patriotism. Republicans still believed that as saviors of the
Union they had a prescriptive right to the government. During the
campaign, Eugene Field, the famous Western poet, had given a
typical expression of this sentiment in some scornful verses
concluding with this defiant notice:

These quondam rebels come today
In penitential form,
And hypocritically say
The country needs "Reform!"
Out on reformers such as these;
By Freedom's sacred powers,
We'll run the country as we please;
We saved it, and it's ours.

Although the Democratic party had won the Presidency and the
House, the Republicans still retained control of the Senate, and
they were expected as a matter of course to use their powers for
party advantage. Some memorable struggles, rich in constitutional
precedents, issued from these conditions.



CHAPTER IV. A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

As soon as Cleveland was seated in the presidential chair, he had
to deal with a tremendous onslaught of office seekers. In
ordinary business affairs, a man responsible for general policy
and management would never be expected to fritter away his time
and strength in receiving applicants for employment. The fact