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