the cleveland era-第14部分

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ouse　was　violating　the　spirit　of　the　Civil　Service　Act；　and　was　making　a　party　machine　of　his　office；　caused　the　Civil　Service　Commission　to　make　an　investigation　which　resulted　in　his　resignation　in　July；　1886。　On　the　10th　of　August；　Daniel　Magone　of　Ogdensburg；　New　York；　a　widely　known　lawyer；　was　personally　chosen　by　the　President　with　a　view　to　enforcing　the　civil　service　law　in　the　New　York　Customs　House。　Before　making　this　appointment；　President　Cleveland　issued　an　order　to　all　heads　of　departments　warning　all　officeholders　against　the　use　of　their　positions　to　control　political　movements　in　their　localities。　〃Officeholders；〃　he　declared；　〃are　the　agents　of　the　people；　not　their　masters。　They　have　no　right；　as　officeholders；　to　dictate　the　political　action　of　their　associates；　or　to　throttle　freedom　of　action　within　party　lines　by　methods　and　practices　which　prevent　every　useful　and　justifiable　purpose　of　party　organization。〃　In　August；　President　Cleveland　gave　signal　evidence　of　his　devotion　to　civil　service　reform　by　appointing　a　Republican；　because　of　his　special　qualifications；　to　be　chief　examiner　for　the　Civil　Service　Commission。

Democratic　party　workers　were　so　angered　and　disgusted　by　the　President's　policy　that　any　mention　of　his　name　was　enough　to　start　a　flow　of　coarse　denunciation。　Strong　hostility　to　his　course　of　action　was　manifested　in　Congress。　Chairman　Randall；　of　the　committee　on　appropriations；　threatened　to　cut　off　the　appropriation　for　office　room　for　the　commission。　A　〃rider〃　to　the　legislative　appropriation　bill；　striking　at　the　civil　service　law；　caused　a　vigorous　debate　in　the　House　in　which　leading　Democrats　assailed　the　Administration；　but　eventually　the　〃rider〃　was　ruled　out　on　a　point　of　order。　In　the　Senate；　such　party　leaders　as　Vance　of　North　Carolina；　Saulsbury　of　Delaware；　and　Voorhees　of　Indiana；　openly　ridiculed　the　civil　service　law；　and　various　attempts　to　cripple　it　were　made　but　were　defeated。　Senator　Vance　introduced　a　bill　to　repeal　the　law；　but　it　was　indefinitely　postponed　by　a　vote　of　33　to　6；　the　affirmative　vote　being　cast　mainly　by　Republicans；　and　in　general　the　strongest　support　for　the　law　now　came　from　the　Republican　side。　Early　in　June；　1887；　an　estimate　was　made　that　nine　thousand　civil　offices　outside　the　scope　of　the　civil　service　rules　were　still　held　by　Republicans。　The　Republican　party　press　gloated　over　the　situation　and　was　fond　of　dwelling　upon　the　way　in　which　old…line　Democrats　were　being　snubbed　while　the　Mugwumps　were　favored。　At　the　same　time；　civil　service　reformers　found　much　to　condemn　in　the　character　of　Cleveland's　appointments。　A　special　committee　of　the　National　Civil　Service　Reform　League；　on　March　30；　1887；　published　a　report　in　which　they　asserted　that；　〃tried　by　the　standard　of　absolute　fidelity　to　the　reform　as　it　is　understood　by　this　League；　it　is　not　to　be　denied　that　t　this　Administration　has　left　much　to　be　desired。〃　At　a　subsequent　session　of　the　League；　its　President；　George　William　Curtis；　proclaimed　that　the　League　did　not　regard　the　Administration　as　〃in　any　strict　sense　of　the　words　a　civil　service　reform　administration。〃　Thus　while　President　Cleveland　was　alienating　his　regular　party　support；　he　was　not　getting　in　return　any　dependable　support　from　the　reformers。　He　seemed　to　be　sitting　down　between　two　stools；　both　tilting　to　let　him　fall。

Meanwhile；　he　went　on　imperturbably　doing　his　duty　as　he　saw　it。　Like　many　of　his　predecessors；　he　would　rise　early　to　get　some　time　to　attend　to　public　business　before　the　rush　of　office　seekers　began；　but　the　bulk　of　his　day's　work　lay　in　the　discharge　of　his　compulsory　duties　as　an　employment　agent。　Many　difficult　situations　were　created　by　contentions　among　Congressmen　over　appointments。　It　was　Cleveland's　habit　to　deal　with　these　cases　by　homely　expostulation　and　by　pleas　for　mutual　concessions。　Such　incidents　do　not　of　course　go　upon　record；　and　it　is　only　as　memoirs　and　reminiscences　of　public　men　are　published　that　this　personal　side　of　history　becomes　known。　Senator　Cullom　of　Illinois　in　his　〃Fifty　Years　of　Public　Service〃　gives　an　account　that　doubtless　fairly　displays　Cleveland's　way　of　handling　his　vexatious　problems。　〃I　happened　to　be　at　the　White　House　one　day；　and　Mr。　Cleveland　said　to　me；　'I　wish　you　would　take　up　Lamar's　nomination　and　dispose　of　it。　I　am　between　hay　and　grass　with　reference　to　the　Interior　Department。　Nothing　is　being　done　there；　I　ought　to　have　some　one　on　duty；　and　I　cannot　do　anything　until　you　dispose　of　Lamar。'〃　Mr。　Lamar；　who　had　entered　the　Cabinet　as　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　was　nominated　for　associate　justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　on　December　6；　1887。　He　had　been　an　eminent　member　of　the　Senate；　with　previous　distinguished　service　in　the　House；　so　that　the　Senate　must　have　had　abundant　knowledge　of　his　character　and　attainments。　It　is　impossible　to　assign　the　delay　that　ensued　to　reasonable　need　of　time　for　inquiry　as　to　his　qualifications；　but　Senator　Cullom　relates　that　〃the　nomination　pended　before　the　Judiciary　Committee　for　a　long　time。〃　Soon　after　the　personal　appeal；　which　was　made　by　the　President　to　every　Senator　he　could　reach；　action　was　finally　taken　and　the　appointment　was　confirmed　January　16；　1888。

Senator　Cullom's　reminiscences　also　throw　light　upon　the　process　by　which　judges　are　appointed。　President　Cleveland　had　selected　Melville　W。　Fuller　of　Illinois　for　the　office　of　chief　justice　of　the　Supreme　Court。　According　to　Senator　Cullom；　Senator　Edmunds　〃was　very　much　out　of　humor　with　the　President　because　he　had　fully　expected　that　Judge　Phelps；　of　his　own　State；　was　to　receive　the　honor。。。。　The　result　was　that　Senator　Edmunds　held　the　nomination；　without　any　action；　in　the　Judiciary　Committee　for　some　three　months。〃　Senator　Cullom；　although　a　party　associate　of　Edmunds；　was　pleased　that　the　President　had　selected　an　Illinois　jurist　and　he　was　determined　that；　if　he　could　help　it；　Edmunds　should　not　have　the　New　Hampshire　candidate　appointed。　He　therefore　appealed　to　the　committee　to　do　something　about　the　nomination；　either　one　way　or　the　other。　The　committee　finally　reported　the　nomination　to　the　Senate　without　recommendation。　When　the　matter　came　up　in　executive　session；　〃Senator　Edmunds　at　once　took　the　floor　and　attacked　Judge　Fuller　most　viciously　as　having　sympathized　with　the　rebellion。〃　But　Cullom　was　primed　to　meet　that　argument。　He　had　been　furnished　with　a　copy　of　a　speech　attacking　President　Lincoln　which　Phelps　had　delivered　during　the　war；　and　he　now　read　it　to　the　Senate；　〃much　to　the　chagrin　and　mortification　of　Senator　Edmunds。〃　Cullom　relates　that　the　Democrats　in　the　Senate　enjoyed　the　scene。　〃Naturally；　it　appeared　to　them　a　very　funny　performance；　two　Republicans　quarreling　over　the　confirmation　of　a　Democrat。　They　sat　silent；　however；　and　took　no　part　at　all　in　the　debate；　leaving　us　Republicans　to　settle　it　among　ourselves。〃　The　result　of　the　Republican　split　was　that　the　nomination　of　Fuller　was　confirmed　〃by　a　substantial　majority。〃

Another　nomination　which　caused　much　agitation　at　the　time　was　that　of　James　C。　Matthews　of　New　York；　to　be　Recorder　of　Deeds　in　the　District　of　Columbia。　The　office　had　been　previously　held　by　Frederick　Douglass；　a　distinguished　leader　of　the　colored　race；　and　in　filling　the　vacancy　the　President　believed　it　would　be　an　exercise　of　wise　and　kindly　consideration　to　choose　a　member　of　the　same　race。　But　in　the　Washington　community；　there　was　such　a　strong　antipathy　to　the　importation　of　a　negro　politician　from　New　York　to　fill　a　local　office　that　a　great　clamor　was　raised；　in　which　Democrats　joined。　The　Senate　rejected　the　nomination；　but　meanwhile　Mr。　Matthews　had　entered　upon　the　duties　of　his　office　and　he　showed　such　tact　and　ability　as　gradually　to　soften　the　opposition。　On　December　21；1886；　President　Cleveland　renominated　him；　pointing　out　that　he　had　been　in　actual　occupation　of　the　office　for　four　months；　managing　its　affairs　with　such　ability　as　to　remove　〃much　of　the　opposition　to　his　appointment　which　has　heretofore　existed。〃　In　conclusion；　the　President　confessed　〃a　desire　to　cooperate　in　tendering　to　our　colored　fellow…citizens　just　recognition。〃　This　was　a　shrewd　argument。　The　Republican　majority　in　the　Senate　shrank　from　what　might　seem　to　be　drawing　the　color　line；　and　the　appointment　was　eventually　confirmed；　but　this　did　not　remove　the　sense　of　grievance　in　Washington　over　the　use　of　local　offices　for　national　party　purposes。　Local　sentiment　in　the　District　of　Columbia　is；　however；　politically　unimportant；　as　the　community　has　no　means　of　positive　action。*

*　It　is　a　singular　fact；　which　contains　matter　for　deep　consideration；　that　the　District　of　Columbia；　the　national　capital；　is　the　only　populated　area　in　the　civilized　world　without　any　sort　of　suffrage　rights。


In　the　same　month　in　which　President　Cleveland　issued　his　memorable　special　message　to　the　Senate　on　the　Tenure　of　Office　Act；　he　began　another　struggle　against　congressional　practice　in　which　he　was　not　so　fortunate。　On　March　10；　1886；　he　sent　to　Congress　the　first　of　his　pension　vetoes。　Although　liberal　provision　for　granting　pensions　had　been　made　by　general　laws；　numerous　special　applications　were　made　directly　to　Congress；　and　congressmen　were　solicited　to　secure　favorable　consideration　for　them。　That　it　was　the　duty　of　a　representative　to　support　an　application　from　a　resident　of　his　district；　was　a　doctrine　enforced　by　claim　agents　with　a　pertinacity　from　which　there　was　no　escape。　To　attempt　to　assume　a　judicial　attitude　in　the　matter　was　politically　dangerous；　and　to　yield　assent　was　a　matter　of　practical　convenience。　Senator　Cullom　relates　that　when　he　first　became　a　member　of　the　committee　on　pensions　he　was　〃a　little　uneasy〃　lest　he　〃might　be　too　liberal。〃　But　he　was　guided　by　the　advice　of　an　old；　experienced　Congressman；　Senator　Sawyer　of　Wisconsin；　who　told　him：　〃You　need　not　worry；　you　cannot　very　well　make　a　mistake　allowing　liberal　pensions　to　the　soldier　boys。　The　money　will　get　back　into　the　Treasury　very　soon。〃

The　feeling　that　anything　that　the　old　soldiers　wanted　should　be　granted　was　even　stronger　in　the　House；　where　about　the　only　opportunity　of　distinction　allowed　by　the　p