the cleveland era-第9节

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　years。　It　may　be　admitted　that；　in　a　sound　constitutional　system；　a　change　of　management　in　the　public　business　would　not　vacate　all　offices　any　more　than　in　private　business；　but　would　affect　only　such　leading　positions　as　are　responsible　for　policy　and　discipline。　Such　a　sensible　system；　however；　had　existed　only　in　the　early　days　of　the　republic　and　at　the　time　of　Cleveland's　accession　to　office　federal　offices　were　generally　used　as　party　barracks。　The　situation　which　confronted　President　Cleveland　he　thus　described　in　later　years：

〃In　numerous　instances　the　post…offices　were　made　headquarters　for　local　party　committees　and　organizations　and　the　centers　of　partisan　scheming。　Party　literature　favorable　to　the　postmaster's　party；　that　never　passed　regularly　through　the　mails；　was　distributed　through　the　post…offices　as　an　item　of　party　service；　and　matter　of　a　political　character；　passing　through　the　mails　in　the　usual　course　and　addressed　to　patrons　belonging　to　the　opposite　party；　was　withheld；　disgusting　and　irritating　placards　were　prominently　displayed　in　many　post…offices；　and　the　attention　of　Democratic　inquirers　for　mail　matter　was　tauntingly　directed　to　them　by　the　postmaster；　and　in　various　other　ways　postmasters　and　similar　officials　annoyed　and　vexed　those　holding　opposite　political　opinions；　who；　in　common　with　all　having　business　at　public　offices；　were　entitled　to　considerate　and　obliging　treatment。　In　some　quarters；　official　incumbents　neglected　public　duty　to　do　political　work　and　especially　in　Southern　States；　they　frequently　were　not　only　inordinately　active　in　questionable　political　work；　but　sought　to　do　party　service　by　secret　and　sinister　manipulation　of　colored　votes；　and　by　other　practices　inviting　avoidable　and　dangerous　collisions　between　the　white　and　colored　population。〃*

*Cleveland；　〃Presidential　Problems；〃　pp。　42…43。


The　Administration　began　its　career　in　March；　1885。　The　Senate　did　not　convene　until　December。　Meanwhile；　removals　and　appointments　went　on　in　the　public　service；　the　total　for　ten　months　being　six　hundred　and　forty…three　which　was　thirty…seven　less　than　the　number　of　removals　made　by　President　Grant　in　seven　weeks；　in　1869。

In　obedience　to　the　statute　of　1869；　President　Cleveland　sent　in　all　the　recess　appointments　within　thirty　days　after　the　opening　of　the　session。　They　were　referred　to　various　committees　according　to　the　long　established　custom　of　the　Senate；　but　the　Senate　moved　so　slowly　that　three　months　after　the　opening　of　the　session；　only　seventeen　nominations　had　been　considered；　fifteen　of　which　the　Senate　confirmed。

Meanwhile；　the　Senate　had　raised　an　issue　which　the　President　met　with　a　force　and　a　directness　probably　unexpected。　Among　the　recess　appointments　was　one　to　the　office　of　District　Attorney　for　the　Southern　District　of　Alabama；　in　place　of　an　officer　who　had　been　suspended　in　July　1885；　but　whose　term　of　office　expired　by　limitation　on　December　20；　1885。　Therefore；　at　the　time　the　Senate　took　up　the　case；　the　Tenure　of　Office　Act　did　not　apply　to　it；　and　the　only　question　actually　open　was　whether　the　acting　officer　should　be　confirmed　or　rejected。　Nevertheless；　the　disposition　to　assert　control　over　executive　action　was　so　strong　that　the　Senate　drifted　into　a　constitutional　struggle　over　a　case　that　did　not　then　involve　the　question　of　the　President's　discretionary　power　of　removal　from　office；　which　was　really　the　point　at　issue。

On　December　26；　1885；　the　Judiciary　Committee　notified　the　Attorney…General　to　transmit　〃all　papers　and　information　in　the　possession　of　the　Department〃　regarding　both　the　nomination　and　〃the　suspension　and　proposed　removal　from　office〃　of　the　former　incumbent。　On　January　11；　1886；　the　Attorney…General　sent　to　the　Committee　the　papers　bearing　upon　the　nomination；　but　withheld　those　touching　the　removal　on　the　ground　that　he　had　〃received　no　direction　from　the　President　in　relation　to　their　transmission。〃　The　matter　was　debated　by　the　Senate　in　executive　session　and　on　January　25；　1886；　a　resolution　was　adopted　which　was　authoritative　in　its　tone　and　which　directed　the　Attorney…General　to　transmit　copies　of　all　documents　and　papers　in　relation　to　the　conduct　of　the　office　of　District　Attorney　for　the　Southern　District　of　Alabama　since　January　1；　1885。　Within　three　days；　Attorney…General　Garland　responded　that　he　had　already　transmitted　all　papers　relating　to　the　nomination；　but　with　regard　to　the　demand　for　papers　exclusively　relating　to　the　suspension　of　the　former　incumbent　he　was　directed　by　the　President　to　say　〃that　it　is　not　considered　that　the　public　interests　will　be　promoted　by　a　compliance。〃

The　response　of　the　Attorney…General　was　referred　to　the　Judiciary　Committee　which；　on　the　18th　of　February；　made　an　elaborate　report　exhibiting　the　issue　as　one　which　involved　the　right　of　Congress　to　obtain　information。　It　urged　that　〃the　important　question；　then；　is　whether　it　is　within　the　constitutional　competence　of　either　House　of　Congress　to　have　access　to　the　official　papers　and　documents　in　the　various　public　offices　of　the　United　States；　created　by　laws　enacted　by　themselves。〃　The　report；　which　was　signed　only　by　the　Republican　members　of　the　Committee；　was　an　adroit　partisan　performance；　invoking　traditional　constitutional　principles　in　behalf　of　congressional　privilege。　A　distinct　and　emphatic　assertion　of　the　prerogative　of　the　Senate　was　made；　however；　in　resolutions　recommended　to　the　Senate　for　adoption。　Those　resolutions　censured　the　Attorney…General　and　declared　it　to　be　the　duty　of　the　Senate　〃to　refuse　its　advice　and　consent　to　proposed　removals　of　officers〃　when　papers　relating　to　them　〃are　withheld　by　the　Executive　or　any　head　of　a　department。〃

On　the　2nd　of　March；　a　minority　report　was　submitted；　making　the　point　of　which　the　cogency　was　obvious；　that　inasmuch　as　the　term　of　the　official　concerning　whose　suspension　the　Senate　undertook　to　inquire　had　already　expired　by　legal　limitation；　the　only　object　in　pressing　for　the　papers　in　his　case　must　be　to　review　an　act　of　the　President　which　was　no　longer　within　the　jurisdiction　of　the　Senate；　even　if　the　constitutionality　of　the　Tenure　of　Office　Act　should　be　granted。　The　report　also　showed　that　of　the　precedents　cited　in　behalf　of　the　majority's　contention；　the　applicability　could　be　maintained　only　of　those　which　were　supplied　by　cases　arising　since　1867；　before　which　time　the　right　of　the　President　to　remove　officers　at　his　own　discretion　was　fully　conceded。

The　controversy　had　so　far　followed　the　ordinary　lines　of　partisan　contention　in　Congress；　which　public　opinion　was　accustomed　to　regard　with　contemptuous　indifference　as　mere　sparring　for　points　in　the　electioneering　game。　President　Cleveland　now　intervened　in　a　way　which　riveted　the　attention　of　the　nation　upon　the　issue。　Ever　since　the　memorable　struggle　which　began　when　the　Senate　censured　President　Jackson　and　did　not　end　until　that　censure　was　expunged；　the　Senate　had　been　chary　of　a　direct　encounter　with　the　President。　Although　the　response　of　the　Attorney…General　stated　that　he　was　acting　under　the　direction　of　the　President；　the　pending　resolutions　avoided　any　mention　of　the　President　but　expressed　〃condemnation　of　the　refusal　of　the　Attorney…General　under　whatever　influence；　to　send　to　the　Senate〃　the　required　papers。　The　logical　implication　was　that；　when　the　orders　of　the　President　and　the　Senate　conflicted；　it　was　the　duty　of　the　Attorney…General　to　obey　the　Senate。　This　raised　an　issue　which　President　Cleveland　met　by　sending　to　the　Senate　his　message　of　March　1；　1886；　which　has　taken　a　high　rank　among　American　constitutional　documents。　It　is　strong　in　its　logic；　dignified　in　its　tone；　terse；　direct；　and　forceful　in　its　diction。

Cleveland's　message　opened　with　the　statement　that　〃ever　since　the　beginning　of　the　present　session　of　the　Senate；　the　different　heads　of　the　departments　attached　to　the　executive　branch　of　the　government　have　been　plied　with　various　requests　and　documents　from　committees　of　the　Senate；　from　members　of　such　committees；　and　at　last　from　the　Senate　itself；　requiring　the　transmission　of　reasons　for　the　suspension　of　certain　officials　during　the　recess　of　that　body；　or　for　papers　touching　the　conduct　of　such　officials。〃　The　President　then　observed　that　〃though　these　suspensions　are　my　executive　acts；　based　upon　considerations　addressed　to　me　alone　and　for　which　I　am　wholly　responsible；　I　have　had　no　invitation　from　the　Senate　to　state　the　position　which　I　have　felt　constrained　to　assume。〃　Further　on；　he　clinched　this　admission　of　full　responsibility　by　declaring　that　〃the　letter　of　the　Attorney…General　in　response　to　the　resolution　of　the　Senate。。。　was　written　at　my　suggestion　and　by　my　direction。〃

This　statement　made　clear　in　the　sight　of　the　nation　that　the　true　issue　was　between　the　President　and　the　Senate。　The　strength　of　the　Senate's　position　lay　in　its　claim　to　the　right　of　access　to　the　records　of　public　offices　〃created　by　laws　enacted　by　themselves。〃　The　counterstroke　of　the　President　was　one　of　the　most　effective　passages　of　his　message　in　its　effect　upon　public　opinion。　〃I　do　not　suppose；〃　he　said；　〃that　the　public　offices　of　the　Unit