Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-03-05
DUB WASHINGTON Letter.

]
and an appreciation of its response
bilities worthy Of itself. An in
spection of the Congressional Rec
ord and of the Senate calender
proves that this body has perform
ed a great deal of work and that
the public business, so far as II
depends ON the Senate, is in an
advanced state. The Republican
party may truly point with pride
to the Senate as an example Of Re
publican methods of doing public
business. Not one Of the great
objects Of public concern has been
neglected in that end Of the CAPT
tOl.
And then the Senate has shown
as much of lofty patriotism and as
little Of = merely partisan spirit in
it's poceedings as has ever been dis
PLAYED since political organizations
appeared on the national stage.
Il has promptly surrendered party
advantages in the hope Of prOmot
ing the public good. The majority
has only drawn the party line when
a failure TO do so would have been
surrender Of principle.
The contrast between the two
Houses of Congress is suggestive
and indeed, instructive. What has
the House Of Representatives been
doing all these weeks? II has an
overwhelming Democratic major
ity, due largely to fraudulent dis
franchisement Of Republican dis
tricts. Where are the great public
measures to which the House was
expected to give consideration as
soon rs its new set Of rules were
adopted. OF course the House
was justified in devoting a good
deal of time to the framing Of its
new rules and no account is taken
Of the weeks thus expended. But
what has it done since to merit ap-
prevail or disarm censure?
And from present indications
there can be no hope that the
House of Representatives will
meet the Just demands of tho PEG
pie at all. 1t is likely to 90 on In
a slip.shOd sort Of way, with its
work in a chaotic state, until past
midsummer. Then conferees will
arrange appropriation bills, and
the mob will melt away, few men,
bers knowing what has been ap-
prOpriated and most of them too
much disguised to care.
In the issue between the Presi.
dent and Senate touching the right
of the latter 10 examine public
papers on which removals or sus.
pensions are based, the Senate's
position is impregnable. 1t simply
asks for those documents without
which it can not possibly discharge
it's duties. II does not ask fol-
them with the purpose of review
ing the acts Of the President, but
to guide its own acts. There ID
nothing of a partisan character III
the demand for these papers. The
Presidents right of selection is
not questioned, nor his reasons
asked for.
II a president starts out with the
declaration that he will not remove
except for cause and then does re-
move, and refuses to explain why,
the discharged official and his
friends naturally have ground fol
complaint. Changes were expect
ed, and had they been made
squarely, with no attempt to run
the spoils system under false pre-
lenses, no trouble would have
arisen.
But when good men are put out
of places they have filed honestly
and capably to make room fol
spoils hunting politicians, and
when such removals are held out
to be for the good of the service
";urniDg the rascals Quit is not
strange that Senators who know
aud respect the traduced officials,
decline to take such action as will
endorse their condemnation.
1t is charged that the Republi-
can Senate desires to embarrass
the president. On the contrary it
has shown, from the first, a desire
to maintain amicable relations with
him, and with his constitutional
advisers. Only a few days ago
Senator Edmunds went TO the
White House to inform Mr. Cleye-
land that there would be oppo-
sitiOn to the confirmation of his
Solicitor General OR. Goode, Of
Va in order that the President
might have an opportunity to
withdraw the nomination.
Three members Of the Cabinet
were taken from the Senate and
are on terms Of personal friend.
ship with prominent Republican
leaders in that body. President
Cleveland could scarcely have
made conditions under which the
Senate would feel more inclined 70
strain points and make sacrifices
for the sake Of smoothing the path
Of the Administration, than by
calling Senators Bayard, Lamar
and Garland to sit ut his council
table.
Unless a bait is called this Con.
cfrpeq will ho Erowp a. flo ,,roof