Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-13

had no more to do with this issue than
mad the offer OF the man who stole pig
10 produce thirty men who had not seen
him steal it.
WHAT THE PRECEDENTs WERE.
The precedents which went to establish
constitutional prerogatives were those in
which Presidents had denied the right Of
tne Senate 10 receive such papers. Mr..
henna cited the resolution offered in the
Senate in 1910 by Senator Bradbury, call
ing on the President to send to the Senate
copies OF all charges pro1ered OF filed In
any OF the departments against individu-
ais who, in the change Of the administra-
tlOn, had been removed from office, etc.
This resolution, Mr.. Kenna said, gave rise
TO long debate, and came up in the SEN
ate time after time. strung out through
the whole OF one session and nearly the
whole of the next. There had been a
change OF administration at the time and
somebody had got mad-without meaning
TO convey the remotest intimation that
any yoody was now mad. Laughter.
Mr.. Webster, on that occasion, main
tanned tnat the papers in question could
not be called for.
GRANTS MESSAGE.
Mr. Kenna quoted from the message OF
President Grant to the House of Repre-
INhtobiNG 60 udtCu NAY =. lCtO, NeClhiuE 10
furnish certain information which he said
related exclusively to the Executive func-
ton. He also read letter from MIR. Sher-
man, who was Secretary of the Treasury,
relating to the removal of Mr.. Arthur
from the Collect0rship OF New York, the
letter being addressed to MIR. COnkling, as
Chairman of the Senate committee. In
that letter Mr.. Sherman said that TO make
official reply would compel hIm to dis
close matters contained in papers of a
confidential character filed in the depart
ment, and require him to discuss ques-
uons "totally immaterial to nominations
sent to the Senate" and also that mo law
requires the President to give reasons"
etc., after citing other illustrations.
THE REAL ISSUE.
Mr.. Kenna stated what he believed to
be simple truth, viz: That the one
question at issue here was whether the
present Chief Executive should be al
lowed, in the fuifllment OF his obligation
to the people, to administer the govern.
ment through agencies of his own, OF his
own choice, or be compelled by the OBJ
structive power OF a majority OF the SEN
ate to administer, and be responsible for,
the government through agencies not of
his own choice. And, not only so, but
agencies lacking his confidence, and
IN multitude Of cases actually
interested in bringing him and his ad-
ministratiOn into disrepute. The issue,
after all, was whether the Democratic
administration should appropriately per-
form its functions in the face of a mega
tive obstructive majority on the other
side OF this chamber. Applause in the
galleries, which drew from the occupant
OF the chair, Mr.. Blackburn, an admOni-
ton that evidences or approval or dis APP
proval, were not allowed.
WHAT CLEVELAND WAS ELECTED FOR.
'EThe people," Mr.. kenna continued,
Fwere unable to change their officials ex-
cept through the Executive. VI hen the
people eles1ed Grover Cleveland TO the
Presidency 1T was for the purpose of effect
ing such change as would make the
government conform to the popular will.
IL was that former maTsnals and collect
ors and postmasters and c0nsuls and min
listers should go, so far as necessary, and
that II necessary to carry out the pur-
poses of the government IN good faith,
then that they should all gO.' Mr.. Kenna
then discussed the question of sound civil
service in connection with Mr.. Cleve-
lands public utterances, comparing these
utterances with the declarations Of the
early authorities in our government. par
tlcularly President Jefferson. and finding,
he said, President Cleyeland's declara-
tiOns in no way disparaged by the COM
parison.
ANALYZING PRESIDENTIAL POWER.
He also examined and analyzed the
cOnstitutionaip0wer of the President to
remove officers, reading from many his
tOrical authorities TO sustain his point
that it was solely question for the Ex-
ecutive. He then took up Mr.. Blaine's
new book "Twenty Years in Congress-"
a nd rod nf CpinU VI
from it on the tenure Of Office act. The
writer OF that work, Mr.. Kenna said,
came within a thousand votes of being
the object OF this warfare" on
executive power, for OF course the war
would have come all the same. The gal
lerIes relished the extracts, though hardly
more so than the Senators, the occupants
of both floor and galleries indulging in
considerable laughter over Mr.. Blaine's
caustic comments on craftsmanship in
volved in the passage and attempted re-
peal of the tenure-Ot-0ftice law.
EDMUNDs' CONSISTENCY.
He asserted that the Senator from Yer
mont was perfectly consistent, Tor he was
working for his political friends like a
Turk in 1867 and like a beaver in 1869,
and that was the whole spirit and law
and meaning aud fact OF the controversy
of to-day. Let the country understand
that the party which had majorities In
both houses in 1867 had handicapped An
drew Johnson by law which afterwards
they had repealed, vet proposed to substi-
tute now in the absence OF a majority in
the other branch by the performances of
the committee OF the Senate, the majority
on the Republican side and the Republi-
can caucus.
TRNURE-OF-OFFICE ACTS.
He quoted from the tenure-of-office act
the portions relating TO suspensions and
from the repeating act Of 1863. Continu.
ing be said the act OF 1869 provided that
the President might suspend officers who
were guilty OF misconduct or crime and
persons who became incompetent or
legally disqualified to perform their
duties, but these features we're repealed
in 1869. The act OF 1867 provided that the
President should send In his nomination
within twenty days and his reasons for
making the suspension. The time was,
by the act of 1869, extended 10 thirty
days and the requirement Of the reasons
was repealed. Now be would ask any
candid minded Senator, what was the
OF today but q practical re-
by the Senate Of law which
both houses had repealedg But it was
said that as the officer was only suspended
by the President until the end OF the next
session the Senate was, therefore, called
on TO act upon the removal.
PRECLUDED BY THE ACT.
The act OF 1869 forever precluded any
nnph fsOnatruQtion tfndpr tho aet "a 1897