The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-12-31
SENATE AND PRESIDENT
FIGHT TO A FINISH
SENATORS IGNORED IN MAKING
FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS
REFUSE 70 CONFIRM.

ne Will split his party wide open and
soon will have on his hands a band
of insurgents every bit as hostile and
every bit as forceful as were the in
surgents who rose to plague and uItf-
mately defeat President Taft That
the president Is now involved in fight
with the senate Is clearly evidenced
by the fact that on two occasions tn,
senate by unanimous vote, has reiect.
ed nominations made by the president
over the protest of senators in whose
state the particular appointments
were made.
Had the nominations of John n
Lynn as district attorney for western
New York and w. N Collins as post
master at Kansas City, Mo-, been re-
jected by a narrow margin, the stua-
ton would not necessarily be signif-
cant, but in rejecting both nomina-
ltions the senate voted unanimously
and every democratic senator present
went on record against the president
By these votes the senate threw down
| its ultimatum to the president and
served notice on him that he must
consult senators If he wants his nom
nations confirmed The action of the
senate means that the senate intends
/ to insist upon its constitutional rights
Power of President.
Under the federal constitution the
president Is empowered to make fed
eral appointment with the advice and
consent of the senate" President
! Wilson thus far has maintained bv
his action that he can make such ap
lpontments as he sees fit, regardless
of what the senate may think. He is
not the first president to hold this
view, but others who have tried this
game have been compelled ultimately
to surrender President Taft tried
similar tactics when he was having
his quarrel with the insurgent sena-
tors They promptly held up his nom
linations or defeated them. President
Roosevelt, in few cases, tried to
dictate to the senate and the losing
flight he made for negro collector of
customs at Charleston, S. c., has
gone down in history as one of the
most memorable contests between AN
executive and the senate. President
Roosevelt to a certain extent won.
for he kept his appointee in office by
giving him repeated recess appoint
ments, but after the negro's nomina
ton was once rejected he drew no
salary from the government and there
| arc few democrats now willing to hold
government office if there is no salary
attached.
President Cleveland and President
Garfield also had their patronage
nights with the senate and they also
lost or the men they appointed lost
out because their nominations were
| rejected.
Senate Interpretation.
The senate interprets the consttu-
ton to mean that the president shall
consult senators from a state before
making appointments in that state
and after the nominations are made
they shall not be effective until con-
irmed by the senate. The president
holds that he has the unrestricted
right to select appointees, If he does
not care to consult the senators in
terested. and in case the senate re-
fuses to confirm or reject his nom'n-
atoms that the men named by him, II
given recess appointments, can be
held In office indefinitely.
There Is an unwritten rule, ac-
knowledged by presidents for long
years that a senator shall have the
privilege of selecting the postmaster
IN MS home city, provided he be of the
party In power. Senator Reed of Mis-
souri, lives in Kansas City and had
candidate for postmaster, but the
president ignored his recommendation
ana appointed a man who was obiec-
tionable to Senator Reed When the
nomination came up Senator Reed
stated the ground of his protest and
the senate forthwith and without cere-
mony rejected the nomination unan-
mously OF course the president. in
making the Kansas City appointment,
was attempting to rebuke Senator
Reed because the senator had opposed
number Of administration bills But
the presidents action proved to be
boomerang and as these cases accum-
uiated ne will find his position more
and more embarrassing.
Senate in Ugly Mood.
The trouble that started over two
FEDERAL appointments viii not stop at
patronage, Rapidly the senate is ar
raging itself against the president
leeiing in the senate runs high and
there is general inclination to teach
the president lesson" or course,
nothing Of this sort occurred prior to
the election, but now that election Is
over and the democratic prospects for
lslo are none too rosy, most demo-
cratic senators are content to pick
quarrei with Mr.. Wilson and make
MN responsible for any disruption
that may develop in his party. Demo-
cratic senator's feel that they will have
Pubic sympathy on their side, and re-
puoIican senators are only too glad to
SIT by and watch tba sott4 a., ~ 3ar,