The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-11-21
EVOLUTION o. UNITED
Estates PRESIDENCY
The Change Has Slowly Taken Place,
But Powers Have Greatly In
creased.

In EDWARD SidnHOOd new doom
the History Of the Presidency one
chapter is devoted to the evolution
of the presidential Office and says
that the trainers OF the Constitution
would be amazed TO know how the
President has departed from the rules
If conduct which governed the first
President OF the United States Mr..
tanwood says
There are three directions in which
the Presidency has extended itself
argely: In the matter of removals
rom office, in the use of the veto
power and in the relations between
the President and Congress.
The early Presidents used the pow
er Of removal sparngly Washing
ton removed only nine officers dur
ing his eight years OF service, and in
every case the removal VAS for cause.
The two Adamses. Madison and Mon
roe also exercised great forbearance.
Jefferson used his power little more
freely, but he expressly disclaimed the
right to remove for differences Of poll
tical opinion, or otherwise than for
some clear public good
During the administration OF Mon
roe, the era of good feeling there
were not two parties All men pro-
fessed themselves to be Republicans.
Party spirit was reinvoked in the ad-
mnistration of the second Adams;
but he refused to punish with dis
missal officers who placed themselves
in opposition to his administration,
and the officers whom he left in Office
at the end of his term were not gen
orally men whom he had appointed,
and they were by no means persons
selected with a view to promoting his
own political future.
There was therefore no reason,
other than to reward those who had
supported him In the canvass Of 1928,
that can be assigned as the motive
of Gen. Jacksons immediate and radi-
cal change of system Within one
year from the time of his entry up
on office he dismissed 243 officers, in
GLIDING nearly all in the diplomatic,
treasury and civil court services and
his Postmaster General removed 491
postmasters.
Fortunately the Presidents have
been. on the whole. upholders of bet
ter, the merit system. Congress pass
ed an act In 1871 which authorized
the President to cause the proper
means to be taken TO ascertain the fit
ness Of candidates for Office. Under
that act President Grant appointed a
which instituted competi
tive examinations in the departments
at Washington but after two years
Congress refused to make further APP
to enable the commission
to continue It's work, although the
President praised the work already
done and informed Congress that ut
would be a source of modification TO
himself If the appropriation should
be withheld The President thereupon,
in 1875, suspended the rules, and the
reform came to an end for the time
being. But the reformers persisted
and after nearly eight years more OF
agitation succeeded in persuading
Congress to pass the act of Jan. IL,
1883, which President Arthur prompt
ly approved.
Under that law a classified service
was established, in a small way at
first, and covering only compare
tfyay few of the clerical officers in
the Executive Departments and in
large postofices. The list has been
increased by every President since
that time and now includes almost
the whole Civil Service. The impor-
tant exception is the offices that are
still filled by appointment of the
President with the concurrence OF
the Senate.
Thus the Presidential office has de-
yeloped in two opposite directions,
From the policy of ahstention from
removals under the Presidents from
Washington to the second Adams, it
turned to the system OF wholesale
prescription under Jackson, and to
that system 1t adhered until the re-
form which began under Grant was
continued and extended by every
President to the present time.
The extension of the use OF the We
TO power is the second large develop
ment of the Presidential office. There
is no doubt chat the intention OF the
trainers Of the Constitution would not
have sanctioned the present tnterpre-
tation of the cause granting the pow
er.
The early Prcsidents-in fact. no
President before Andrew Johnson
were not forced to use II to resist en-
croaeAments upon the Constitutional
rights of the Executive They inter-
proted the phrase bad laws" to mean
only unconstitutional measures, and
measures obviously Objectionable be
cause passed without due considera-
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