The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-20
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS
A Discovery That Took Away a Clerks
Breath and Paralyzed the Senate.
Animation Restored by the Firmness and
Vigor Of the President Pro Tem.-More
Talk on the Edmunds Resolutions.
THE SENATE.


WAsHINeroN. March 19-The Chair laid be-
fore the Senate memorial from the Legisla-
ture of Connecticut, urging Congress- to grant
an allowance for back pension petitioned for by
Mrs. Mower, widow of Mai.-Gen Joseph A.
Mower. Referred
Mr.. Blackburn presented two memorials of
the Legislature Of Kentucky. one urging the
improvement of the navigation of Licking river,
the other urging the passage of bill to pre-
vent the retirement of Rear Admiral Jouett q.
s. N Referred.
Mr. Coke called up the bill to establish a ma
tional livestock highway and to promote COM
merce in live stock between the States. The
bill sets apart for ten years, as such highways.
the public lands in range Al, along the east line
of the State of Colorado, it being fractional
range, averaging about two miles in width. The
bill was passed.
Mr.. Plumb called up the bill to define the
status and for the relief Of heirs of legal repre-
sentatiyes of certain recruits for the Fourteenth
Kansas Cavalry Volunteers, who were killed at
Lawrence, Kan, Aug. 81, 1863 by guerillas.
The bill was passed.
Mr. Dawes called up the bin authorizing the
President to appoint Lieut.. William P. Randall,
United States navy, lieutenant commander, and
10 place him on the retired list with such rank.
fhe bill passed
Mr Sawyer having called up private pension
bill, Mr.. Harrison suggested that ali private
pension bill cases favorably reported from the
committee be taken up. This suggestion was
acted on, and the pension bills were accordingly
taken up in their order on the calendar.
The Senate having read and passed all such
bills on the calendar, Mr.. Logan asked that his
bill to increase the efficiency of the army be
made unfinished business for the morning hour
on Monday next. This was agreed to.
Mr.. Blair then called up the bill. reported by
him from the committee on pensions, for the
relief of soldiers of the late war honorably dis
charged. after six months service who are dis
abled and dependent on their own labor for sup
port, and of dependent parents of soldiers who
died in the service or from disabilities contracted
therein. After some debate to the wisdom of
taking up this bill in the morning hour, the hour
Of o'clock arrived, and the Chair laid before
the Senate & communication from the Secretary
of the Treasury. The reading was begun
follows:
ITO the President pro tempore Of the Senate
II have received resolution of the Senate,
dated Feb "a, 1886, adopted by the. Senate in ex-
ecutive session.
At this point something seemed to have burnt
Clerk Gilfry for. with a quick inhalation of
breath. he stopped short, folded up the paper
and handed it back to the President pro tenn
pore, who announced that the communication
would be withheld for executive session. The
incident created for the moment buzz Of sup
pressed 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 tempore Sherman replied that it
was not.
Mr.. Platt submitted that, in that case, it was
Tor the open session of the Senate.
The President pro tempore said he felt bound
TO submit the motion to the Senate in executive
session.
After another pause. Mr. Cockrell inquired
what had become of the letter Of the Secretary
of the Treasury.
The President pro tempore replied that on ex-
animation the letter was found to be an execu-
tive document. It not having been so marked,
the Chair was not to blame.
Mr.. Cockrell supposed that If not marked
confidential" the Senate was entitled to it.
The President pro tempore remarked, with
frmness, lit is executive business"
The Chair then placed before the Senate the
resolutions reported from the judiciary commit
tee regarding the refusal of the Attorney gen
eral to furnish papers called for by the Senate,
and Mr.. Spooner resumed the floor, and con-
tinued his speech in support OF the resolutions
reported by the majority of the committee. He
maintained the constitutionality of the tenure
of-office law and then went on to discuss the
civi-service question. Upon this point he said:
Had it not been for President Cleveland's civil
service declarations, and his expression of pur-
pose not to remove men who were faithful to
their public duty, thousands of Office holders
would have resigned. Honest partsanship was
honest citizenship. Under the Presidents idea
of offensive partisanship the new Democratic
Sffce holders could be embalmed and laid away,
and their wives allowed to perform the duties
of the Offices, in order that there might be no
suggestion that the ofice-holders could, by any
possibility, be offensive partisans.' Laughter.
Every man suspended had right to know why
he was suspended l hold In my hand, con.
tinued Mr. Spooner, a letter from a suspended
official, a man who had entered our Mexican
army as drummer and threw away his drum
on the attle-feld and entered the thick of the
Aght with musket in his hand. That man had,
In our late war. risen to the grade of major gen
erai. Suspended by President Cleveland,
that gallant man, and faithful soldier
and citizen, could not aseertain--nor
could Mr.. Spooner ascertain for him whether
the charges hled against him, on which he had
been suspended involved his personal honor or
not. Mr.. Spooner did not suppose the Presi-
dent meant to submit his fellow-citizens to &C.
rious injustice, but the system he had adopted in
the matter of suspensions inevitably tended to
cast shadow on the honor of honest men, Pa
pers that were held secret to-day might be-
come public when the person affected by them
was in his grave. with no power in his wife or
children to disprove the false allegations Mr.
Spooner did not desire to see the administration
embarrassed. The 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 the unjust impuuations
under which they were compelled to rest by the
method adopted by the administration
Mr.. Salisbury said that when the President
elected it the object aud intention OF
the people that he should adjust the Offices at
least more evenly between the political parties
than they had been. The President and his ad-
ministration had proceeded with a caution and
forbearance unparalleled in the history Of our
government When Congress met only CAB sus-
pensions had been made out of some 5000 or
1900 officers subject to the direct control of the
President This was very small percentage.
Such magnanimity to political oppo-
nents had never been exercised for the
last fifty years; yet President Cleveand's
nominations had been allowed to slumber
for now three months without action. Why?
Because the Republican side of the chamber
had set to work deliberately, premeditatediy he
would not say with malice aforethought. to de-