The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-12-22
CONGRESS AT WORK.
NUMBER OF LEADING QUES-
TONS UP.
The Tenure OF Office Act Debated

TIONs UP.
The Tenure Of Office Act Debated.
Special to the TINES.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 1886.
It cannot be charged that Con-
gress has tried to evade difficult
questions during the present week.
Lands in severality to the Indians
has been agreed upon; the Sundry
Civil bill has been discussed; inter-
state commerce has had some at
tention; secret sessions have been
assailed; the Tariff has been up in
both ends of the Capitol; number
OfminOr measures have been killed;
Senators and Representatives have
been censured for receiving fees as
attorneys for subsidized railroad
corporations, and the bill to repeal
the Tenure OfOffice act had share
of abuse and approval in the Sem
ate.
Senator Edmunds was opposed
to a repeal of the law, which has
been in eXistense nearly twenty
years. 1t has been enacted to re.
strain President Johnson, who obey
ed it, although he believed it to be
unconstitutional, and all his sue
cessors had recognized it's validity
as a guide and restraint. If there
was any value in the constitutional
power of restraint vested in Sen
ate, that value was to be entirely
destroyed by. the repeal of this
statute. It would be turning over
: TO the President the power of inn
mediate removal of every one of
the public servants whose appoint
ment was confirmed by the Senate.
MIR. Edmunds said that the bill
to repeal had been brought forward
in apparent aid of their friends on
the other side and to relieve the
President of the difficulties and
embarrassment now attending re-
movals and suspension. 1t was an
invitation to Mr.. Cleveland to make
short work of the whole civil SER
vice business and to expel from
Office at once all the officers who
are within the purview of the stat
ute.
The Senator argued that the
passage of this bill would be a
great practical step backward on
the theory Of the reformation of
the civil service of the United
States. It would be affirming that
Congress was DESTROYS that the
President should exercise the pow.
or of selecting persons to fill offices,
whether the Senate advised and
consented or not. If he had the
slightest doubt of the constitution.
atty of the tenure of office act, he
would be willing to consider how
far that law trenched on executive
power, and so far as 1t did so, to re.
treat from it at once.
Senator Vance is irrepressible as
an anti-Civil Service refOrmer.
Last session he introduced bill to
abolish the law but quietus was
given to it then by an unfavorable
report presented by Senator Haw-
ley from the committee on Civil
Service Reform. The North Caro-
4 linian regarded that re verse as only
temporary. He believed that since
then the committee had gained
wisdom by experience; and SO in
hope of more favor in the futuie,
he has re-intrOduced the identical
bill, to be referred to the same COM
l.littee.
Representative Reney, of Ohio
Is equally unfriendly to 80 called
Civil Service reform. While speak,
ing of the proposed increase of sal
AIRY for the Civil Service Commits
siOners, he said; Ill lad my way
would abolish the whole commits.
sion. 1 would send its members to
the Hot Springs and sell their
Office furniture to junk shop.
That's the way l would end the
whole farce.
Secretary of War Endicott is
puzzled just now as to how he will
an. wer an inquiry directed against
him through Senator Van Wyck's
resolution. 1t relates to the dis
uursement of money for the i'm
prOyement of the Missouri river.
Congress provided that 100000
should be disbursed in specific sums
at number of fixed places. 1t
seems the War Department gave
all the money to two places, and
now Mr.. EndicOtt is asked to ex-
plain why he disObeyed the law in
taking the money from places an.
thOrized by Congress and placing it
where it was unauthorized.
The Apache campaign of Gen.
Miles is not ended yet, either, but
is about to be supplemented by a
tussle with the War Department.
The General is determined to be
vindicated, no matter who suffers.
He protests against the injustice of
being censured, in Secretary Endi-
colts annual report, for an alleged
disObedience of orders, and asks to
nave the record against him cor
rected, asserting that he obeyed
orders literally, and that the rec
ords of the War Department will
bear him out.
The matter has been taken in
hand by the President for consider.
alton. Mr.. Endicott realizes that
he Numbered in his report through
Instrumentation from the Army
ring in his Department but he
hasn't the cOurayeOr he Is too Obsti-
nate to acknowledge his mistake.