Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-02-05
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND AMI
THE REP UBLICAN SENATE.

PRESIDENT CLEVELAND AND
THE REPUBLICAN, SENATE.
The President is on the eve of struggle
with the Senate, which will not end until
the respective powers of the executive and
legislative departments in the matter of
appointments and removals have been de-
6nitely settled. The steps towards joining
issue have been-frst. demand by the
Senate of the evidence of fitness of Dis
trict Attorney appointed by the President,
and second, demand for the reasons for
removing that official g predecessor. The
President replied to the first, that all do
cuments relative to the fitness of the ap-
pointee had been already sent to the SEN
ate Judiciary Committee; and to the Sec
ond, for the reasons for removal, the
President replies thus: ut is not con-
sidered that the public interests will be
promoted by compliance with said resolu
ton, and the transmission of the papers
and documents therein mentioned, to the
Senate in executive session." The ap-
preaching issue is bringing to light all the
presidents bearing on it, that either side
can find. One Of them, and one which
covers the right of the Executive, is let
ter from the Hon. A. II. II. Stuart written
while he was Secretary of the Interior, to
w. D. Wallach, then the editor of tie
Washington "Star." 1t reads as follows
department Of the INTERIOR Washington,
Nov. 20, 1S52.-W. D. Wallach--Sir: have
reflected upon the subject of your COMMUNE
cation of yesterday and have come to tho con-
clusion that it would not be proper to permit
the letters recommending any candidate for
Office to be inspected. They should, in my
opinion, be regarded as confidential. They
are written for the purpose of enlightening
the judgment of the appointing power IN re-
gard to the merits of the person proposed for
Office, and can see no more reason for calling
on the head of department to show what
written testimonials were before him than to
require him to state what oral communications
were made to him on the subject. Moreover,
it would be impossible to ascertain what
weight should be attributed to those te stimo-
malls, or how far they Influenced the Judgment
of the Secretary. premise it would be entire
ly competent for him, if she thought proper,
to return all such letters to the applicant or
destroy them. If for his own purposes he
thinks it best to leave them in the department,
1 cannot regard that fact as investing them
with the character of public records, open to
the inspection of those who may feel sufficient
interest in the subject to desire to examine
them. As the appointment in the particular
case to which you refer was made under for
mer administration, feel particularly reluc-
tant to depart from what regard to be the
safe rule of treating all recommendations as
of confidential character. I have not looked
into them myself, nor do 1 know the nature
of them, nor by whom they were given, and
therefore my refusal to permit them to be ex-
amined rests upon general principle, and
has no reference to the circumstances of this
particular case.
eff be in error in this opinion, it will be
easy to test it judicially by applying to the
court for subpoena ducss teoum to the chief
clerk of the department. I will cheerfully
yield obedience to any order of the court.
Every respectfully, your obedient servant,
'tALEx. Fl. Fl. STUART, Secretary.
Mr.. Wallach after getting the advice of
counsel did not apply for the legal process
suggested by the Secretary. The Wash
ingtOn correspondent of the Baltimore
''Sun," commenting on the reception this
letter has met with by the two contendinR
parties, says:
Some of the Republican Senators who
were spoken to about this letter to-day
said it was addressed to a private citizen,
and therefore they did not attach anv i'm
portance to it. Senator Beck, however,
who telegraphed to Mr.. Stuart for permits
sion to publish the letter, said 1t laid down
a great principle, and the point that it
was addressed to private citizen was not
material. The letter was shown to Sena-
tor EdmuEds, who, as heretofore remark
ed. is mainly responsible for the present
attitude of the Republican Senators, and
be with a shrug said it had no application
to the present situation. Of course Mr..
Edmunds could nos be expected to say
anything else.