Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-03-06
THE MINoRY REPORT.
As Submitted by Senator Pugh.
WASHINGTON, March

the committee on judiciary, respecting
the declination of the president to fur
nlsh papers bearing upon tire removal
OF United States District Attorney
Duskin, of Alabama.
The report says that when President
Cleveland came into Office he found
about 90 per cent. of the Offices filled
by Republicans appointed as a reward
for party services. The party to whom
The president owed his nomination and
election, had been exiled from all par
ticipation in the civil administration of
the Government for nearly a quarter OF
century. The friends and supporters
Of the president made application for a
redistribution OF the public trusts. No
other president had ever been subjected
to such severe trial, or had to meet
SO many grave difficulties, and no other
had such an abundant supply of valid
reasons and causes urging him to free
exercise OF his power of removal from
Federal Office. And no other ever
resisted with more fairness the just
claims of his supporters or used his
power OF removal more conscientiousy,
cautiously and eparingly. Notwith-
standing these facts, the $50 nomlna-
tons sent to the senate in the suspen-
sion cases had been allowed to remain
before the committees without consid-
Grafton and final disposition. Duskn
has made no complaint to the judiciary
committee, the president or the attor-
ney-general that he was wronged by
the suspension. The committee was
fully informed that Burnett was recon-
mended to the president by all the
members OF Congress from Alabama on
personal knowledge of his high char
acter. Stripped TO the naked truth,
without any special pleading, the case
made for the Senate on their resolution,
and the answer of the encouragement
is whether the Senate has the right to
demand of the Encouragement, the
Transmission, against the order OF the
president, OF the only paper or docu-
ment OF the description mentioned in
the resolution, when that paper or
document is stated in the refusal to
relate exclusively to the removal of
Duskin by the president and for that
reason alone is not transmitted. The
president holds that it is not a public
document, and there can be no doubt
about the correctness of his decision,
and it must be accepted as conclusive.
1t is an undcniable truth that every
right, power, privilege or prerogativc
created by law, or granted in the con-
stitution has some just reason, use,
necessity or foundation for its existence
and support. The majority of the
Judiciary committee affirm the right of
the Senate to direct the attorney gen
eral, or request the president to trans
nit any paper on the files of the de-
partment, or in possession of the presi-
dent, /. such paper relates to the official
act of the president or the head of any
department. The minority deny that
the claim of the majority, where the
paper or documents relates exclusively
to removals or suspensions has any
foundation or recognition in the con-
stltuton or valid law. The minority
admits that any and every public docu-
ment or record on the files of any de-
partment, or in the possession of the
president relating to any subject what
ever, over which either House of Con-
gress has any power, jurisdiction Or
control under the constitution is sub
ject to the call or inspection of either
House for use in the constitutional
powers and its jurisdiction. But if all
the power granted in the constitution
over the subject matter is vested in the
president exclusively, the only rightfnl
custodian of all such papers is the chief
executive officer. Why was the posses
sion or inspection OF papers relating to
the making and ratifying OF treaties
refused to the House of Representatives.
The report continues that if the
reasoning of the majority is sound it
would compel the secretary of State to
transmit to the House of representa-
tives all papers and documents relating
to the making of treaties. That for a
period of 50 years in the country's his
tory no case can be found where an
executive session OF the senate has
made such request of the president or
the head of department.
A great many high authorities and
decisions OF the supreme court are then
referred to.
The report inquiries what possible
connection the ACCESSIBILITY oi appoint
ing honorahly discharged soldiers has
with the nners called for in the case of