Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-19


has no jurisdiction in the question Of
suspension or removal OF officers. In
attempting TO exercise any such juris-
diction the Senate usurped an authority
not conferred upon II by the Constitu-
ton or laws. Ii had no more right to
demand Of the President the evidence
on which he acted or the reasons for
his action than it had to demand Of the
Supreme Court the reasons for its
decisions, or to demand OF the
House of Representatives its reasons for
passing particular bill. IL hadno more
power over the subject than had the
President to ask the Senate for its rea-
sons for rejecting nomination. The
attempt was a naked, bod usurpation
on the part Of the Senate" Mr.. Brown
maintained that the tenure-of-oiiice law,
which be termed ian absurd law"
was in palpable violation OF the Con-
stitution. 1t attempted, without au-
thority, to limit the legitimate power
which the Constitution conferred on the
President in making removals from
Office.
In conclusion, Mr.. Brown said /:
1.-The people Of this country constitute
high court of appeals, and it is the
judgment Of that high court, not that
the President has used the power Of
removal, but that he has failed to use
it with sufficient energy. If there is
any charge against him in the popular
mind, it is not charge Of commission,
but charge Of omission not that he
has made mistakes in making appoint
ments or removals from Office doubt
less lie has made some), but that his
mistake has been that he omitted to use
the power with sufficient force. When
the people Of the United States called
the President to the high and response
bic position he now fills, and placed in
his hands as a great trust the Executive
power OF this Government, they ex-
pected, in carrying out his policy, that
be would put in Office and retain in Office
as bis assistants, persons Of ability and
integrity, who concur in his policy, and
are ready torender important and faith
full service in carrying it into execution.
1t was lot the intention Of the people
that all the executive offices of the Gov
trnment should be filled with political
spies, plotting how they can soonest
overthrow the Administration, and
sympathizipg more with those who
from the outside make war upon it than
they do with the President aud his
friends who are attempting to sustain
his policy, which is intended to advance
the best interests Of the country.
Let The President" said Mr..
Brown. exercise the power conferred
on him by the Constitution, and remove
from Office those who are not in accord
with his administration and not ready
TO do faithful service in aiding to carry
ont his policy, and fill their places with
honest, capable men, who are friends
Of the Administration, and the universal
reclamation Of the democracy and the
honest masses Of the people OF this
country will be well done, good and
faithful servant"
"Mr. President, the people (the high
court Of appeals, to whom alone the
President is responsible for the manner
in which be exercises his discretion in
the matter Of removals from Office, will
order nOn-suit in the great case Of
George +. Edmunds d Co., Re-
publican managers Of the Senate, rerSus
Grover Cleveland, President of the
United States.'
AT the conclusion Of Mr.. Bro gn's
remarks Mr. Spooner took the floor in
support Of the majority report.
Mr.. Spooner said be would make no
attempt to disguise the fact, or to
apologize for it, that the fortunes Of the
Republican party were very dear to
him. lie would not attempt to deny that
be wished that that party might, here and
elsewhere, reap every party advantage
which might be taken from the plumbers
and shortcomings, if any such there
were, Of this Administration. "Butl
trust" continued Mr.. Spooner.
" that DO not forget, and
shall not forget, that am
senator of the United States as well as
a Republican, and that as senator my
first duty always is to the people, and
that have no right to take action here
10 subserve party interest which would /
be harmful to the interests Of the peo-
pie. | deny for myself-and ! have |
authority to deny for every senator
upon this side Of the chamber-,hc 4
statement so often made on the other /
side. that we desire or are willing even /
10 hsrsss, hamper, or embarrsss the /
President in the proper exercise Of the
executive functions"
Such a motive. Mr.. Spooner said,
would be unworthy, and it ought rot
to be so lightly imputed. The princi-
pie involved in the question before the
Senate was, to his mind, far above the
question as to who should or should
not hold or office. 1t involved prin-
ciple essential to the orderly conduct
of this Government. Mr.. Spocner, after
reading The Senate resolution calling for
the papers In the Dustin case AMI tie
At,orney- Generals reply toit, chsrac-
te1ized the Attorney Generals letter
as the most remarkable response ever
coming from an executive officer t.
. legislative body. The Attorney
General had not denied The existence
of the papers called for, but contende1
that the papers were private papers,
and said substantially that as the pa
pcrs were called for by the Senate for
specific purpoSe-namely, to be con-
sicered in relation to suspension-the
Senate was not entitled to them. This
Mr.. Spooner held TO be substitution
Of one-man power for the Government
as it was intended to be.
Mr.. Spooner took mp the question
from legal point Of view, and quoted
from the Constitution and tenure.oi-Otlice
act 10 show that the power Of removal
as well as of appointment was in the
President and Senate acting together,
and that what was in his sole discretion
absolute was the power of suspension
during the recess Of the Senate. One
source Of much confusion in this debate,
Mr.. Spooner said, was the confounding