Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-03-18

bb'Iutional uoDHte. Wh6n the youthful
looking senator, smooth-faced and slightly
stopping, rose to address the Senate he was
looked upon with the Interest naturally fell
for q man Of his senatorial inexperlenct
about to confront the old and erudite SEN
ator from Vermont. II he started with any
sympathy on this account, however, II was
soon seen that II was misplaced, for he
quickly demonstrated his ability to take
care OF himself. Without preliminary and
wholly without rhetorical display he began
by saying that this had simply become q
question Of what were official and what
were private papers. He read and severely
criticised Senator Edmunds' definition and
declared It was the real issue as defined
by the senator from Vermont.
Senator Sherman had said that there
never had been any distinction made by
the departments as to private and official
papers. MIR. kenna then sent to the clerk g
desk and had letter read which was writ
ten by Mr.. Sherman when Secretary of the
Treasury declining to furnish certain papers
In relation to tho removal of the collector
of the port of New York. This created a
ripple above and below. The young sena-
tor followed 1t up with succession Of
hypothetical cases addressed to the presi-
dent pro tempore, which further and forci-
bly, illustrated this point. He said 'Sup-
pose somebody were to address letter to
the president pro tempore of this body
(Mr. Sherman), saying that those adyoeat-
Ing the Edmunds resolutions did not believe
In what they were doing, but that ii was a
good scheme to keep 100000 Republican
oInceholders In their places aud recon.
mending that 1t be kept up. That would
be an official paper, accordingto the deflni-
ton OF the senator from Vermont.
Having thrown all manner of ridicule on
the Edmunds definition, Senator Kenna
proceeded to overhaul the precedents that
had been furnished by the Vermont senator.
The young lawyer was thoroughly armed
with these and passed from one to another
IN an easy, argumentative way. He took UP
the preeedents of Washington, jackson,
Grant, Hayes, ct al, aud wove the thread
OF his case with great skill and deftness,
NOBODY, from the foundation of the govern
ment to the present time, had doubted the
right Of the President and Senate or House
to communicate with each other as they
saw ut, but II the President sent papers in
one case and refused them in another the
fact did not destroy his right and preroga-
tive. The question was governed by the
circumstances of each case. Every prece-
dent stood on its own bottom and all of
them went to establish the Presidents
right to do as he judged best. He quoted
extensively from Webster to Illustrate.
The whole question was whether Demo-
cratic President should be allowed to ad-
minister the government according to his
own Judgment and discretion or whether
heshould be controlled by this Republican
branch OF Congress and be compelled to do
its will. When the people elected Grover
Cleveland President of the United States
they did so with the expectation that he
would choose his aids and administer the
laws after his best Judgment. They wanted
new men and new measures. They wanted
% break great political organization of
After this little dash Of politics the sena-
tor returned to his legal mutton. His re-
view OF the case was clear, forcible and |
exhaustive. He commanded the greatest |
attention from the beginning to the Close
THE PRESIDENTS POSITION.
A Washington special says: The Presi- |
dent has said that he has no desire to stand |
upon distractions, and therefore only asks |
u sound construction of the true relations |
between the Chief Executive and the Senate
IS an advising or eonsenting body. The |
President has his own party In the Senate
we'll in hand, and their opposition to the
construction put upon the prerogatives of |
he Senate in the premises by the Republi-
,ans will give the question a strictly party
character. The views expressed by leading
Republican senators do not at present indi-
'ate any division OF opinion as to the
correctness OF the Republican position and
IS to its support when vote shall have
,een reached. The point which the Repub-
lean senators wish to make prominent is
hat they are not contesting for retention
" their friends in office, but to prevent
republican officials from removal on ae-
ount of trumped-up charges inspired by
PARTISAN malice and which cannot be met
" the parties affected. The Republican
enators are a unit on this point They
lso put the question in another light,
laiming that under the doctrine of the
resident, should tue reasons for suspen-
ion be well established, the Senate would
he controversy will be to put u stop to
urely partisan charges against officials in
n office, whether Republicans or Demo-
rats.