects they
a. -s-v many instances as honest. as capable
sn6 as intelligent as any OF Us. There may be
-sssous and considerations which properly de-
,ss, rheir aspiration but their applications are
mn always disgracefuL I have an idea that
sometimes the greatest difference between them
and those who needlessly abuse them and gloat
ever their discontinue consists in the fact that
the office seekers desire office, and their critics
being more profitably employed. do not
Mr.. Cleveland then passed 10 a discussion OF
his controversy with the Senate over the ques-
ZION Of transmitting the reasons for suspensions
RON ofHce and the papers relating thereto. Il
could not avoid the conviction" he said. that 2
compliance with such requests would be TO that
sxt..t q failure 10 protect and defend the Con-
stirutson as well as a wrong 10 the great Office
I held il trust for the. people, and which I was
bound 10 transmit unimpaireG 10 my successors;
nor could I be unmtndful OF = constant ten
dency IN certain quarters 70 encroach upon EA-
ecuttve functions or OF the eageruess with which
Executive concession would be seized upon as
establishing precedent
Mr Cleveland then quoted al length from the
report OF the Senate Committee on the judiciary,
10 when the question had been referred. and
also from, his own message 10 the Senate After
reviewing The debate in the Senate upon the
questions presented by the report, he commented
upon the passage by the Senate Of the resolution
condeznning the Attorney-GeneTal for withhold
ing the papers and documents which the Senate
had demanded. He then pointed out that in De
ceraber. 1855 prior 70 the first request or de-
maud upon an executive department relating 10
suspensions. and before any controversy upon
the subject arose. a bill was introduced in The
Senate for the total repeal Of the law Of 1863.
This til slunbered II the Senate Committee on
the Judciary until June. 1886 nearly three
months after the close Of the controversy Il
vas Lhen returned 10 the Senate with a favor
able report, and passed both the Senate and the
House Of Representatives.
Thus" declared Mr.. Cleveland. in closing
was an unpleasant controversy happily fol-
lowed bv an expurgation OF the last vestige OF
statutory sanction to an encroac chulent upon
constitutional Executive preTogatives. and thus
EEs z time houOreQ Interpretation Of the Consti-
tutiol restored 70 Us. The President freed from
the Sera-es claim Of tuteiage. became again the
Independent agent Of the peopie-representing a
coordinate branch OF their Government-charged
win responsibilities which under his oath he
ought not 10 avoid OF share"