ate were accorded the right to dictate appointments
in their respective States. According to Senator Hoar, when he entered
public life in 1869, "the Senate claimed almost the entire control of
the executive function of appointment to office.... What was called 'the
courtesy of the Senate' was depended upon to enable a Senator to dictate
to the executive all appointments and removals in his territory." This
practice was at its greatest height when President Garfield challenged
the system, and he let it be understood that he would insist upon his
constitutional right to make nominations at his own discretion. When
Senator Conkling obtained from a caucus of his Republican colleagues an
expression of sympathy with his position, the President let it be known
that he regarded such action as an affront and he withdrew all New York
nominations except those to which exception had been taken by the New
York Senators, thus confronting the Senate with the issue whether they
would stand by the new Administration or would follow Conkling's lead.

On the other hand, Senator Conkling and his adherents declared the issue
to be simply whether competent public officials should be removed to
make room for factional favorites. This view of the case was adopted by
Vice-President Arthur and by Postmaster-General James of Garfield's
own Cabinet, who, with New York Senators Conkling and Platt, signed a
remonstrance in which they declared that in their belief the interests
of the public service would not be promoted by the changes proposed.
These changes were thus described in a letter of May 14,1881, from the
New York Senators to Governor Cornell of New York:

"Some weeks ago, the President sent to the Senate in a group the
nominations of several persons for public offices already filled. One of
these offices is the Collectorship of the Port of New York, now held by
General Merritt; another is the consul generalship at London, now held
by General Badeau; another is Charge d'Affaires to Denmark, held by Mr.
Cramer; another is the mission to Switzerland, held by Mr. Fish, a son
of the former Secretary of State.... It was proposed to displace them
all, not for any alleged fault of theirs, or for any alleged need or
advantage of the public service, but in order to give the great offices
of Collector of the Port of New York to Mr. William H. Robertson as
a 'reward' for certain acts of his, said to have aided in making the
nomination of General Garfi