The Evils of Party Government.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12583, 21 January 1905, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Evils of Party Government.

CHAPTER XI.

Trili -ELKrrnrß PRINCIPLE IN

AMERICA.

The Presidential election in .tlie' United States is, in pcint of fact, also the election of a Cabinet. No events of' recent {ate could more clearly, illustrate this fundamental fact than those, which demonstrate the tactical necessity, which i the' Republicans recently perceived., of altering the composition cf Ul9 Washington Executive, even at the e'eveath hour,, so as !"o bring it more cirnp'c'e'y into harmony with the electoral frrces upon which the 'party had to depend for i s chances of succese in November. Attcrnev-General P. C. Knox, w'2o had piveriutterance to some very strong strictures on tie trust system, was induced •to retire and to become a candidate for the Senate, and in his place was substituted M 5 J. H. •Choatc, who is cow the 'American, ambassador in ' London—a much safer man at the present juncture from -a party point of view. Hie fact is that Mr W. !S. .Hearst, the famous originator of " yellow journalism," who had spent already ' over £300,000 in pressing his candidature, had joined his forces as a. Democrat along with those of the Labour party, in. declaring war to the death against, the trusts; and, inasmuch as-lie had been far more oronounced on this subject Miaiv cvor Mv Roosevelt had been, it wr.x obvious Mint the extreme oppoi:en's' of the trusts would vote against the Republican party. , The latter, on. its part, sought to conciliate i'he leaders of the great manufacturing -ombines. The convention of the party ■ ook. place at Chicago on 21st June, and, in order that Mr Roosevelt might- obta'in 1 firm nomination,.it was deemed essential Mi at not only lie, but also every member of the ..Cabinet which he appointed, should refrain from adopting any violent Antitrust. attitude. According to the strict letter . of the constitution, the power, of the : President to select the members, of, his Cabinet is exercised subject to the sanction or veto of the Senate. - But only in. one instance, on the occasion of the , Senate's very bitter quarrel with 'President Johnson, has this prerogative of Veto ever been exercised by that body. There is now a firm law cf precedent entitling' ; tlie •Chief Federal Officer of the American Union to nominate his colleagues 1 bu the Executive Council. It is therefore necessary that the members of a. Cabinet which is seeking popular support for ft second 1 time shall present an unbroken , front, on • questions of broad public policy. . The obief mistakes made by the frumei's of the American constitution were due to the fact that, while, they had decided to apply the elective principle - to tho methods' of selecting the Executive, they did not logically follow up 'the 'consequences of that- decision. This point is plainly indicated by Professor. Jiimes Bryce in his admirable work, on " The American Commonwealth." Had the framers of the constitution established the elective principle as the basis of the Executive authority, and left it at that, there would never have been the same chance for the growth of the evil " spoils" system. The Senate, while it has practically renounced its power to influence the selection of the Cabinet, .!;as made abundant use of its opportunities for patronage in respect 'to offices of less importance. The House of Representatives, through its legislative prerogatives, lias succeeded in; establishing a kind of understanding, which transfers to it the privilege of nominating the more numerous officials of.- lower degree. Tho consequence lias been that what is known, as "the courtesy of the Senate" ,has become an engine 'of oppression and " corruption. The most strenuous supporters of the party which (has been in Opposition apply with confidence to the mfmbers of that party when it proves victorious at the polls, demanding from them offices ,of profit under the Federal Government. In order that there may be enough of prizes to satisfy tlie partisan applicants, it generally happens that wholesale dismissals of the . old nominees of the defeated party are resorted to without scruple. Patriotic and truthful Americans universally deplore the evil, and admit the defects in the constitution which have given rise to it. The real origin of these defects may be looked for in tho undemocratic fear felt by the framers of the constitution of the power of the people. .The direct popular vote was too much , dreaded, and the integrity of. partisan , representatives too much taken for granted. The system winch assigns the " spoils to the victors" has arisen) -"not from..the working of the elective principle, aa applied to the Cabinet, but from tho limitations of that principle, as seen in the Senate's power of constant interference with the administrative acts of the Executive in the appointment of Federal officials.

The very indirect method 1 adopted by. the people of the. United States for tho election of their Cabinet has never blinded them to the recognition of the essentia) fact that the creation of the Executive rents upon a popular basis. First the electors choose by manhood suffrage tho members of tlie Electoral College; but, as each individual comprised in this body is pledged to vote for a particular candidate for tho Presidency, there in practically no difference between this kind of election and a direct choice. The, President then, proceeds to nominate his Ministers from anionp those who have been closely associated wifchi him in the electornl campaign, and. as the names of these are. as a rule, well known to the voters, a Presidential candidate's chances of success depend to n

very considerable extent upon the constitution of this, entourage. We have seen this fact exemplified in the case of Mr Knox. Bryce argues, that a mucli more direct system of choosing, the Cabinet' would: have been more in .uccord the I - says':-- " That a single hea3 is not. necessaiy to