The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-17

latitude to the President in that matter: but as
| the very hungry and very thirsty were clamor-
| ing for seats at the official feast, there dan
| ger that falsehood, or even perjury, might be
| resorted to- Was il true, as had often been said
| of late, that public Office was public trEst2
| Was public Office the property of the executive
| to give and take at wil Was the advice and
consent of the Senate a prefrnctionary act in
order to meet the behest of the executiyel Were
! the Presidents statements made in good faith,
| to the effect that removals should be made for
causel III so, why conceal the causeT In his re-
| cent message the President said he hoped de-
! Tense against unjust suspensions might be made
in the justice of the executive: "rhe justice OF
| executive, forsoothn Upon what meat does this
| our Caesar feed that he is grown so greatf The
| theory that the king could do no wrong was
long since exploded among enlightened ma
tons. 1t had no place in this land:
| LIZ the President had acted in good
faith he bad been deceived. for, said Mr. Cullom,
persons had been removed in Illinois than whom
| no more faithful public servants could be found.
and against whom no charge of official miscon-
duct could be sustained. The Senator knew,
and all their neighbors knew, they were honest
| men. If they were not suspended for political
reasons, what in heavens name had they been
suspended fora DIR. Cullom disclaimed any in
tention to keep friends in Office but he protested
against secret star chamber" proceedings
that reflected on the personal character of honest
men. Men should not be allowed to come sneak
inglv to the postofice department at the invita-
ton OF the Postsn aster general and lodge secret
| complaints against honest men. refusal to
produce the papers would be an admission that
they could not bear the light.
| Mr.. Maxey followed Mr. Cullom. He opposed
the resolution reported from the majority of the
committee. The real question at issue, he said,
| was one of grave Importance The Duskn case
had been merely seized on as an occasion to
| raise an issue with the President AS to the
| point involved, Mr.. Maxey inquired where the
| Senate found authority to condemn the head of
| department. under the circumstances OF this
case. Who, well that officer, could
| know the facts on which his acton restedg Re-
| ferrine to Mr.. Edmundss likeEing of the Presi-
dents recent message to communication OF
King Charles /. Mr.. Maxey said the similitude
| did not exist. The fatal mistake that brought
| the King to the block by the semblance of
| court organized to convict would not be found
| in this case. He who would attempt to play the
role of Cromwell would find that this was not
the country for it. The Cromwell had not yet
been born who, in the name of the Senate, could
grasp the constitutional powers vested in the
executive of this republic. However much the
issue might be disguised, he said, the real object
was to ascertain the Presidents reasons for sus-
| pensions or removals of officers 1t was an at
| tempt to do indirectly what confessedy could
| not be done directly. The report of the major
| ity of the committee Mr.. Maxey characterized
as simply stump speech, dlgnified with the
| name of committee report. Complaint he
L
| suspensions had been made under this admins
| tration. The complaint made by the people,
Mr.. Maxey said. was that there had not been ten
| times CAB removals. The significance of the cleo
| ton Of 1884, he construed it, was that the
| people wanted a change from Republican to
| Democratic methods, principles and policy.
| What was wanted and expected was Demo
! cratic administration root stem and branch.
| Genuine civilservice reform demanded that the
| executive, who was required by the Constitution
to take care that the laws faithfully execu-
| ted, should have the selection Of honest and
competent agents in accordance with the policy
| indicated by his election Stripped of all un-
necessary verbiage, the simple issue. Mr. Maxey
| said, was; Where and i'll whom was the power of
removal lodged by the Constitution He de
clared the power of removal was essentially
tuition nowhere restricted the Use of that power.
| 1t was an attempt to control the discretion OF
the President but it would fail.
Mr.. Dolph then took the floor in support of the
majority report. The first consideration, to
which Mr. Dolph addressed himself that
involved in the last clause Of the majority reso-
| luton. That clause related to the discharge
| from the government service of ex-Union sol
ders, and the filing of their places by men who
| had not rendered similar service to the country.
| He sent to the desk and had read report of the
| employment committee of the Grand Army of
| the Republic department of the Potomac, for
| the past year. This report, among other things,
| stated that this had been an office for
| the class which the committee represented; that
| the greater part OF their labors had been di.
rected to securing the reinstatement Of comrades
| to places under the government from which they
| had been discharged. Seventy eight Grand
| Army comrades had been discharged during the
| past year, well large number of ex-
Union soldiers and sailors not affiliated with the
| Grand Army; that it was not to be supposed that
| those who served the Nation in war were
skulkers or bummers in the 'piping time of
| peace;" that the discharge amounted in some
cases to ostracism, the boys in blue being boy
cotted for the advantage of the boys in gray,
who were to be treated as ''prodigal sons. Mr..
Dolph had means of knowing how many of
| the CAB suspensions were cases of ex-Union sol
diers, but there were many. Several cases had
| come under his observation in which onearmed
| and one. legged soldiers were discharged whose
families were thus left in restitution. and their
| places filed by persons who had rendered no
service to the government Who were these
! persons thus Disseminated againstl Not strong,
able bodied men, but men who, ON the march
and on the battle field, and in the rebel prison,
had suffered for the cause of the countryside
men who, by their sacrifices, had carried our flag
to victory and saved the Republic. The dis
elimination against these men amounted to q
| practical notification of law.
| At this point the Senate adjourned, Mr. Dolph
| retaining the floor.
THE HOUSE.