The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-05-01

NAf>IIi y u lO-N- i. u. May II ne
Republican members OF the Senate are
receiving many protests and inquiries
with reference to their failure to Sc
cure the confirmation inn the Senate
hast session of Republican postmasters
whose nominations were sent to that
body by President Taft before the ex-
piration Of his administration March
9Th of this year.
In the last Cleveland administration
the commissions of several postmasters
expired during the last months of that
administration and when Democratic
nominations for a new commission of
four years for the pOstmastership. of
these Offices We're sent by President
Cleveland to the Senate for confrma-
ton, the Republicans in the Senate
permitted such appointments despite
the fact that President Mckinney was
soon to take office and the adminIstra-
ton was to become Republican instead
of Democratic. As a result, many
Democratic postmasters throughout the
country served through the major part
OF President Mckinley s Republican
administration and were only sup,
planted by Republicans when their
commissions, made at the regular time
under Democratic administration,
expired.
The Republican postmasters, whose
commissions expired in the regular or
der of things during the year 1912
and up to March 4th. 1913, and who
were renominated for appointment for
another term by President Taft, were
entitled, as they saw it, to the same
treatment as was accorded the Dem
ocrats under the Mckinley admnistra-
ton and had Il right to expect that
the courtesy of confirmation of their
nominations under the Taft regime
would be allowed by the Democrats in
the Senate. But the Democrats in the
Senate would not allow these confir-
nations, and consequently the number
of postmasters throughout the country,
whose nomination failed of cOnfrma-
ton. ran into the thousands. Among
these were several Republican post
masters in Vermont for whose con.
frmation Vermont 5 Republican Sen
ators worked hard, hoping and conf
IDENTIFY expecting that the Democrat,
would ut least concede the conhrma
tion of nominations in a state repre-
scented by Senators both of whom were
Republicans. But all in vain.
There has been so much misunder
standing among Republican postmas
tiers and their friends with referenc,
to the procedure OF confirmation o
nomination and so much discussion a
to how the Democrats. who were II
the minority up to the 4th Of las
March, were able to hlock the con
frmation of President Taft : nomina
lions that an explanation OF the meth
DDS adopted and the tactics used b,
the Democrats to bring about thej
ends may be enlightcuing.
When a vacancy occurs in a post
office, the representative In Congress
from the district in which such vaear
cy occurs, if his politics are the sam
as the President then in power, rt
commends to the postmaster-genera
the appointment of a postmaster fC
the vacancy that exists. The pos
= master general. who is of the sam
political faith as the President and
- member Of his cabinet, follows tn
y recommendation of the representative
= i'm Congress and in turn recommend
to the President the nomination of II
person named originally by the repr
/ sentative III the district where tt
usually follows the recommendation
the postmaster general and sends
the Senate for confirmation the non
= ination of the person named. Now Il
Senate confirms all the nomination
3 made by the President in execUt11
II session, which Is held behind close
nd doors. When the Senate goes I'M
= executive session it is by motion al
&c vote So, it is plain, if a majority
W the Senators were Of the opinion tn;
~ they did not want to go into exec
3: tive session they could so vote al
80 prevent it, thereby also preventing Il
ar consideration Of the confirmation
p. the President 5 nominations. No
le this is just exactly what the Dem
- Gratis did every time an effort w
~ made by the Republican Senators
en- go into executive session 50 that Il
. postmaster nominations of Presidel
le- Taft might be confirmed.
P The Senate, before the 4th
March. was made mp Of 40 Repu
81. Leans, 43 Democrats and two Progre