In some quarters, official incumbents neglected public duty to do political work and especially in Southern States, they frequently were not only inordinately active in questionable political work, but sought to do party service by secret and sinister manipulation of colored votes, and by other practices inviting avoidable and dangerous collisions between the white and colored population."* * Cleveland, "Presidential Problems," pp.

42-43.
The Administration began its career in March, 1885.

The Senate did not convene until December.

Meanwhile, removals and appointments went on in the public service, the total for ten months being six hundred and forty-three which was thirty-seven less than the number of removals made by President Grant in seven weeks, in 1869.
In obedience to the statute of 1869, President Cleveland sent in all the recess appointments within thirty days after the opening of the session.

They were referred to various committees according to the long established custom of the Senate, but the Senate moved so slowly that three months after the opening of the session, only seventeen nominations had been considered, fifteen of which the Senate confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Senate had raised an issue which the President met with a force and a directness probably unexpected.