The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-03-12

- poEoosu sAelP 11lles. - ull>ln 81
6als o1esF ~ neyo neeol.g g - oona11
q should - ~ DIV a ~ President q
gopoFt - ~ Senate such oospcnsI0u
with the evidence end Fcasono for hls e.
lions. This ocn1ute passed when Con
gress Was overWhemingly end bit
terry opposed politically 20 The
President and may b regarded
y IN indication that even then lt Waa
| thought necessary by Congress IN order
| % determine the Executive % the Lcgis-
latlve win. 70 furnish itself for that par.
| poee, instead Of attempting 70 reach the
| object intended BY IN invention Of any
| pretended constitutional right. The Law
! which thus found its way 70 our statute
books, needed no avowal. II valid and
now In operation Il would justify the
present course Of the Senate and command
obedience Of the Executive % IL de-
maDds. Il may, however, be remarked
In passing, that under this law the Presi-
dent had the privilege Of presenting 20
acts hts reasons therefor, instead Of being
excluded from explanation or Judged BY
papers found In the departments.
1.-TWO years after the law Of 1867 was
passed, and within less than i've weeks
after the Inauguration Of Z President, In
political accord with both branches Of
Congress, the sections Of the oct regulat-
ing suspensions from ONCE during the re-
cess Of the Senate were entirely de-
feated. and in their place were
substituted provisions which. instead Of
limiting the causes Of suspension 70
misconduct crime, disability or dis
qualification. expressly permitted, such
suspension BY the President In his discre-
tion, and completely abandoned the re-
quirement obliging him 70 report To the
Senate the evidence and reasons for his
actions.
"With these notifications, and with
all branches Of the Government in polit-
ical harmony, and In the absence Of parti-
san incentives to captions obstruction,
the law as IL was left BY the amendment
Of 1869 was much less destructive Of ex-
ecutive discretion, and yet the great
General and patriotic citizen who on the
4th Of March, 1893, assumed the duties
Of chief Executive, and for whose freer
administration Of his high ONCE the most
hateful extremes Of the law OF
1867 were on the 5th day Of
April, 1869, removed, mindful OF his
obligation to defend and protect every
prerogative Of his great trust and appre-
hensive of injury 70 the public service
In the continued operation Of these stat
utes, even in their modified form, in his
first message to Congress advised their
repeal ON account Of their demonstrations
Il character and hurtful tendency, in this
language; II may be well to mention
here the endorsements possible to
arise from leaving on the statute books
the so-called Tenure Of Once act,
and to earnestly recommend their
total repeal? II could not
have been the intention Of the trainers
Of the Constitution when providing that
appointments made by the President
should receive the consent Of the Senate,
retain in Office persons placed there BY
Federal appointment against the will Of
the President. The law Is inconsistent
with q faithful and efficient administra-
ton Of the Government. What faith can
an executive put in oficials forced upon
him, and those, too, whom he has sus-
pended for reason? How will such Of |
ficials be likely to serve an administra-
ton which they know does not trust |
them.
81 am unable to state whether or not |
this recommendation for repeal OF |
these laws has beer since complied with. !
IL II has not. the reason can probably |
be found in the experience which de-
monstrated the fact that the necessities
Of the political situation but rarely de-
veloped their vicious character. And
90 IL happens that after an existence OF |
nearly twenty years Of almost innocu- |
Gus disuetude, these laws are brought |
forth, apparently the repealed as well as
the unrepealed, and put in the way Of an !
Executive who Is willing, ifpermitted, to
attempt an improvement in the meth |
DDS OF administration.
'sThe constitutionality Of the law IL BY l
no means admitted. But why should the /
provisions Of the repealed law, which re- |
quired specific cause for suspension as
part Of the report TO the Senate 'of evil |
dence and reasons be now In eject ap- |
piled TO the present Executive, instead Of |
the law afterward passed and unrepealed,
which distinctly permits suspensions BY |
the President, In his discretion, and care
fully omits the requirement that evidence
and reasons for his action in the |
cnge shall be reported to |
the Senate. The requests and demands |
which, BY the score, have for nearly three /
been presented TO the different |
Departments Of the Government, what |
ever may be their form, have but one
complexion. They assume the right Of |
the Senate TO sit in judgment upon the |
exercise Of my exclusive discretion and |
executive function, for which am solely |
responsible TO the people from whom I |
have 80 lately received the sacred trust |
Of Office.
ITO the end that the service may be i'm
proved, the Senate Il invited to the fullest |