St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-06
INGALLS, INVECTIVE.
The sharped Tongued Kansas Senator
Handles Land Commissioner Sparks
Without Mercy.
He Demands the Adoption of his Resolu-
ton Asking Information Regarding
the Order of June2.
A Lively Exchange of Personalities
With CockrelI of Missouri Who
Stood by Sparks.
The Resolution Goes Through, and
the Interior Department Must
Now Show its Hand.
The Senate Debate,


WASHINGTON, June 5.-Mr. ingalls,,
resolution. offered yesterday, was laid
before the senate. calling on the
secretary of the interior for information as
to the authority for the issuance of the re-
cent order of the commissioner of the gen.
eral land Office suspending the receipt of
application for public lands under pre-
emptory, timber culture and desert land
acts. The resolution having been read.
Mr.. Walthall said that the secretary of the
interior, On the very day of the issue of the
order, had determined 10 revoke it, as he
had serious doubts as to its legality. He
had revoked the order. Mr.. Ingalls, said:
He was glad the first order had been re-
Voked, but regretted the statement of the
grounds on which the revocation had been
made. He (Mr. Ingalls) affirmed that no pre-
cedent IN harmony with the order of June 2
would be found in the interior department.
The revocation was right, but the REASONS
gwen Tor the revocation were not right The
constitution of the United States, Mr. ingalls,
continued, required the president of the
United States to take care the laws were
faithfully executed. The president was
responsible for the acts of his executive
ohcers. Mr.. Ingalls, did not assume that
President Cleveland, on the I'd of June or at
any date since, had been in g condition either
TO approve or diSapprove the acts OF his sub
ordinates, and while Mr.. ingalls, exonerared
the secretary of the interior from any active
intervention in this matter, the radical diff
Guilty lay in the fact that the executive had
placed vast national interests in the hands of
subordinate officers who assumed not to see
that the laws were faithfully executed, but
that valid laws OF the United States were sus-
pended over vast area of the public
domain, and that many thousands
n
under the laws. Mr.. ingalls, was pro-
ceeding to read letter addressed by the
commissioner of the general land Office
to the secretary of the interior,
dated May 6, 1856, when Mr.. Cockreli
asked what document Mr.. ingalls, was going
to read from. Mr.. Ingalls, repeated the date
of the letter and the statement that it was
from the commissioner. Mr. Cockrell in
quired whether the senator was going to read
from an official document of the house or
senate. Mr.. ingalls, replied that if the senator
denied the authenticity or suspected that he
(Mr. lngalls) would tamper with the text of
the letter, he (Mr. CockrelI could send to the
document room and get the report. Mr. In
gals then stated the number of the docu-
ment.
MIR. Cockrell-Why could not the senator
answer polite question at once?
Mr.. Ingalls-The senator from Missouri ia
incapable of asking polite question of any
body. That is the reason.
Mr.. Cockrell-And the senator from Kansas
is incapable of answering gentleman.
Mr.. Ingalls, shall never have the oppor-
tunity of answering a gentleman whenever
the senator from Missouri interrosates me.
The chair urged the senators to keep order.
MIR. Edmunds (soto voce)-That is unparlia-
mentarY.
Mr.. ingalls, (also soto voce)-You say it is.
After reading the letter, Mr.. Ingalls, said
his mail YVES burdened with complaints of the
action OF the commissioner. He cited
CASES WITHIN HIS KNOWLEDGE
to show the hardships and iniquities caused
by the course of the land Office. He added
that he was not complaining of the president
or of the secretary Of the interior, who doubt
less had been imposed upon, whose instincts
and sympath1es were such that they could
not be with this mans, who prefers indict-
ments against entire communities" This
(Mr. Ingalls0 complaint was of the agency
that was administering the system in opposi-
ton to the interests of the thousands of his
(lr. IngallsO constituents, and thousands of
other poor, honest and Industrious people
who are endeavoring to build I'D communities
and states in the West. In their name
Mr.. ingalls, felt called on to say that no greater
invasion of public right, constitutional law
and the prerCgatives of free men was ever
committed in any age or at any time than the
order of the commissioner of the general land
Office, dated June 2, 1886 suspending the
operation of valid laws of the United States.
1t was an offense that, if committed by the
secretary of the interior and sanctioned by
the president, would
JUSTIFY THEIR IMPEACHMENT
and removal from Office. Mr.. ingalls, was very
glad, indeed, that the secretary of the interior
had seen fit thus early and promptly to dis
avow the order. Mr. Beck said the secretary
of the interior desired the adoption of the
resolution offered by the senator from Kansas,
That
causes that had led to the issue of the order.
The precedents for the issue of the order
would then be seen. Mr.. Beck believed the
order of June 2 to have been issued with
out authority Of law and wat
had revoked it so promptly. Mr. Beck hoped
some action would be taken to prevent
REPETITION of an assumption of the authority
claimed for its issuance, If practice in sups
port of such orders had grown up in tho
Offices. Mr.. Teller asserted with positivenest
that there could be found no precedent fol-
the order of June 2. He knew something Of
the duties of the interior department and
knew something of the disposition and temper
of the present secretary of the interior, for
whom Mr.. Teller had the highest respect. he
(Mr. Teller knew how a secretary of the in-
terror could be got to sign an order such Cd
that complained of without special observa-
ton or thought on the subject With the
multiplicity of duties placed on the secretary
of the interior it was physically impossible
that he should investigate or study every
order submitted to him for signature.
Mr.. Teller thought that such an
order, actually suspending three statutes
for three months, was such an exc
traordinary proceeding that It ought
not to be overlooked by the legislative de-
partment of the government. Mr.. CockrelI
said that when he came in the senate he
found the senator from Kansas (hir. Ingallsl
discussing some resolutions, and had fonnd
them TO be mere resolutions of inquiry.
When the senator commenced reading from
document, which Mr.. Cockrell supposed was
an executive document, he asked what docu-
ment it was. 1t was a very strange speech
which the senator from Kansas had made
upon simple resolution asking for informa-
ton. The subject of land frauds was not
now before the senate. The present question
was, whether the senate would call for GER
tam information, and he (CockrelD was
heartily in favor of it. Why an attack should
be made upon the commissioner of the gen.
eral land office and the secretary of the inte-
rior was more than he could conceive. at
may have been inspired, said Mr.. Cockrell,
''by that same gallant, chivalrous, invincible
spirit, character and disposition of the distin-
guished war chief from Kansas
Mr.. ingalls, (sarcastically)-Don' be too
hard.
Mr.. Cockrell-It may have been prompted
by that same feeling that inspired the attack
upon the crippled and disabled soldier at the
head of the pension office.
Mr.. Tngalls-Utterly disabled-physically
and mentally.
Mr.. Cockrell (continuing)-When he was
not in the chamber and couldn't respond.
Mr.. Cockrell could only attribute to that
same generous spirit of the great war chief
from Kansas this attack upon Commissioner
Sparks. So far as
PERSONALITIES IN THE SENATE
were concerned he (Mr. Cockrell) had nothing
to do with them. The senate chamber was
not the place for indulging in personalities
aud recriminations. He had asked the sena-
tor from Kansas a polite question, as he
thought such questions were common occur
rences in the debates of the senate. The sem
ator had made the reply which the Record
would show. Mr.. Call thought there was no
warrant for this attack upon Commissioner
Sparks.
After further debate the resolution of Mr..
ingalls, was agreed to.