The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-16
THE QUESTION OF SP0ILS.
REPUBLICAN senate OF AN IN
CURING TURN OF MIND.
A Breeze in the Naval Committee Over
Recent Occurrences at Norfolk Navy
Yard-Bclford's Compliments to East
ern Einanc!ers-Fearfu1 of n Raid.

WASHINGTON Cry, Jan 16.-Republican
senator's met incaucus Friday for the purpose
of discussing with view to reaching con-
clasion os TO the best manner of procedure
the matter of obtaining from the executive
the reason for the removal or suspension Of
officers under the new administration. Tho
session wss of about three hours duration
and was mainly devoted to examining the
statutes for precedents bearing on the sub
ject A number Of senator's gave their in
dividual opinions, which indicated that the
majority were of opinion that the informa
ton desired should be furnished The senti-
ment OF the caucus was that where removals
or suspensions had been made for cause, I'M
less the causes should be given, the retiring
officers would be subject TO suspicious OF ir-
regularity without opportunity to defend
themselves. The point was made by some
senators that if the president should, in an
swer to the inquiries of the senate, state
that removals or suspensions mad been made
in order to change the political complexion
OF the Offices there would doubtless DO no
delay in confirming the new appointees,
While no conclusion by resolution as 10 the
exact method of procedure for procuring
the information was reached, there Is a
general understanding among senators that
the president will be called upon for the in
formation showing the causes Of removal
and suspensions in pacific cases
A very spirited meeting of the committee
on naval affairs was held Friday. The res
olution of Boutelle of Maine, inquiring of
the secretary of the navy whether it was
true, as reported, that ex- Union soldiers and
sailors at the Norfolk, Va, navy yard had
been removed and ex-Confeierate soldiers
and sailors appointed to fill the places made
vacant, was under consideration Wise of
Virginia denounced the proposed inquiry as
a political investigation, based solely on SEN
sational and groundless newspaper reports
Bouteile replied that it was an inquiry, not
an investigation, and that since the charge
had been made that ex Union soldiers were
being displaced for ex-Confederates he
thought the secretary of the navy would, or
ought to be, glad of an opportunity to show
that it was false, if indeed it could be so
shown, which he did not believe
Thomas stated that it was not a question
Of politics, but law If the removal had
bean made, as alleged, the revised statutes
of the United States had been violated and
some one ought to be called to account for
it He had learned further that the ex-
Confeleratse at Norfolk had obliterated the
Inscriptions on captured caanon and on tab
lets pat up al the navy yard intended to
commemorate Union victories; and fur
Their, that the employees who had
reported the names of the guilty
parties had been dismissed If this
was true it was in infamous. Thomas said
he was a soldier, but that the time had not
yet arrived when he was ashamed of it and
wanted 10 destroy traces of the cause for
which he fought
Hewitt, referring to the removals, inquired
of Thomas if he was not one who believed
in. the principle that ito the victors be-
long the spoils. The latter replied that he
was, and for that reason he voted against
the civil service reform bill, but added that
he did not believe in violating law on the
statutes, whether it conformed to his views
or not. The matter was not determined and
will come up at the next meeting