The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-02-09

and barred the Treasury to it and they
SAID they did not believe the people
wanted silver. Men have been hung
before now for debasing coin, because
they cheated the people; yet, here was
a case of the government debasing its
I own coin.
Mr.. German defended the administra-
ton, abiding to Mr.. Teller's criti-
eism of the training of the
Secretary of the Treasury, Mr..
German said it was true that
the Democrats had few men who had
been trained" in government service
for the past twenty-five years, but they
were fresh from the people and had
trained" with the people and knew the
wants and wishes of the people. Time
would show that the Secretary of the
Treasury was right. That officer was
the peer of the Senator from Colorado.
or any other gentleman on the floor of
the Senate.
During further discussion of the reso-
luton, Senator Sherman took the floor
in its support. He said the inquiry was
entirely proper, and that the Sen
ate had perfect right to
anything on the executive files per-
tanning to the subject or the executive
appropriations. suspensions or remoY-
ais.
This precipitated a debate upon the
question so long pending in the eau
cuses and committee meetings and
secret sessions, as to the right of the
Senate. as 10 information regarding
removals.
Mr.. Sherman said: think we have
the right to ask information of any de-
partment of the government. whether
the information be on paper or by
parole. 1 do not think there is any
doubt of that whatever. Butfor that
we could not legislate. We could not,
even by executive session. / have just
as much right as any department to
ask for any papers affecting that de
partment, affecting the legislative
bureau, if l go there armed with the
power of the Senate, as the Secretary
of the Treasury or any department of
the government, or as the President of
the United States.
Mr.. Saulsbury-I differ from the
Senator in regard to this. If we have
the nomination to act on, we can call
for information as to the nominee; but
when we go behind that and ask for in
formation as to a suspended officer, the
entire discretion is vested in the Presi-
dent. l would like to ask the Senator,
as lawyer, whether there is any court
in this country, from the Supreme Court
down, that can control the discretion of
a trustee, however::humble trustee he
NAV be-?
Mr.. Sherman-Is that not an evasion
of the whole controversy We do not
claim to exercise any power whatever
over the discretion of the President.
We admit even that we do not ask for
his reason; but we have the power to
control our own discretion and we have
a right to determine information that
we can get from the executive depart
ment to enlighten US. Nobody pro-
poses to deny the exercise OF the Presi- |
dents discretion; nobody. He Is as in
as we are. But he must not |
control our discretion. He must not |
prevent US from having the same |
sources of information that he has. He
makes a nomination; why did he make |
that nomination. Was the old en- |
cumbent an unfit man, a corrupt |
man, a thief. defaulter, or
the like2 Our discretion must be Ell
lightened by all the information that |
the President has. I say, therefore,
that we have right TO cali for that in
After quite lengthy debate. in
which Pugh and Harris alternated |
with Sherman, the resolution of Mr..
Eustis went over until tomorrow and
after an executive session the Senate
adjourned.