Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-12
WILSON MAKES A POINT.
OF CHARACTERS
THE sENATE's AIM.

WASHINGTON, March lin the Senate
to-day an Iowa land grant forfeiture bill
was taker up, but at , O'Clock the matter
went over and the Chair laid before the
Senate the resolutions reported frOm the
Judiciary Committee as to the right OF
the Senate TO papers on file in the depart
ments. The galleries presented their
usual crowded appearance and their oc-
cupants seemed to relish the change from
the discussion of land grants to one in-
volving considerations of the executive,
prerOgative and constitutional law. Mr..
Wilson, OF Iowa, addressed the Senate in
support of the resolutions reported by the
majority of the committee.
MIR. Wilson said that for the first time
in the progress of this government its
executive power is now being used as
means OF assault on the character and
reputation of its citizens. He stated
fact, and would not now stop to deter
mine whether II was the result OF pur-
pose, ineXperience, want of thoughtful
action, or other cause whatsoever. 1t
was an unexpected tact, however, and
doubtless 1t would have been guarded
against If the trainers OF the constitution
had believed such result possible in an
administration OF executive power under
the provisions of that instrument as pre-
pared by them.
DEFINING THE FIGHT.
With this introduction Mr.. Wilson pro-
ceeded to argue tnat the contest between
the Senate and the President was one IN
which the Senate sought to protect the
characters and regulations OF citizens
from assaults by the President, such as
saults being removal or suspension from
office, and the protection being the efforts
of the Senate to obtain knowledge of the
reasons for such removal or suspension.
The existing situation Mr.. Wilson de-
scribed as a curious political phenOme-
non, the result of an equally curious pO-
litical evolution. He then attacked the
President upon the ground OF incOnsist-
sncy between his civil service reform Ut
ierances and his actions.
THE PROTOPLAsMIC PRESENCE.
ssWho could have anticipated" ;" said Mr..
Wilson, ''that from the political prOto-
plssmic presence which flOated on the
bosom Of the Democratic platform OF 1884,
and whose indefniteness WAS expressed
in the words We favor honest civil
service REFORM could have evolved re-
suit so harmful to the character ana repu-
tation Of citizen as the practice of the
present national administration" Mr..
Wilson then traced the development of
the political evolution which took its
5tt11t IN lH6 DIOJDHtdeilltC DIGSCuN6 uHOu
that platform, marked It's various stages
thence forward in President Cleveland's
letter to George William Curtis. his letter
OF acceptance, his inaugural address, and
mis- first annual message to Congress, and
proceeded, Those utterances of Cleve-
land as a Presidential candidate, Presi-
dentelec and President, contained many
things which thOuS Shtful men approved.
THE BANE OF POLITICS.
uolftipe vvOuId no Greatly
improved il uNe test which they induced
could be carried on without regard to
possession or acquisition Of the thousands
OF Offices created by our law. Eliminate
this factor from the case, and let the
minds of our people be given to public
measures, policies and interests with
which our political activities deal, and l
don't doubt that most beneficial results
will follow. The belief that this would be
so was entertained by many thousands
and tens OF thousands of our most con-
siderate citizens.
THOROUGHLY UNDERSTOOD,
at was knowledge of this fact that
caused the Democratic party to put into
its platform of 1884, the prOtOplasmic un-
certainty which said: We favor hon.
est Civil Service Reform ard it was
this knOwleds, which impelled Mr..
Cleveland, ~ 'Idential candidate,
President eIeaA 80 President, to give ut-
terance TO the expressions which he had
quoted. The conven tiOn gave him bad
start by its meanin less expression, and
so we need not wonder that he mas reach
ed like result. The political evolution
whose several stages the President an
nounced had not produced a new spe-
cies. it had not even improved on the
old one"
NOTHING BETTER PROMISED.
''rhe process did not promise anything
better at the beginning, while the end had
given something infinitely worse. The
hgh-sounding phrases and ingenious
patitudes which had been thrown out and
around uncertain aud meaningless eX-
pressiOns OF the platform had not changed
in the least. it is the same now that IL
was then. 1t was simply political her
mit-crab stored away IN an appropriate
she'll Of that better political ORGANISM
called reform, which had increased IN
size and elaborated Its ugliness, but had
not changed its species"
CONFIDENCE oFTHE PEOPLE.
"The people,' Nr. Wilson continued,
'shad given Mr.. Cleveland generous credit
for sincerity. They had listened TO his pro-
fessions of ref rm and studied them.
They had appreciated the difficulties sur
rounding his assumption of executive
power, but they could not reconcile his
actions in suspendIng competent and
assurances that such things would not be
done. He had said that men would not
be discharged for partisan reasons, but
only for cause. The people had believed
that he had the courage OF his eOnyic-
tions.
WHAT SUSPENSIONS IMPLY.
"This resulted in a universal belief that
charges other than political should be
lodged against public 0tcer before his
suspension could be assured. IL had logi-
cally followed that whenever an OGicer
vas suspended the people believed that
some grave charge had been made against
MIN. Indeed, every suspended officer
was by the Presidents own declaration,
made TO stand before the country rs un-
worthy Of trust aud confidence. II this
were not a necessary conclusion what
must be the estimation placed by the peo-
pie on the word Of the President, and II
II be a correct conclusion what must he
the Presidents idea Of fair dealing with
citizen.
6i3 SUSPENSIONS.
~ "He had suspended 643 public officers
and marshaled them before the country
ne persons unworthy Of trust or conf
dence. Many OF those persons had re-
I quested % be informed Of the nature OF