The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-03-12
PORTLAND. FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 12 1886

had now asked the Senate to join him in his
accusations against those men and when the
Senate requested to be informed concerning
the official conduct OF the accused officers it
was flatly told no information would be Civ
on. This was not the theory of the consti-
tuition. 1t was contrary to both the theory
and practice of the government from the be-
ginning to the present time. The utterances
of the President were against his present
practices and no less than three members of
his Cabinet were personally and officially
committed in opposition to the doctrines
Stated in the letter of the attorney general
which gave rise to the question in dispute
They had been members OF the Judiciary
committee of the Senate and all participated
in the practice:of calling on the executive de-
partments for just the character OF informa-
ton which was now refused The uniform
practice of the government was also against
the denial of this information.
Mr.. Wilson believed the present attitude
of the administration was the result of an
after thought. Its chief, both as candidate
and President, had promised too much in
respect to civil service reform and improved
methods His followers could keep silent
when he expressed his views during his can
dinacy. but when he became President the
silence was broken, for then they wanted
the offices. Had the President praeticed his
reform professions, Mr.. Wilson continued, it
was not probable that any occasion would
have arisen for the resolution under discus
sion, but his attempts to invent method OF
surrendering to partisan pressure and at the
same time preserving slmulltude OF reform
was what had brought the administration to
its present condition. This was star
chamber method of inviting assaults on the
characters of men and then denying to the
men all knowledge of the nature of the
charges against them. 1t was this error that
induced the refusal to furnish the papers and
information called for.
The administration, Mr.. Wilson said in
conclusion, had been engaged in a comedy
of errors" and its position, in the light OF all
that had been promised, was not little dis
couraging.
Mr.. Kenna then obtained the floor to
speak on the resolutions.
Mr, Edmunds said he would next week
press the Senate to 'sstick to- these resolu-
tions so as to get them finished and out OF
the way of other business. He did not feel
disposed to press them to a conclusion now
''while one of our members lies unburled
A message from the President was then
received and read yetoing the bill to quit
the title of settlers to the. Des MONIES river
lands 1t was ordered printed and TO lie ON
the table.
Mr.. Stanford offered resolutions of regret
at the death of the Hon. John f. Miller, late
Senator from California, and providing for
committee of FIVE Senators to superlntend
the funeral of Mr.. Miller; also that his re-
mains be removed from Washington to Cali
fornia in charge of the Sergeant alarms
and attended by subcommittee.
The resolutions were at once unanimously
agreed to.
The Senate then at 3.45 p M. on motion
of Mr.. Mcpherson, went into executive ses-
sion, and at O'Clock the doors were re
opened and the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
A resolution was adopted calling ON the
Secretary of the Navy for statement show
ing the amount of money expended in the
ordnance shop at the Washington navy yard,
number of guns made, altered and repaired,
etc.
When the morning hour had expired the
House went into committee of the whole on
the Indian appropriation bill.
Mr.. Weaver of Iowa entered upon crltl-
cism of the present Indian policy, and ad-
dressed himself first to the discussion OF the
educational branch of the question He
quoted from the report of the superintendent
of Indian schools to show that cattlemen
lOoSed their herds on the Shlloee0 school
farm and deiied any one, who attempted to
interfere with them. race course had
been laid out there, and horse racing and
whiskey selling had been introduced, and it
was safe to say more drunkenness could be
seen at that school than at all the agencies
in Indian territory.
Mr.. Weaver passed on to review of what
he considered the most disgraceful chapter
in the history of the Indian question. The
Cherokee Strip Live Stock Association, he
said, had procured lease from the Cherokee
udltOu VI JuC ClIGllG OllClOhCC oLllps 1OA
which it was paying annually $4,000 But
the association had sub-leased the land to
other cattle companies, and was receiving
from those sub-leases about S500,0OO year.
The question was no longer whether the red
man or white man already occupied IL IN
violation of law, but the real battle was
whether the h0mesteader of this country
should have the right to go there, and build
churches and SchO0lhOuSeS or whether ne
should be excluded by rich foreign and do
that there in viola
tiOn of law.
Mr., Longo of Massachusetts, does not
the administration enforce the law?
Mr. Weaver-Why has your administra-
py this country? This was done by Chester
A. Arthur. This unlawful occupancy by
the cattle syndicates was effected under
Republican administration. Under Presl.-
dent Arthur poor people were driven out OF
Oklahoma Mr.. Cleveland, the present
President, then came into power and found
this unlawful condition OF affairs, but he has
not done anything different from what was
done by a Republican President except
as to the Cheyennes and ArrapahoeS' res
ervatiOn where he did order the military to
eject the cattle syndicates. Mr.. Weaver
stated thatth Secretary OF the Interior was
in favor of the removal of the ntruderS as
soon as possible He then went on to advo-
cate the passage of his Oklahoma bill, one OF
the eproyisOn of which authorizes the APP
pointment of commission to negotiate with
the Cheyenne and Arrapahoe Indians for
the settlement of their reservation.
Pending further discussion the committee
rose.
A resolution was adopted authorizing the
printing of the testimony taken by the Pan
Electric investigating committee.
resolution was also adopted authorizing
the appointment of committee of seven
members, to join similar committee on the
part of the Senate, to accompany the re-
mains of the late Senator Miller from Wash
ington to California.
The House then at 5.15 o'clock adjourned.