San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-02-25
PRESIDENTS PREROGATIVE.
The 10. g." Dreadful Bore OF the En-
press, is Not Happy Yet.

Editor San Antonio Light.
"D. B." the constitutional law writer
of the San Antonio Express, attempts to
ward of my blunt shaft by another ter
rible dish-up of the Federal constitution.
He says: "Men are not apt to put them
selves to the trouble Of answering feeble
arguments" Very true, dreadful bore"
they simply call them "bosh," and do
their best to discourage repetition of
the imbecility; but just think Of the pros
pect before us. "D. B." tells us that he
writes to please himself; of course he is
highly delighted with himself every
time he airs his conCeit through the
columns of the Express. In these COM
munications I'D. B." is able to tell the
benighted readers of the Express what
a miserable idiot Judge Cooley is in
comparison with I'D. b" what a weak,
"rotten" loglcian Senator Sherman IL.
and so on.
I'D. b." has access, evidently, to
copy of the "Federalist," and depends
upon dishing up quotations from that
primal source Of constitutional con-
trOversy, but I'D. BIS" quotations
and ID. BIS" deductions do not
agree, and ii would be simply fruit
with him on this point. For The pur-
pose of this article it is sufficient TO cal
attention to the concluding sentences
of his effusion, in which he maintains
that the "tenure of office law was I'M
constitutional, and was never legally
enacted" and in this proposition Presi-
dent johnson agreed with "D. b." Now
for the reasons why it was" uncons l.
tutional:
First.-"Because it WAS in conflict
with the practice of the Government"
Astounding logic! A decision of the
Supreme Court would not count with
I'D. b." when it came to the practice
of the Government
Second.-"Because 1t attempted to
vest in the Senate power not desig-
mated by the Constitution"
What power? to say Eyes" or mo" to
the Presidents nominations and suspen-
sions? Ridiculous.
The "third'' and fourth are but
repetitions of the second reason, but the
conclusion certainly contains the milk
in the cocoanut. He says: The act of
March 2. 1867 was not legally and
constitutionally passed. as 10 South
ern States at that time were
excluded from representation In Con-
gress." This settles ii. II the "ten
Southern States" had been on hand, it
would have been all right. From 81 up
to the date of the restoration of repre-
sentation Of the ssceeding States We had
no illegal, constitutional" government
in this country, unless it was the king
dom of JEFF Davis. The so-called Con-
gress of the United States was an illegal.
constitutiOnally incompetent body body
incapable of passing any law ID. b. land
all Of his ilk) feels in the least bound to
obey or respect. OF course | can go no
further with "D. b. Our roads fork
here and the further We travel the
farther away we get from each other.
Leaving I'D. b. to his conceit, let us
quote from the great head Of the party
of modern reform, G.. Cleveland, who
after his election as President made the
following public declaration:
There is a class Of government posi-
tons which are not within the letter of
the civil service act, but which are
disconnected with the policy of an adj
ministration that the removal therefrom
of present iHcumbents, in my opinion,
should not be made during the terms for
which they were appointed, solely on
partisan grounds and for the purpose of
putting in their places those who are in
political accord with the appointing
power"
This was square endorsement of the
tenure of office act. but the performances
of Mr.. Cleveland have not kept pase
with his declarations, and this ia why
the Senate and the country want to
know why he has suspended several
hundred officers, such as he described in
the declaration quoted. The action Of
the President is entirely under and by
authority Of the statute which ID. B. con-
temptiously censigns to his unconstitu-
tional waste basket, and the constitu-
tlonality Of the law has yet to be prop
erly questioned. BLUNT.
Mirth and Music.