the cleveland era-第4章

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On　the　other　hand；　Senator　Conkling　and　his　adherents　declared　the　issue　to　be　simply　whether　competent　public　officials　should　be　removed　to　make　room　for　factional　favorites。　This　view　of　the　case　was　adopted　by　Vice…President　Arthur　and　by　Postmaster…General　James　of　Garfield's　own　Cabinet；　who；　with　New　York　Senators　Conkling　and　Platt；　signed　a　remonstrance　in　which　they　declared　that　in　their　belief　the　interests　of　the　public　service　would　not　be　promoted　by　the　changes　proposed。　These　changes　were　thus　described　in　a　letter　of　May　14；1881；　from　the　New　York　Senators　to　Governor　Cornell　of　New　York：

〃Some　weeks　ago；　the　President　sent　to　the　Senate　in　a　group　the　nominations　of　several　persons　for　public　offices　already　filled。　One　of　these　offices　is　the　Collectorship　of　the　Port　of　New　York；　now　held　by　General　Merritt；　another　is　the　consul　generalship　at　London；　now　held　by　General　Badeau；　another　is　Charge　d'Affaires　to　Denmark；　held　by　Mr。　Cramer；　another　is　the　mission　to　Switzerland；　held　by　Mr。　Fish；　a　son　of　the　former　Secretary　of　State。。。。　It　was　proposed　to　displace　them　all；　not　for　any　alleged　fault　of　theirs；　or　for　any　alleged　need　or　advantage　of　the　public　service；　but　in　order　to　give　the　great　offices　of　Collector　of　the　Port　of　New　York　to　Mr。　William　H。　Robertson　as　a　'reward'　for　certain　acts　of　his；　said　to　have　aided　in　making　the　nomination　of　General　Garfield　possible。。。。　We　have　not　attempted　to　'dictate；'　nor　have　we　asked　the　nomination　of　one　person　to　any　office　in　the　State。〃

Except　in　the　case　of　their　remonstrance　against　the　Robertson　appointment；　they　had　〃never　even　expressed　an　opinion　to　the　President　in　any　case　unless　questioned　in　regard　to　it。〃　Along　with　this　statement　the　New　York　Senators　transmitted　their　resignations；　saying　〃we　hold　it　respectful　and　becoming　to　make　room　for　those　who　may　correct　all　the　errors　we　have　made；　and　interpret　aright　all　the　duties　we　have　misconceived。〃

The　New　York　Legislature　was　then　in　session。　Conkling　and　Platt　offered　themselves　as　candidates　for　reelection；　and　a　protracted　factional　struggle　ensued；　in　the　course　of　which；　the　nation　was　shocked　by　the　news　that　President　Garfield　had　been　assassinated　by　a　disappointed　once　seeker　in　a　Washington　railway　station　on　July　2；　1881。　The　President　died　from　the　effects　of　the　wound　on　the　19th　of　September。　Meanwhile；　the　contest　in　the　New　York　Legislature　continued　until　the　22d　of　July　when　the　deadlock　was　broken　by　the　election　of　Warner　Miller　and　Elbridge　G。　Lapham　to　fill　the　vacancies。

The　deep　disgust　with　which　the　nation　regarded　this　factional　war；　and　the　horror　inspired　by　the　assassination　of　President　Garfield；　produced　a　revulsion　of　public　opinion　in　favor　of　civil　service　reform　so　energetic　as　to　overcome　congressional　antipathy。　Senator　Pendleton's　bill　to　introduce　the　merit　system；　which　had　been　pending　for　nearly　two　years；　was　passed　by　the　Senate　on　December　27；　1882；　and　by　the　House　on　January　4；　1883。　The　importance　of　the　act　lay　in　its　recognition　of　the　principles　of　the　reform　and　in　its　provision　of　means　by　which　the　President　could　apply　those　principles。　A　Civil　Service　Commission　was　created；　and　the　President　was　authorized　to　classify　the　Civil　Service　and　to　provide　selection　by　competitive　examination　for　all　appointments　to　the　service　thus　classified。　The　law　was　essentially　an　enabling　act；　and　its　practical　efficacy　was　contingent　upon　executive　discretion。



CHAPTER　II。　POLITICAL　GROPING　AND　PARTY　FLUCTUATION

President　Garfield's　career　was　cut　short　so　soon　after　his　accession　to　office；　that　he　had　no　opportunity　of　showing　whether　he　had　the　will　and　the　power　to　obtain　action　for　the　redress　of　public　grievances；　which　the　congressional　factions　were　disposed　to　ignore。　His　experience　and　his　attainments　were　such　as　should　have　qualified　him　for　the　task；　and　in　his　public　life　he　had　shown　firmness　of　character。　His　courageous　opposition　to　the　greenback　movement　in　Ohio　had　been　of　great　service　to　the　nation　in　maintaining　the　standard　of　value。　When　a　party　convention　in　his　district　passed　resolutions　in　favor　of　paying　interest　on　the　bonds　with　paper　instead　of　coin；　he　gave　a　rare　instance　of　political　intrepidity　by　declaring　that　he　would　not　accept　the　nomination　on　such　a　platform。　It　was　the　deliberate　opinion　of　Senator　Hoar；　who　knew　Garfield　intimately；　that　〃next　to　the　assassination　of　Lincoln；　his　death　was　the　greatest　national　misfortune　ever　caused　to　this　country　by　the　loss　of　a　single　life。〃

The　lingering　illness　of　President　Garfield　raised　a　serious　question　about　presidential　authority　which　is　still　unsettled。　For　over　two　months　before　he　died　he　was　unable　to　attend　to　any　duties　of　office。　The　Constitution　provides　that　〃in　case　of　the　removal　of　the　President　from　office；　or　of　his　death；　resignation；　or　inability　to　discharge　the　powers　and　duties　of　the　said　office；　the　same　shall　devolve　on　the　Vice…President。〃　What　is　the　practical　significance　of　the　term　〃inability〃？　If　it　should　be　accepted　in　its　ordinary　meaning；　a　prostrating　illness　would　be　regarded　as　sufficient　reason　for　allowing　the　Vice…President　to　assume　presidential　responsibility。　Though　there　was　much　quiet　discussion　of　the　problem；　no　attempt　was　made　to　press　a　decision。　After　Garfield　died；　President　Arthur；　on　succeeding　to　the　office；　took　up　the　matter　in　his　first　annual　message；　putting　a　number　of　queries　as　to　the　actual　significance　of　the　language　of　the　Constitutionqueries　which　have　yet　to　be　answered。　The　rights　and　duties　of　the　Vice…President　in　this　particular　are　dangerously　vague。　The　situation　is　complicated　by　a　peculiarity　of　the　electoral　system。　In　theory；　by　electing　a　President　the　nation　expresses　its　will　respecting　public　policy；　but　in　practice　the　candidate　for　President　may　be　an　exponent　of　one　school　of　opinion　and　the　candidate　for　Vice…President　may　represent　another　view。　It　is　impossible　for　a　voter　to　discriminate　between　the　two；　he　cannot　vote　for　the　candidate　for　President　without　voting　for　the　candidate　for　Vice…President；　since　he　does　not　vote　directly　for　the　candidates　themselves　but　for　the　party　electors　who　are　pledged　to　the　entire　party　ticket。　Party　conventions　take　advantage　of　this　disability　on　the　part　of　the　voter　to　work　an　electioneering　device　known　as　a　〃straddle；〃　the　aim　of　which　is　to　please　opposite　interests　by　giving　each　a　place　on　the　ticket。　After　Garfield　was　nominated；　the　attempt　was　made　to　placate　the　defeated　faction　by　nominating　one　of　its　adherents　for　Vice…President；　and　now　that　nominee　unexpectedly　became　the　President　of　the　United　States；　with　power　to　reverse　the　policy　of　his　predecessor。

In　one　important　matter　there　was；　in　fact；　an　abrupt　reversal　of　policy。　The　independent　countries　of　North　and　South　America　had　been　invited　to　participate　in　a　general　congress　to　be　held　in　Washington；　November　24；　1881。　James　Gillespie　Blaine；　who　was　then　Secretary　of　State；　had　applied　himself　with　earnestness　and　vigor　to　this　undertaking；　which　might　have　produced　valuable　results。　It　was　a　movement　towards　closer　relations　between　American　countries；　a　purpose　which　has　since　become　public　policy　and　has　been　steadily　promoted　by　the　Government。　With　the　inauguration　of　President　Arthur；　Blaine　was　succeeded　by　Frederick　T。　Frelinghuysen　of　New　Jersey；　who　practically　canceled　the　invitation　to　the　proposed　Congress　some　six　weeks　after　it　had　been　issued。　On　February　3；　1889；　Blaine　protested　in　an　open　letter　to　the　President；　and　the　affair　occasioned　sharp　discussion。　In　his　regular　message　to　Congress　in　the　following　December；　the　President　offered　excuses　of　an　evasive　character；　pointing　out　that　Congress　had　made　no　appropriation　for　expenses　and　declaring　that　he　had　thought　it　〃fitting　that　the　Executive　should　consult　the　representatives　of　the　people　before　pursuing　a　line　of　policy　somewhat　novel　in　its　character　and　far…reaching　in　its　possible　consequences。〃

In　general；　President　Arthur　behaved　with　a　tact　and　prudence　that　improved　his　position　in　public　esteem。　It　soon　became　manifest　that；　although　he