Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-20

The chair laid before the Senate a COM
munlcatlon from the secretary of the treasury.
Its reading was begun as follows:
10 the President Pro Ten OF the Senate -
l have received the resolution of the Sem
ate dated Feb. "A, 1886, adopted by the Senate
in executive session.
AT this point something seemed to have
burnt the clerks mouth, for, with quick
inhalation of breath, he stopped short, folded
up the paper and handed it back to the presi-
dent pro TEN, who announced that the com.
municatiOn would be withheld tor the exec
utlve session. The incident created for a
moment buzz of suppressed excitement in
the chamber followed by deep silence.
Mr. Platt was the first senator to recover
his voice. He inquired of the chair whether
the communication was marked executive.
President pro tenn Sherman replied that
it was not.
Mr.. Platt submitted that in that case it was
for an open session of the Senate.
The president pro tenn said that he felt
bound to submit the matter to the Senate in
executive session.
After another pause Mr.. Cockrell inquired
what became of the letter of the secretary
of the treasury.
The president pro TEN replied that on ex-
ecutive document; it not having been so
marked the chair WAS not to blame.
Mr.. Cockrell supposed that if it was not
marked confidential the open Senate was en-
titled to it.
The president pro TEN remarked with firm
ness that it was executive business.
The chair then placed before the Senate
the resolution reported by the judiciary com.
mittee expressing the Senate's condemnation
of the attorney general for refusing to furnish
the papers called for by the Senate.
Mr.. SpOOner resumed the floor and con-
tinued his speech in support OF the resolution
reported by the majority of the committee.
He maintained the consttutionality of the
tenure of office law and cited the fact that
the President had always stated to
the Senate his reasons for the removal
of the director of the mint. Even
President Cleveland had stated his reasons
for the removal of a director of the mint.
Republicans, Mr.Spooner continued, expected
to go out on the incoming of the present ad-
ministration. He did not claim to be an
othodox civil service man. He believed the
administration had a right to fill the Offices
with its friends. This was called the spOils
system, but Mr.. Spooner denied it. 1t was
proper, he said, that the administration
should be held responsible for the conduct
of public business and it should properly
feel the weight of that responsibility. What,
he asked, was there about politics that should
be offensive to the people of the United
States? He wanted every man in an honest
proper sense to be politician. Divorce off
ces from poltices, put machines in offices.
do not believe in it myself, said Mr..
Spooner. He denied that ten millions voters
l., LII. ~ t,1
idea of office. Had it not been for Presiden,
Cleveand's civil service declaration and his
expression of purpose not to remove men
who were faithful to their public duties thou
sans of office holders would have resigned
their positions. Honest partisanshir was
honest citizenship. Under the President:
idea of "otfensive partisanship" the new
democratic office holders could be embalmed
and laid away, their wives allowed to perform
the duties of office in order that there might
be no suggestion that office holders could by
any possibility be offensive 'partisans.
Laughter. Every man suspended righ
TO know why he was suspended. He had il
hand letter from a suspended official. 8
man who had entered our Mexican army as 8
drummer and threw away his drum on the
battlefield and entered the thickest of the
fight with a musket in his his hand. Tha
man had in our late war had risen to granc
major general. Suspended by President
Cleveland that gallant man and faithful sol
der and citizen couldn't sscertain-nor coulC
Mr.. Spooner for him-whether the charges
filed against him on which he had been sus
pended involved his personal honor not. Mr.
Spooner didn't suppose the President mean
to submit his fellow citizens to serious in
Justice, but the system he had adopted in tbs
matter of suspension evidently tended to cas
a shadow on the honor of honest men. Mr.
Spooner did not desire to see the administra
ZION embarrassed. A man who wished to see
the administration fail was too mean to be
taken into account, but some method
should be pursued to protect honest
men from unjust imputations under which
tbev were compelled to rest by the method
adopted by the present administration.
Mr.. Salisbury claimed that the matter un'
dor discussion was not within the jursdc
tion of the Senate. He compared the number
of removals during eight months of Cleve-
lands administration with those during the
6rst seven weeks of Grants first and said
that such magnxnlmity as that shown by
cleveland had not been witnessed IN politics
for 80 wears. President Cleveland's nomina-
tion had been allowed to slumber for three
months without action because the republican
side of the chamber set to work deiloerately
and premedtated to devise some scheme to
forestall the President to prevent the removal
of their partisan friends from office.
Mr.. Salisbury characterized the report ol
the majority of the judiciary committee as
most disingenious, unfair and UNJUST presen.
tatiop of the controversy. He maintained
that the tenure of office was unconstitational
nnf hQ