the cleveland era-第4节

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　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　had　been　Conkling's　adherent；　he　was　not　his　servitor。　He　conducted　the　routine　business　of　the　presidential　office　with　dignity；　and　he　displayed　independence　of　character　in　his　relations　with　Congress。　But　his　powers　were　so　limited　by　the　conditions　under　which　he　had　to　act　that　to　a　large　extent　public　interests　had　to　drift　along　without　direction　and　management。　In　some　degree；　the　situation　resembled　that　which　existed　in　the　Holy　Roman　Empire　when　a　complicated　legalism　kept　grinding　away　and　pretentious　forms　of　authority　were　maintained；　although；　meanwhile；　there　was　actual　administrative　impotence。　Striking　evidence　of　the　existence　of　such　a　situation　is　found　in　President　Arthur's　messages　to　Congress。

In　his　message　of　December　6；　1881；　the　President　mentioned　the　fact　that　in　the　West　〃a　band　of　armed　desperadoes　known　as　'Cowboys；'　probably　numbering　fifty　to　one　hundred　men；　have　been　engaged　for　months　in　committing　acts　of　lawlessness　and　brutality　which　the　local　authorities　have　been　unable　to　repress。〃　He　observed　that　〃with　every　disposition　to　meet　the　exigencies　of　the　case；　I　am　embarrassed　by　lack　of　authority　to　deal　with　them　effectually。〃　The　center　of　disturbance　was　in　Arizona；　and　the　punishment　of　crime　there　was　ordinarily　the　business　of　the　local　authorities。　But　even　if　they　called　for　aid；　said　the　President；　〃this　Government　would　be　powerless　to　render　assistance；〃　for　the　laws　had　been　altered　by　Congress　so　that　States　but　not　Territories　could　demand　the　protection　of　the　national　Government　against　〃domestic　violence。〃　He　recommended　legislation　extending　to　the　Territories　〃the　protection　which　is　accorded　the　States　by　the　Constitution。〃　On　April　26；　1882；　the　President　sent　a　special　message　to　Congress　on　conditions　in　Arizona；　announcing　that　〃robbery；　murder；　and　resistance　to　laws　have　become　so　common　as　to　cease　causing　surprise；　and　that　the　people　are　greatly　intimidated　and　losing　confidence　in　the　protection　of　the　law。〃　He　also　advised　Congress　that　the　〃Cowboys〃　were　making　raids　into　Mexico；　and　again　begged　for　legal　authority　to　act。　On　the　3rd　of　May；　he　issued　a　proclamation　calling　upon　the　outlaws　〃to　disperse　and　retire　peaceably　to　their　respective　abodes。〃　In　his　regular　annual　message　on　December　4；　1882；　he　again　called　attention　〃to　the　prevalent　lawlessness　upon　the　borders；　and　to　the　necessity　of　legislation　for　its　suppression。〃

Such　vast　agitation　from　the　operations　of　a　band　of　ruffians；　estimated　at　from　fifty　to　one　hundred　in　number；　and　such　floundering　incapacity　for　prompt　action　by　public　authority　seem　more　like　events　from　a　chronicle　of　the　Middle　Ages　than　from　the　public　records　of　a　modern　nation。　Of　like　tenor；　was　a　famous　career　which　came　to　an　end　in　this　period。　Jesse　W。　James；　the　son　of　a　Baptist　minister　in　Clay　County；　Missouri；　for　some　years　carried　on　a　bandit　business；　specializing　in　the　robbery　of　banks　and　railroad　trains；　with　takings　computed　at　263；778。　As　his　friends　and　admirers　were　numerous；　the　elective　sheriffs；　prosecuting　attorneys；　and　judges　in　the　area　of　his　activities　were　unable　to　stop　him　by　any　means　within　their　reach。　Meanwhile；　the　frightened　burghers　of　the　small　towns　in　his　range　of　operations　were　clamoring　for　deliverance　from　his　raids；　and　finally　Governor　Crittenden　of　Missouri　offered　a　reward　of　10；000　for　his　capture　dead　or　alive。　Two　members　of　his　own　band　shot　him　down　in　his　own　house；　April　3；　1882。　They　at　once　reported　the　deed　and　surrendered　themselves　to　the　police；　were　soon　put　on　trial；　pleaded　guilty　of　murder；　were　sentenced　to　death；　and　were　at　once　pardoned　by　the　Governor。　Meanwhile；　the　funeral　ceremonies　over　Jesse　James's　remains　drew　a　great　concourse　of　people；　and　there　were　many　indications　of　popular　sympathy。　Stories　of　his　exploits　have　had　an　extensive　sale；　and　his　name　has　become　a　center　of　legend　and　ballad　somewhat　after　the　fashion　of　the　medieval　hero　Robin　Hood。

The　legislative　blundering　which　tied　the　President's　hands　and　made　the　Government　impotent　to　protect　Americ