the cleveland era-第3节

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his　tradition　does　not　owe　its　strength　more　to　the　ambition　of　politicians　than　to　sincere　conviction　on　the　part　of　the　people。*

*　The　reasoning　of　〃The　Federalist；〃　in　favor　of　continued　reeligibility；　is　cogent　in　itself　and　is　supported　by　the　experience　of　other　countries；　for　it　shows　that　custody　of　power　may　remain　in　the　same　hands　for　long　periods　without　detriment　and　without　occasioning　any　difficulty　in　terminating　that　custody　when　public　confidence　is　withdrawn。　American　sensitiveness　on　this　point　would　seem　to　impute　to　the　Constitution　a　frailty　that　gives　it　a　low　rating　among　forms　of　government。　As　better　means　are　provided　for　enforcing　administrative　responsibility；　the　popular　dislike　of　third　terms　will　doubtless　disappear。


So　strong　was　the　movement　in　favor　of　General　Grant　as　President　that　the　united　strength　of　the　other　candidates　had　difficulty　in　staying　the　boom；　which；　indeed；　might　have　been　successful　but　for　the　arrogant　methods　and　tactical　blunders　of　Senator　Conkling。　When　three　of　the　delegates　voted　against　a　resolution　binding　all　to　support　the　nominee　whoever　that　nominee　might　be；　he　offered　a　resolution　that　those　who　had　voted　in　the　negative　〃do　not　deserve　and　have　forfeited　their　vote　in　this　convention。〃　The　feeling　excited　by　this　condemnatory　motion　was　so　strong　that　Conkling　was　obliged　to　withdraw　it。　He　also　made　a　contest　in　behalf　of　the　unit　rule　but　was　defeated；　as　the　convention　decided　that　every　delegate　should　have　the　right　to　have　his　vote　counted　as　he　individually　desired。　Notwithstanding　these　defeats　of　the　chief　manager　of　the　movement　in　his　favor；　Grant　was　the　leading　candidate　with　304　votes　on　the　first　ballot；　James　G。　Blaine　standing　second　with　284。　This　was　the　highest　point　in　the　balloting　reached　by　Blaine；　while　the　Grant　vote　made　slight　gains。　Besides　Grant　and　Blaine；　four　other　candidates　were　in　the　field；　and　the　convention　drifted　into　a　deadlock　which　under　ordinary　circumstances　would　have　probably　been　dissolved　by　shifts　of　support　to　Grant。　But　in　the　preliminary　disputes　a　very　favorable　impression　had　been　made　upon　the　convention　by　General　Garfield；　who　was　not　himself　a　candidate　but　was　supporting　the　candidacy　of　John　Sherman；　who　stood　third　in　the　poll。　On　the　twenty…eighth　ballot；　two　votes　were　cast　for　Garfield；　although　he　protested　that　he　was　not　a　candidate　and　was　pledged　to　Sherman。　But　it　became　apparent　that　no　concentration　could　be　effected　on　any　other　candidate　to　prevent　the　nomination　of　Grant；　and　votes　now　turned　to　Garfield　so　rapidly　that　on　the　thirty…sixth　ballot　he　received　399；　a　clear　majority　of　the　whole。　The　adherents　of　Grant　stuck　to　him　to　the　end；　polling　306　votes　on　the　last　ballot　and　subsequently　deporting　themselves　as　those　who　had　made　a　proud　record　of　constancy。

The　Democratic　national　convention　nominated　General　Hancock；　which　was；　in　effect；　an　appeal　to　the　memories　and　sentiments　of　the　past；　as　their　candidate's　public　distinction　rested　upon　his　war　record。　The　canvass　was　marked　by　listlessness　and　indifference　on　the　part　of　the　general　public；　and　by　a　fury　of　calumny　on　the　part　of　the　politicians　directed　against　their　opponents。　Forgery　was　resorted　to　with　marked　effect　on　the　Pacific　coast；　where　a　letterthe　famous　Morey　letterin　which　Garfield's　handwriting　was　counterfeited；　was　circulated　expressing　unpopular　views　an　the　subject　of　Chinese　immigration。　The　forgery　was　issued　in　the　closing　days　of　the　canvass；　when　there　was　not　time　to　expose　it。　Arrangements　had　been　made　for　a　wide　distribution　of　facsimiles　which　exerted　a　strong　influence。　Hancock　won　five　out　of　the　six　electoral　votes　of　California　and　came　near　getting　the　three　votes　of　Oregon　also。　In　the　popular　vote　of　the　whole　country；　Garfield　had　a　plurality　of　less　than　ten　thousand　in　a　total　vote　of　over　nine　million。

The　peculiarities　of　the　party　system　which　has　been　developed　in　American　politics；　forces　upon　the　President　the　occupation　of　employment　agent　as　one　of　his　principal　engagements。　The　contention　over　official　patronage；　always　strong　and　ardent　upon　the　accession　of　every　new　President；　was　aggravated　in　Garfield's　case　by　the　factional　war　of　which　his　own　nomination　was　a　phase。　The　factions　of　the　Republican　party　in　New　York　at　this　period　were　known　as　the　〃Stalwarts〃　and　the　〃Half…Breeds；〃　the　former　adhering　to　the　leadership　of　Senator　Conkling；　the　latter　to　the　leadership　of　Mr。　Blaine；　whom　President　Garfield　had　appointed　to　be　his　Secretary　of　State。　Soon　after　the　inauguration　of　Garfield　it　became　manifest　that　he　would　favor　the　〃Half…Breeds〃；　but　under　the　Constitution　appointments　are　made　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate　and　both　the　Senators　from　New　York　were　〃Stalwarts。〃　Although　the　Constitution　contemplates　the　action　of　the　entire　Senate　as　the　advisory　body　in　matters　of　appointment；　a　practice　had　been　established　by　which　the　Senators　from　each　State　were　accorded　the　right　to　dictate　appointments　in　their　respective　States。　According　to　Senator　Hoar；　when　he　entered　public　life　in　1869；　〃the　Senate　claimed　almost　the　entire　control　of　the　executive　function　of　appointment　to　office。。。。　What　was　called　'the　courtesy　of　the　Senate'　was　depended　upon　to　enable　a　Senator　to　dictate　to　the　executive　all　appointments　and　removals　in　his　territory。〃　This　practice　was　at　its　greatest　height　when　President　Garfield　challenged　the　system；　and　he　let　it　be　understood　that　he　would　insist　upon　his　constitutional　right　to　make　nominations　at　his　own　discretion。　When　Senator　Conkling　obtained　from　a　caucus　of　his　Republican　colleagues　an　expression　of　sympathy　with　his　position；　the　President　let　it　be　known　that　he　regarded　such　action　as　an　affront　and　he　withdrew　all　New　York　nominations　except　those　to　which　exception　had　been　taken　by　the　New　York　Senators；　thus　confronting　the　Senate　with　the　issue　whether　they　would　stand　by　the　new　Administration　or　would　follow　Conkling's　lead。

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　S