The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-03-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHINGToN, Feb. 26, 1886.
ON our Regular Correspondent.

between the President and Senate cor
tinues to be the chief topic of discus
sion. Another chapter was added /
1t when Senator Morgan, of Alabama
unexpectedly and entirely upon hi
own responsibility, presented to tn
Senate a series Of resolutions crit
oising the recent Edmunds demon
stration.
Mr.. Morgan preseribes Heroic treat
ment for offended Senatorial dignity
He says, let the Senate impeach At
torney General Garland for refusing
it certain papers, if his alleged offense
is of the class Of offenses for which
the head of a department NAV be i'm
peached, and removed from Office
This Is the logical outcome Of Mr.
Garland's refusal. Let the Judiciary
Committee summon the alleged often.
der before the bar of the Senate.
He further says let the Committee
on Privileges and Elections INQUIRE
and report whether the Senate can
take jurisdiction of said alleged of
fenses by resolution of the Senate,
there being no impeachment Of said
officer in the mode required by the
Constitution.
It is acknowledged that the Morgan
resolutions 90 to the pitch of the mat
ter and that they are a good offset to
the Edmunds resolutions oondemnine
the Administration for refusing to sub
nit private documents to the Senate's
inspection.
Senator Morgan holds that the Ed
munds resolutions were out of order,
and should not have been received.
He was not in his seat at the time
they were offered or he should have
made that point then. As no Senator
seemed to take this view of the mat
ter, Mr. Morgan took action indepen-
IDENTIFY of them, believing that he
would in no way trench upon the
ground they will take in the matter.
If the Senator should call upon his
resolutions before the end of this week
they will, to a great extent, precipi-
tate the discussion between the Pres
ident and Senate. II is thought, how
ever, that he will let them lie over
until the discussion is under way next
week.
The Senate's position in this matter
is elaringly inconsistent, The charge
of secrecy in connection with Execu,
tive determinations in regard to ap
pointments comes with bad grace |
from Senators whose own delibera-
tions regarding these same appoint
ments is yelled in a secrecy they try |
to make impenetrable, and whose ac- |
ton is SO concealed as to avoid all |
responsibility.
The whole gist of the contention of |
the Senate majority is that the Pres
ident has no right to withhold rea-
sons, and yet the Senate claims
right to consider all Executive bust
ness with closed doors. It can refuse
without explanation to confirm the
nominations, but vet the
President has no warrant or author
ty to inquire into, or review the Sen.
lte's refusal.
There are indications that some of
.he Republican Senators are not blind
. the Inconsistency of the position
nto which Mr.. Edmunds has led them,
ind they may refuse to follow him
my farther. But with Mr.. Edmunds
I is a matter of life or death. His
erm in the Senate expires in March,
8ST. If he goes out Of the Senate
&c most likely goes ont Of public life.
His State election occurs next fall
nd the Legislature will then be
hosen which will elect u. S. SEN
tor to fill the seat now occupied by
REQ. F. Edmunds.
He has strong weakness for pub
&c life. And the fact that be is nov
rying to figure as chicftain of the
hick and thin Republicans Of the
'enate can be explained by the pres
nt condition Of affairs in Vermont,
mere y IS SAID, ne has hard hight ~
respect. Only two years ago this !
lonth, 1t wlil be remembered, he was /
'turnlng encouraging smiles to the ]
Pproaches OF the Mugwumps'
The first nomination rejected BY the /
enate was that Of Collector McGraw /,
West Virginia. More papers have !
cen called for in the case Of Collector i,
fells, OF Vermont, which of course
II be refused, and the confirmation
I Solicitor General Goode is still nm
sr fire, Shonld the deadlock con- .
~ "Nr sAs NSu"'s tSysss HNhiDs'