The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-02-18
Washington Letter.
orr Rceulsr 1;orrespo, dent.

putut SUke are sun III piNSiSSS. IAN
Senator Thurman arrived in the city
today IT, assist In preparing the pr.
pers. There Is something like poetic
Justice in Mr.. Thurman's retention
ny the Government in the Telephone
suIt. His friends allege that he has
been kept in retirement because he
fought corporations. and now he re-
turns to public life to do more fight
ing of the same kind.
You remember about two weeks
since. 4 Congressional committee was
empowered to investigate the Pan
Electric and Bell Telephone affairs.
fhe Republican members Of the com
nittce pat on their war paint and
threatened TO make soma startling
discoveries. Their Grst step To ask
he Secretary of the Interior and the
Attorney General What money had
Hee', expended hy their departments
IN the Telephone suit. Mr.. Lamar
rtplies. after careful inquiry. that
thirty FIVE dollars for printing &c,
WAS the only moaey expended in his
department. while Mr.. Garland says
no money has yet been expended in
his. Counsel has been retained for
the Government suit, but no lnoaey
has set been paid the counsel.
In an executive session Of the Sen
ate yesterday, Mr.. Edmunds present,
ID protest signed by citizens OF
Vermont against the confirmation of
1 collector OF customs in that state.
The objection to him was that he
lal appointed deputy whose repu-
alton, it was alleged. was not the
hest. Senators Beck and Bntler
honght that WAS IL fiimsy pretext
ma said if every Republican official
lad been held responsible for all his
deputies, there would have been many
reflections.
Senator Sherman made an attack III
open assion upon the Presidents at
titude with regard to giving ''rea-
sons" and Senator Edmunds expects
To do the same next week. Senator
Iloar and others who are candidates
for the presidency in 1888 are only
waiting for the semblance of an
excuse to score the administration
IN public. They feel it is high time
to arouse the Republicans to the
fact that they are actually losing
the Pest Offices. Il is true this is
not great Issue. but there is nothing
greater on hand Just now.
Either willfnllv or ignorantly the
real issue in the pending controversy
between the Senate and the Execu-
tive has been misstated by certain
Senators and certain partisan papers.
The attempt has been made to place
the Administration in position
which it has never taken. 1t has been
assumed that the President is desir-
ons of conceallng his reasons for re-
movals; that he desires to make a
distinction between private and pub
lie paperS,-between executive and
legislative papers. From his official
replies to the Senate through the
members of the Cabinet the clear in
ference to be drawn Is simply this.
As the Chief Executive of the Ma
ton he has in his possession certain
pspers which public interest demands
him to withhold.
Expressions Of opinion on the sub
jrct of the relations between the
President and Senate are drawn now
on very strict party lines among Sen
ator5 and Representatives Both
sides appear to recognize the fact that
the battle can be indefinitely pro-
logged.
There is growing opinion that it
is time to consider Presidential rom
nations in open session. Some say
a great step towards true civil SER
vice reform would be taken in this
way. Nominees can be assalpd in
secret session without being allowed
to know the names of their accusers,
while on the other hand, unworthy
nominations can be confirmed with.
out making any one answerable for
the offence. They claim open
sesso ns will remedy both grievances
by compelling the best appointments,
and by assuring them of fair hear.
ing before the Senate.
And indeed it is an open secret
that most unworthy nominations
have been confirmed in the past on
personal consideration and by foul
bargains. There is IN unwritten law
of 50 called courtesy allowing Sen.
ator to decide the fitness of any nom.
inee from his state who had already
been dictated by his desire. In this
way crowd of perjurers. forgers,
balIot-hox suffers, thieves, ami ali
manner Of infamous characters re-
ctived high offices under Hayes, us
rewards for great fraud of 1875. And
in the public service under Grant,
and his Republican successors many
ofiprS autfalIv corrllut were conSpic.
u0ilS.