the cleveland era-第12章

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that　the　Senate　was　not　playing　the　game　fairly　to　refuse　the　Democrats　their　innings　was　felt　even　among　Senator　Edmunds'　own　adherents。　A　spirit　of　comity　traversing　party　lines　is　very　noticeable　in　the　intercourse　of　professional　politicians。　Their　willingness　to　help　each　other　out　is　often　manifested；　particularly　in　struggles　involving　control　of　party　machinery。　Indeed；　a　system　of　ring　rule　in　a　governing　party　seems　to　have　for　its　natural　concomitant　the　formation　of　a　similar　ring　in　the　regular　opposition；　and　the　two　rings　maintain　friendly　relations　behind　the　forms　of　party　antagonism。　The　situation　is　very　similar　to　that　which　exists　between　opposing　counsel　in　suits　at　law；　where　the　contentions　at　the　trial　table　may　seem　to　be　full　of　animosity　and　may　indeed　at　times　really　develop　personal　enmity；　but　which　as　a　general　rule　are　merely　for　effect　and　do　not　at　all　hinder　cooperation　in　matters　pertaining　to　their　common　professional　interest。

The　attitude　taken　by　the　Senate　in　its　opposition　to　President　Cleveland　jarred　upon　this　sense　of　professional　comity；　and　it　was　very　noticeable　that　in　the　midst　of　the　struggle　some　questionable　nominations　of　notorious　machine　politicians　were　confirmed　by　the　Senate。　It　may　have　been　that　a　desire　to　discredit　the　reform　professions　of　the　Administration　contributed　to　this　result；　but　the　effect　was　disadvantageous　to　the　Senate。　〃The　Nation〃　on　March　11；　1886；　in　a　powerful　article　reviewing　the　controversy　observed：　〃There　is　not　the　smallest　reason　for　believing　that；　if　the　Senate　won；　it　would　use　its　victory　in　any　way　for　the　maintenance　or　promotion　of　reform。　In　truth；　in　the　very　midst　of　the　controversy；　it　confirmed　the　nomination　of　one　of　Baltimore's　political　scamps。〃　It　is　certainly　true　that　the　advising　power　of　the　Senate　has　never　exerted　a　corrective　influence　upon　appointments　to　office；　its　constant　tendency　is　towards　a　system　of　apportionment　which　concedes　the　right　of　the　President　to　certain　personal　appointments　and　asserts　the　reciprocal　right　of　Congressmen　to　their　individual　quotas。

As　a　result　of　these　various　influences；　the　position　assumed　by　the　Republicans　under　the　lead　of　Senator　Edmunds　was　seriously　weakened。　When　the　resolutions　of　censure　were　put　to　the　vote　on　the　26th　of　March；　that　condemning　the　refusal　of　the　Attorney…General　to　produce　the　papers　was　adopted　by　thirty…two　ayes　to　twenty…six　naysa　strict　party　vote；　but　the　resolution　declaring　it　to　be　the　duty　of　the　Senate　in　all　such　cases　to　refuse　its　consent　to　removals　of　suspended　officials　was　adopted　by　a　majority　of　only　one　vote；　and　two　Republican　Senators　voted　with　the　Democrats。　The　result　was；　in　effect；　a　defeat　for　the　Republican　leaders；　and　they　wisely　decided　to　withdraw　from　the　position　which　they　had　been　holding。　Shortly　after　the　passage　of　the　resolutions；　the　Senate　confirmed　the　nomination　over　which　the　contest　started；　and　thereafter　the　right　of　the　President　to　make　removals　at　his　own　discretion　was　not　questioned。

This　retreat　of　the　Republican　leaders　was　accompanied；　however；　by　a　new　development　in　political　tactics；　which　from　the　standpoint　of　party　advantage；　was　ingeniously　conceived。　It　was　now　held　that；　inasmuch　as　the　President　had　avowed　attachment　to　the　principle　of　tenure　of　office　during　good　behavior；　his　action　in　suspending　officers　therefore　implied　delinquency　in　their　character　or　conduct　from　which　they　should　be　exonerated　in　case　the　removal　was　really　on　partisan　grounds。　In　reporting　upon　nominations；　therefore；　Senate　committees　adopted　the　practice　of　noting　that　there　were　no　charges　of　misconduct　against　the　previous　incumbents　and　that　the　suspension　was　on　account　of　〃political　reasons。〃　As　these　proceedings　took　place　in　executive　session；　which　is　held　behind　closed　doors；　reports　of　this　character　would　not　ordinarily　reach　the　public；　but　the　Senate　now　voted　to　remove　the　injunction　of　secrecy；　and　the　reports　were　published。　The　manifest　object　of　these　maneuvers　was　to　exhibit　the　President　as　acting　upon　the　〃spoils　system〃　of　distributing　offices。　The　President's　position　was　that　he　was　not　accountable　to　the　Senate　in　such　matters。　In　his　message　of　the　1st　of　March　he　said：　〃The　pledges　I　have　made　were　made　to　the　people；　and　to　them　I　am　responsible　for　the　manner　in　which　they　have　been　redeemed。　I　am　not　responsible　to　the　Senate；　and　I　am　unwilling　to　submit　my　actions　and　official　conduct　to　them　for　judgement。〃

While　this　contest　was　still　going　on；　President　Cleveland　had　to　encounter　another　attempt　of　the　Senate　to　take　his　authority　out　of　his　hands。　The　history　of　American　diplomacy　during　this　period　belongs　to　another　volume　in　this　series；*　but　a　diplomatic　question　was　drawn　into　the　struggle　between　the　President　and　the　Senate　in　such　a　way　that　it　requires　mention　here。　Shortly　after　President　Cleveland　took　office；　the　fishery　articles　of　the　Treaty　of　Washington　had　terminated。　In　his　first　annual　message　to　Congress；　on　December　8；　1885；　he　recommended　the　appointment　of　a　commission　to　settle　with　a　similar　commission　from　Great　Britain　〃the　entire　question　of　the　fishery　rights　of　the　two　governments　and　their　respective　citizens　on　the　coasts　of　the　United　States　and　British　North　America。〃　But　this　sensible　advice　was　denounced　as　weak　and　cowardly。　Oratory　of　the　kind　known　as　〃twisting　the　lion's　tail〃　resounded　in　Congress。　Claims　were　made　of　natural　right　to　the　use　of　Canadian　waters　which　would　not　have　been　indulged　for　a　moment　in　respect　of　the　territorial　waters　of　the　United　States。　For　instance；　it　was　held　that　a　bay　over　six　miles　between　headlands　gave　free　ingress　so　long　as　vessels　kept　three　miles　from　shore　a　doctrine　which；　if　applied　to　Long　Island　Sound；　Delaware　Bay；　or　Chesapeake　Bay；　would　have　impaired　our　national　jurisdiction　over　those　waters。　Senator　Frye　of　Maine　took　the　lead　in　a　rub…a…dub　agitation　in　the　presence　of　which　some　Democratic　Senators　showed　marked　timidity。　The　administration　of　public　services　by　congressional　committees　has　the　incurable　defect　that　it　reflects　the　particular　interests　and　attachments　of　the　committeemen。　Presidential　administration　is　so　circumstanced　that　it　tends　to　be　nationally　minded；　committee　administration；　just　as　naturally；　tends　to　be　locally　minded。　Hence；　Senator　Frye　was　able　to　report　from　the　committee　on　foreign　relations　a　resolution　declaring　that　a　commission　〃charged　with　the　consideration　and　settlement　of　the　fishery　rights。。。　ought　not　to　be　provided　for　by　Congress。〃　Such　was　the　attitude　of　the　Senate　towards　the　President　on　this　question；　that　on　April　13；　1886；　this　arrogant　resolution　was　adopted　by　thirty…five　ayes　to　10　nays。　A　group　of　Eastern　Democrats　who　were　in　a　position　to　be　affected　by　the　longshore　vote；　joined　with　the　Republicans　in　voting　for　the　resolution；　and　among　them　Senator　Gorman　of　Maryland；　national　chairman　of　the　Democratic　party。

*　See　〃The　Path　of　Empire；〃　by　Carl　Russell　Fish　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


President　Cleveland　was　no　more　affected　by　this　Senate　resolution　than　he　had　been　by　their　other　resolutions　attacking　his　authority。　He　went　ahead　with　his　negotiations　and　concluded　treaty　arrangements　which　the　Senate；　of　course；　rejected；　but；　as　that　result　had　been　anticipated；　a　modus　vivendi　which　had　been　arranged　by　executive　agreements　between　the　two　countries　went　into　effect；　regardless　of　the　Senate's　attitude。　The　case　is　a　signal　instance　of　the　substitution　of　executive　arrangements　for　treaty　engagements　which　has　since　then　been　such　a　marked　tendency　in　the　conduct　of　the　foreign　relations　of　the　United　States。

A　consideration　which　worked　steadily　against　the　Senate　in　its　attacks　upon　the　President；　was　the　prevalent　belief　that　the　Tenure　of　Office　Act　was　unconstitutional　in　its　nature　and　mischievous　in　its　effects。　Although　Senator　Edmunds　had　been　able　to　obtain　a　show　of　solid　party　support；　it　eventually　became　known　that　he　stood　almost　alone　in　the　Judiciary　Committee　in　his　approval　of　that　act。　The　case　is　an　instructive　revelation　of　the　arbitrary　power　conferred　by　the