El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-08

toms revenue officials. marShalS, at
torneys. consuls. foreign ministers-all
these and more are among the recip-
tents of the presid ent's bounty. The
only check is the approval of the Uni
| ted States senate: and the members of
that body, knowing that their consti-
| tuents are drinking deeply of the gold
en- stream, rarely interpose an objec-
| ton.
Mr.. West speaks of the deserved
confidence" felt by the people in the
present executive, and proceeds to dis
cuss the general question of the DOM
ination of the president in national af-
fairs, without reference to President
| Mckinley or the authority he in par
ticular exercises. by virtue of his war
powers
1t needs no argument, says he, To
prove that the hand which controls TINS
enormous output of the national wealth
| is hand of power. The spoilS OF Of
| iice which figured so largely in jack
sons administration were as tiny NV
ulet compared with the mighty pat
ronage of a president at the present
| time. 1t is. therefore, a question
! worthy of consideration whether this
tremendous power has been or could
desired by a president of the United
States Can it actually affect the vi
tai interests of the country? Is 1t, In
reality. the lever of influence which
it seems to be? These questions must
be answered affirmatively.
The writer then goes on to recite
three instances upon which the pow
er of the administration has been
brought to bear on congress in the
effort to carry through much-neeeded
or much wanted measures. The oc-
casions he uses as illustrations are
Cleveland and the silver purchase bill,
and Mckinley with the treaty of peace
with Spain and the Porto Rico tar1n
bill. These instances. MIR. West thinks,
show that it is useless to withstand
the administration in any matter of
national policy, since the pressure that
can be brought to bear is overwhelm-
ing. But while all these instances
may be alluded to as calling forth the
justifiable interference of the pres
ident in legislation. Mr.. West thinks
that the same power might be used
to accomplish evil results.
sir Vests article is very short. 1t
may be that in the extreme condensa-
zion to which the matter must have
been subjected much needed qualifi-
cation has been omitted. But it does
seem to The Herald that Mr.. West is
betraying a most lamentable distrust
in the masses of the people, and their
accredited representatives, in painting
such a dark picture of our governmental
system. Mr.. West would lead one to
believe that from twelve to twenty mil
lion dollars is paid out by the president
every year on a principle little removed
from mere caprice, or personal likes
and dislikes. He apparently ignores the
fact that no appointment is made with
out due recommendation and endorse
ment from presumably responsible peo-
pie. He apparently ignores the fact
that the administration is changed ev-
cry four years, and the people have |
right to change the course of that |
twelve or twenty millions of dollars in |
to the pockets of an entirely different |
set of men. He seems to ignore the |
long as the world has lasted patronage, |
of money, influence, high office, honor, |
dignity or preferment or emolument |
Of one kind and another. has been the |
basis of the whole fabric of gov
eminent.
Would Mr. West abolish party orga-
nizations? Would he endeavor to es-
tablish a permanent office holding class
outside Of the possibility of interior
ence by any incoming administration?
of Washington, with the people voting
for the best man without regard to
party? Suppose we should do all
this, suppose we should abolish parties
and spoils and make every federal officer
subject to civil service rules that would
assure his performance in office.
Would not the appointments have to be
made by somebody? And would they
not have to be suggested and approved
by some body of men qualified to act
in this capacity? And wherein would
there be any improvement? II
With human nature as it is, and with
The power in the hands of the people to
change their masters at will, every
Tour years. and sooner IN case of flag
rant abuse of authority. it is hard to
see just where any change can be made
hat will remove from the president his ,
for the government. The /
very term, executive, implies that he
I,n ST.. Il