The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-09-07
GOVERNOR CATS AND THE Elk
EcuTlvE OFFICE.

cupying-a much greater Importance
! than belongs to it.
Florida has had other governors be
sides Sidney ] Cats, one Of whom
afterwards became president of the
| United States and while in office
made his name imperishable So a
governor is no new kind of a human
being to Floridians and especially to
Tallahassee people.
Governor Cats seems obsessed with
the belief that he alone is responsible
! for the entire administration of the
machinery of government and the
execution of the laws.
But each official, each head of de
partment, is elected by a vote of the
people, is reqaired to take the same
oath of office as the governor and
each has his separate duties to per
form
The governor has not now control
over the conduct of the members of
| his cabinet for they are no longer ap-
pointed by him as in former times.
but like himself. are elected by the
people.
Now, the president OF the United
States is empowered to name the
members of his official household.
and yet, notwithstanding which, when
one of the presidents suspended a
member Of his cabinet, who was out
of harmony with the policies Of the
administration and had become per-
sOnally obnoxious to the president. ar
ticles of Impeachment were graveIy
preferred against the president and
he was put upon trial and the trial.
next to the war between the states
and the electoral commission, became
the most memorable event in the his
tory of the nation
Thirty-fivs of the then fifty-four
members of the senate voted in favo.
of impeachment and the president es.
capped conviction by a single vote as
the constitution required a two-thirds
vote to conyict-nineteen against
thirty-five voted mot guilty"
There is but little question if the
president had suspended the adjutant
general Of the army instead of the
secretary of state that he would have
been removed from office. His i'm
parchment would not have resulted in
an acquital
Hon. Samuel Chase was a Justice
of the supreme court of the United
States. That is almost as big an office
as the governor Of Florida Judge
Chase was a revolutionary patriot. He
was signer of the declaration of in
dependence. But he permitted him
self to indulge in violent language
language unbecoming to his Official
station, so he had to face an impeach-
ment trial at the bar of the United
States senate. He was represented by
| able counsel and he himself was a
great jurist yet on five of the eight
counts of the articles of impeachment
he was adjudged guilty.
Judge Peck. Of the United States
district court of the state of Missouri
was impeached in the year 1926, on
| charges similar to those in the case
of Judge Chase. The case was one
of great and general interest. The
names of some of the most eminent
men in the nation was connected with
the trial. Daniel Webster William
Writ, Thomas H. Benton, and other
great characters. The Judge was &C
quilted by a vote of twenty-five "a
twenty-one
/ So for the use Of violent language
language unbecoming one holding an
office that calls for dignity and de
corum, officials have been brought be
fore the bar of the senate of the
United States on impeachment pro
ceedings, and no less a person than
the president of the United States him
self, has been compelled to face i'm
parchment proceedings for suspend
ing one of the members of his cabi
net.
For his officiousness, his NEEDLE
some activities, his violent language
and nbecoming conduct in office
Governor Cats is weaving for him
self web in the meshes of which he
will find it extremely difficult to IN
entangle himself and unless all signs
fail will be compelled to face impeach
ment proceedings.
The officials he has removed on his
own dictum without giving them the
opportunity to be heard, will. in all
probability, be restored to office, back
pay will be given them and the state
will find itself a sufferer in the sum
of several hundred thousand dollars
The Herald this MORNING on