the cleveland era-第17章

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he　President；　after　a　special　message　to　the　House　sharply　criticizing　some　of　the　provisions　of　the　act。　A　bill　providing　for　arbitration　of　differences　between　common　carriers　and　their　employees　was　passed　by　the　Senate　without　a　division；　but　it　did　not　reach　the　President　until　the　closing　days　of　the　session　and　failed　of　enactment　because　he　did　not　sign　it　before　the　final　adjournment。　Taken　as　a　whole；　then；　the　record　of　the　Congress　elected　in　1884　showed　that　while　the　Democratic　party　had　the　Presidency　and　the　House　of　Representatives；　the　Republican　party；　although　defeated　at　the　polls；　still　controlled　public　policy　through　the　agency　of　the　Senate。



CHAPTER　VI。　PRESIDENTIAL　KNIGHT…ERRANTRY

Although　President　Cleveland　decisively　repelled　the　Senate's　attempted　invasion　of　the　power　of　removal　belonging　to　his　office；　he　was　still　left　in　a　deplorable　state　of　servitude　through　the　operation　of　old　laws　based　upon　the　principle　of　rotation　in　office。　The　Acts　of　1820　and　1836；　limiting　commissions　to　the　term　of　four　years；　forced　him　to　make　numerous　appointments　which　provoked　controversy　and　made　large　demands　upon　his　time　and　thought。　In　the　first　year　of　his　administration；　he　sent　about　two　thousand　nominations　to　the　Senate；　an　average　of　over　six　a　day；　assuming　that　he　was　allowed　to　rest　on　Sunday。　His　freedom　of　action　was　further　curtailed　by　an　Act　of　1863；　prohibiting　the　payment　of　a　salary　to　any　person　appointed　to　fill　a　vacancy　existing　while　the　Senate　was　in　session；　until　the　appointment　had　been　confirmed　by　the　Senate。　The　President　was　thus　placed　under　a　strict　compulsion　to　act　as　a　party　employment　agent。

If　it　is　the　prime　duty　of　a　President　to　act　in　the　spirit　of　a　reformer；　Cleveland　is　entitled　to　high　praise　for　the　stanchness　with　which　he　adhered　to　his　principles　under　most　trying　circumstances。　Upon　November　27；　1885；　he　approved　rules　confirming　and　extending　the　civil　service　regulations。　Charges　that　Collector　Hedden　of　the　New　York　Customs　House　was　violating　the　spirit　of　the　Civil　Service　Act；　and　was　making　a　party　machine　of　his　office；　caused　the　Civil　Service　Commission　to　make　an　investigation　which　resulted　in　his　resignation　in　July；　1886。　On　the　10th　of　August；　Daniel　Magone　of　Ogdensburg；　New　York；　a　widely　known　lawyer；　was　personally　chosen　by　the　President　with　a　view　to　enforcing　the　civil　service　law　in　the　New　York　Customs　House。　Before　making　this　appointment；　President　Cleveland　issued　an　order　to　all　heads　of　departments　warning　all　officeholders　against　the　use　of　their　positions　to　control　political　movements　in　their　localities。　〃Officeholders；〃　he　declared；　〃are　the　agents　of　the　people；　not　their　masters。　They　have　no　right；　as　officeholders；　to　dictate　the　political　action　of　their　associates；　or　to　throttle　freedom　of　action　within　party　lines　by　methods　and　practices　which　prevent　every　useful　and　justifiable　purpose　of　party　organization。〃　In　August；　President　Cleveland　gave　signal　evidence　of　his　devotion　to　civil　service　reform　by　appointing　a　Republican；　because　of　his　special　qualifications；　to　be　chief　examiner　for　the　Civil　Service　Commission。

Democratic　party　workers　were　so　angered　and　disgusted　by　the　President's　policy　that　any　mention　of　his　name　was　enough　to　start　a　flow　of　coarse　denunciation。　Strong　hostility　to　his　course　of　action　was　manifested　in　Congress。　Chairman　Randall；　of　the　committee　on　appropriations；　threatened　to　cut　off　the　appropriation　for　office　room　for　the　commission。　A　〃rider〃　to　the　legislative　appropriation　bill；　striking　at　the　civil　service　law；　caused　a　vigorous　debate　in　the　House　in　which　leading　Democrats　assailed　the　Administration；　but　eventually　the　〃rider〃　was　ruled　out　on　a　point　of　order。　In　the　Senate；　such　party　leaders　as　Vance　of　North　Carolina；　Saulsbury　of　Delaware；　and　Voorhees　of　Indiana；　openly　ridiculed　the　civil　service　law；　and　various　attempts　to　cripple　it　were　made　but　were　defeated。　Senator　Vance　introduced　a　bill　to　repeal　the　law；　but　it　was　indefinitely　postponed　by　a　vote　of　33　to　6；　the　affirmative　vote　being　cast　mainly　by　Republicans；　and　in　general　the　strongest　support　for　the　law　now　came　from　the　Republican　side。　Early　in　June；　1887；　an　estimate　was　made　that　nine　thousand　civil　offices　outside　the　scope　of　the　civil　service　rules　were　still　held　by　Republicans。　The　Republican　party　press　gloated　over　the　situation　and　was　fond　of　dwelling　upon　the　way　in　which　old…line　Democrats　were　being　snubbed　while　the　Mugwumps　were　favored。　At　the　same　time；　civil　service　reformers　found　much　to　condemn　in　the　character　of　Cleveland's　appointments。　A　special　committee　of　the　National　Civil　Service　Reform　League；　on　March　30；　1887；　published　a　report　in　which　they　asserted　that；　〃tried　by　the　standard　of　absolute　fidelity　to　the　reform　as　it　is　understood　by　this　League；　it　is　not　to　be　denied　that　t　this　Administration　has　left　much　to　be　desired。〃　At　a　subsequent　session　of　the　League；　its　President；　George　William　Curtis；　proclaimed　that　the　League　did　not　regard　the　Administration　as　〃in　any　strict　sense　of　the　words　a　civil　service　reform　administration。〃　Thus　while　President　Cleveland　was　alienating　his　regular　party　support；　he　was　not　getting　in　return　any　dependable　support　from　the　reformers。　He　seemed　to　be　sitting　down　between　two　stools；　both　tilting　to　let　him　fall。

Meanwhile；　he　went　on　imperturbably　doing　his　duty　as　he　saw　it。　Like　many　of　his　predecessors；　he　would　rise　early　to　get　some　time　to　attend　to　public　business　before　the　rush　of　office　seekers　began；　but　the　bulk　of　his　day's　work　lay　in　the　discharge　of　his　compulsory　duties　as　an　employment　agent。　Many　difficult　situations　were　created　by　contentions　among　Congressmen　over　appointments。　It　was　Cleveland's　habit　to　deal　with　these　cases　by　homely　expostulation　and　by　pleas　for　mutual　concessions。　Such　incidents　do　not　of　course　go　upon　record；　and　it　is　only　as　memoirs　and　reminiscences　of　public　men　are　published　that　this　personal　side　of　history　becomes　known。　Senator　Cullom　of　Illinois　in　his　〃Fifty　Years　of　Public　Service〃　gives　an　account　that　doubtless　fairly　displays　Cleveland's　way　of　handling　his　vexatious　problems。　〃I　happened　to　be　at　the　White　House　one　day；　and　Mr。　Cleveland　said　to　me；　'I　wish　you　would　take　up　Lamar's　nomination　and　dispose　of　it。　I　am　between　hay　and　grass　with　reference　to　the　Interior　Department。　Nothing　is　being　done　there；　I　ought　to　have　some　one　on　duty；　and　I　cannot　do　anything　until　you　dispose　of　Lamar。'〃　Mr。　Lamar；　who　had　entered　the　Cabinet　as　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　was　nominated　for　associate　justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　on　December　6；　1887。　He　had　been　an　eminent　member　of　the　Senate；　with　previous　distinguished　service　in　the　House；　so　that　the　Senate　must　have　had　abundant　knowledge　of　his　character　and　attainments。　It　is　impossible　to　assign　the　delay　that　ensued　to　reasonable　need　of　time　for　inquiry　as　to　his　qualifications；　but　Senator　Cullom　relates　that　〃the　nomination　pended　before　the　Judiciary　Committee　for　a　long　time。〃　Soon　after　the　personal　appeal；　which　was　made　by　the　President　to　every　Senator　he　could　reach；　action　was　finally　taken　and　the　appointment　was　confirmed　January　16；　1888。

Senator　Cullom's　reminiscences　also　throw　light　upon　the　process　by　which　judges　are　appointed。　President　Cleveland　had　selected　Melville　W。　Fuller　of　Illinois　for　the　office　of　chief　justice　of　the　Supreme　Court。　According　to　Senator　Cullom；　Senator　Edmunds　〃was　very　much　out　of　humor　with　the　President　because　he　had　fully　expected　that　Judge　Phelps；　of　his　own　State；　was　to　receive　the　honor。。。。　The　result　was　that　Senator　Edmunds　held　the　nomination；　without　any　action；　in　the　Judiciary　Committee　for　some　three　months。〃　Senator　Cullom；　although　a　party　associate　of　Edmunds；　was　pleased　that　the　President　had　selected　an　Illinois　jurist　and　he　was　determined　that；　if　he　could　help　it；　Edmunds　should　not　have　the　New　Hampshire　candidate　appointed。　He　therefore　appealed　to　the　committee　to　do　something　about　the　nomination；　either　one　way　or　the　other。　The　committee　finally　reported　the　nomination　to　the　Senate　without　recommendati