Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-03-13
he States Hia Side Of the Mo, ,ted
Question.
he Refuses to Submit prt,yate pa.
pers to the Senate.
And Reads Senatoes q Sarcastic
Lecture
A Document That VIII Comre,
Universal Attention.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-The President sent
Especial message TO the Senate to-day IN re-
gard to Its demand for papers, In which he
takes the ground that p ipers relating TO sus-
pensions from cffiee re no. OH cie, papers.
const Quently he does I .ot feel justified IN serd.
ing copies OF them to he Senate. The follow.
Ing is the message IN full:
10 the Senate 81 he United States: Ever
since the oeginntng OF the present session OF
the Senate different heads N Departments at
tachec 10 the txecr tive branch OF The govern
Inent nave beer llied with various requests
and demands from committees OF the Senate.
from members CT such committees, and. AT
last, from the Senate itself, requiring the
Of J easons for the suspension OF
certain officials turing the recess of that body,
or for papers 'ouching the conduct OF sucn
Gil .ial or Tor Gil the papers anu
relating Gu suspension, or fer all the
and
PAPERs PILED IN Such DEPARTMENTS
relating tothe management or conduct of the
Csfice beldoy such suspended officials. The
different terms from time to time adopted In
IN king tatse requests and dem ands, the order
In which they succeeded each ether, and the
fact that when made by the Senate the resolu-
uon fortlat purpose was pass ed in executive
session, oEVe leo 10 q presumption, the cor
%rectness OF which wtl, j suppose, be candidly
admitted, that from the FIRST 10 .he last the Ia.
formation sougtt and the papers thus de-
IN anded were for use by the Senate OF the
United States and is committee S IN consider
l"g the propriety OF the suspensions referred
10. Though those suspensions are my execu.
tive acts, based upon considerations addressed
TO me alone, and lor which j am alone wholly
responsible, l have no invitation from the Sen
ste to state the
POSITION WHICH 1 RAvE rBIF CONSTRAINED To
ASSUME
In relation TO the same, or TO interpret for my
self my acts and motives In these premises.
In this condition OF affairs have for D ad-
dressing the Senate upon the subject lest |
might be accused OF thrust.ng my self unbid-
den upon the attention Of that body. But the
report OF the committee on Judiciary Of the
Senate, lately published and presented, which
censures the attorney general OF the Uuited
states Tor his refusal 10 transmit certain Pc
pers relating to suspend ION of office, and
which, also, IL | correctly interpret It, evinces
IA mlsapprehension OF the position OF the ex.
ecutiVe upon the question OF such suspen-
sions, will, l hope, justify this communics.
ton.
THE EDxUSDs RESOLUTION.
Abiding to the Edmunds resolution the
President says:
Upon this resolution and the answer there
TO, the issue Is thus stated by the committee
on judiciary ut the oufse. OF the report:
1.-The important question. then Is, whether II is
within the constitutional competence of either
House Of Congress TO have access to Official
papers aud 10 various public Ctlices
OF the United States created by laws enacted
by themselves I do not suppose that ''the
public ofilces OF tht United States" are regu-
lated or controlled IN their relations 10 either
House OF Congress by the fact that they
were "created by laws enacted by themselvee."
IL must ne that these irstrumentAlitIes We're
created for the benefit of the people, and To
answer tue general purposes OF the govern
ment uDder the constitution and laws, and
that they are uuiucumbered ~ any lien IN ia
vor or either branch OF Congress growing
ont Of their constitution and unembarrassed
by any obligation 10 the senate as the price OF
their creation.
The complaint OF the committee that access
to the general papers Is IN public offices denied
the senate Is met by the statement that az 10
time mas II been the disposition or intention Of
the President or any department OF the execn-
tive branch OF the government 10 withhold
from the senate official documents or papers
filed in any Of the public offices. While IL is
By no means conceded tAat the senate has the
right ia any case 10 review the act Of the eZ-
ecutive Ia removing or suspendiBg a public
officer upon official documents or otherwise,
Il IL considered that documents and papers OF
that nature should -because they are official
De fully tran smitted TO the senate upon It's de-
msnd, trusting the use of the same for proper
and Legitimate purposes TO the good faith
OF that body and Though no such PAT er
or document has been specifically de-
manded In any OF the numerous req tests az
demands made upon the departments. yet, rs
often as they are foundi In public office they
have been furnished in answer to such aDn,i.
cations. The letter OF the attorney general I'm
response 10 the resolution ct the Senate IN the
particular case mentioned In the committees
- YnFf nos 4 t.n ~ Unu 81 -
my direction.
The President declares that no official pa.
pers have been flied relating to the case within
the period specified By the resolution.
Against the transmission Of such papers and
documents ] have interposed my advice and
direction. This has not been done, as is sug-
Rested In the committees report. upon the as-
sumption OF any idea on my part that the attor.
Dey-general or AIRY other head OF department
us the servant OF the President, and Is TO give
or withhold copies OF documents In HIS Office
according tn the will OF the executive, and not
otherwise" but because 4 regarded the pagers
withheld and addressed 10 me nv intended for
my use and action, purely unofficial and Of a
private nature and freQu ai,tly confidential. and
having reference to th. performance OF 4 duty
exclusively mine. ! consider them as In no
proper sense upon the fles OF the department,
but az deposited there for my convenience, re
naming still completely under my control. I
suppose IL ] desire tn take them into my Gus.
COHy i lElQnt 90 so with entire property, and
Il 1 saw ut tn destroy them no one wogld COM
plain. The papers and documents that are
low She OH cts OF the Scna;-'s quest consist
OF letters and representations addressed 10 the
executive. and are Intended for hts inspection;
they are voluntarily written and preacn.ed nv
private ritigena who nre not Ia the least insti.
gated thereto b, any official invitation or Mt all
subject 70 ORlcinl control. While acme Of
them are entitled Ia executive consideration,
many 81 them arc 80 irrelevant, or in the
light or other facts, go worthi-r- that tiay
have not been given tho least weight IN de-
teiminiug the question 70 which tncy Rru ruJ-
posed 10 relate. Are these. simply becanJe
they arc pr"scrved. 10 be considered onicisl
Documents and su,i 'ct Ia the inspection "
the Senate, II DOT who II 10 determine which
belong to this class Are the motives and
purposes OF the Senate, ss they are day 10y dey !
developed. such IA would be Satisfied with my
selecHonsi Am / 10 submit ~ the demands
at The risk of being charged with making a
euspenaion from Office upon evidence which
ives not considered,
ARE THEA; PAPERS TO DE REGARDED AS Of
RIGIAL
bee iuse they have not only bsen presented bat
pre- served ia public ofieesf Their nature re-
mains the fape, whether they are fept in the
executive mansion or deposited In the depart
ments. There 10 10 mysterious power CT trans