The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-03-17
Kenpa,s Answer TO Edmunds.

cincinnati Commercial Gazette (Rep.) Special
WASHINGTON March 14,-The lombard
ment which Mr.. Kenna gave Mr.. Edmunds
out of Mr.. Blaine's second volume was
keenly enjoyed by many Republicans A
portion of the full text is as follows:
"While have this book in my hand take
the liberty of reading what the dis
tinguished author says on the subject of
the act of 1869, which was passed pretty
nearly by the same men who passed
that of 1867, and of which he speaks as fol-
lows: The chief defenders of the PROPOSE
ton to suspend the act were Mr.. Trumbull,
Mr.. Edmunds and Mr.. Schurz. Mr.. Ed
munds, pressed by Mr.. Grimes to furnish
good reason for suspending the act, replied
that, sowing to the peculiar circumstances
that have attended the last administration,
it is desirable that there should be an imme-
date and gen, raj removal of the officehold-
els of the country as a rule, and as an agency
for that removal subject to our approval
when we meet again in confrma-
ton Of their successors, these bad men
being put out We are willing to trust
the Executive with that discretion" Mr..
Blaine proceeds: Coming from Senator of
the United Stats, this declaration was re-
garded as extraor iinary. The bad men to
whom Mr.. Edmunds referred were the APP
pointees of Pre-. lent Johnson, and every
one of them b. been confirmed by the
Senate of the UD Ted States when the Repub-
licans had NOR than two-thirds of the
body. If these appointees were bad men,
why. it was per nently and forcibly asked
by the aggrieved lid not Mr. Edmunds sub
init proof of the act to his Republican asso-
ciates and pro, IRE their rejection3 He
knew the accused men declared as much
about their characters when their names
were before the Senate as he knew when he
sought, behind the protection of his privi-
lege to brand them with infamy.
ITO permit this to be confirmed in the
silence and confidence of an executive ses-
sion and then in open Senate, when their
places were wanted for others, describe them
as bad men seemed to them a procedure to
not be explained on the broad principle of
craftsmanship, or even on the common law
of fair dealing Within the eight
months next ensuing the President would
probably make more removals and appoint
ments than for the remainder of his term,
| and it was lust for this period that Mr..
| Trumbull, Mr.. Edmunds and Mr.. Sehurz
urged that the law be made inoperative-in-
operative in order that removals of Demo-
cratic otfce-holders for good cause, and for
no cause except tnat they were Democrats,
| might in every way be expedited
''There is much in this chapter relevant to
which | should like to read, but 1 do not de-
| sire to take the time to do it. / will, how
| ever, read the closing paragraph, which l
commend to those who aided in the enact
ment of the law of 1867, and so soon after
participated in the enactment of the law of
1869. Concluding passage on that subject,
| Mr.. Blaine says: Casting off all political
disguises and personal pretenses, the simple
truth remains that the tenure of office law
| was enacted lest President johnson should
remove Republican office-holders too rapid
ly, and was practically repealed lest Presi-
dent Grant should not remove Democratic
office-holders rapidly enough" Laughter
1.-THE Senator from Vermont was in Con-
| gress when both these laws were passed. He
| gave his very active adherence to the propo-
| s1tion of the first one, and then proposed to
| suspend for eight months the act of 1867 by
| the act of 1869. He it was, l think, who
| made the motion to recommend the bill
| providing for the suspension, and it was re-
| committed and the bill reported was rap
| idly passed with only slight amendment.
| L want to do that Senator the justice. how
| ever, to show you to-day the consistency,
the absolute and perfect consistency, of his
| support of the act of 1867, and his support
| of the modification in the act OF 1863. Re-
/ ferring to the debate in 1867, find him
| making this declaration: But the commit
| tee have recommended the adoption of this
| rule respecting the tenure OF Office as a per-
i ndnenJ anu SySIe1ndC anu rs CQey DeleFe,
/ an appropriate regulation of the Govern
ment for all administrations and for all
/ time
This was in 1867-Tor all administrations
| and for all time All administrations
| you see, were not broad enough to cover it,
| but for all time the law was to be enacted;
and still that proposition was not broad
| enough. The Senator, on another day in the
course of the debate, made use of this lang
uage: q do not, therefore choose to submit
| to the imputation for a single moment that
there is, either in this bill or out of it, any
attempt to advance anybody's political
| views whatever or to aid anybody's friends
That was in 1867. l read now from the
| Globe for March. 1869. page 107, and from a
speech by the Senator from Vermont, in
which he says: Now, what do we propose
to do? We propose, in order as we had
hoped to meet the views of our own politi-
| cal friends who had seen, or thought they
had seen, pratical difficulties in administra-
ton under this law, to give, by an act Of
| generous confidence in the present Execu-
tive. to HIM during the next recess of Con-
gress complete power to sweep out OF office
the persons who now hold it. F"