National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-03-17

said was that there had not been ten times
G48 removals. The significance Of the cleo
ton OF 1884, as he construed 1t, was that
the people wanted q change from Republi-
can TO Democratic methods, principles, and
policy. What was wanted and expected
was q Democratic administration, root
stem, and branch. Genuine civil service
reform demanded that the Executive, who
was required by the constitution to take
care that the laws were faithfully executed,
shall have the selection of honest aud com
petent agents In accord with the policy In
dicated by his election. Any attempt
to conduct an administration through
officers hostile TO its policy would necessa-
rily prove a failure. The object Of the
majority Of the judiciary committee was TO
stop the removal Of Republicans from
Office Stripped Of all unnecessary VERDI
age, the single Issue, Mr. Maxey said was :
Where and In whom was the power OF re-
moval lodged by the constitution The
minority Of the Senate stood not only on
the letter of the constitution but upon the
decision of the fathers, recognized by the
first Congress, by oil succeeding Congresses,
by the courts, and by the commentators on
the constitution.
Mr. Dolph then took the floor In support
of the majority report. lie would not dis
cuss, he said, the questions as TO the right
OF Congress to be informed how the laws
had been executed, or as TO the state Of the
Union. Upon that branch of the question
he would content himself by saying that he
concurred wholly with what had been so
ably said by the senator from Vermont (Mr.
Edmunds). But Mr.. Dolph had decided
views as to the power Of the President to
| suspend or remove men from Office, aud
those opinions he would express
The first consideration to which Mr..
Dolph addressed himself was that involved
in the last clause Of the majority resolution.
| That clause related to the discharge from
the government service Of eX-Union soldiers
and the filling Of their places by men who
had not rendered similar service to the
| country. He would not initiate the minority
and charge that their Endorsement Of the
sections of the Revised Statutes which pro-
| tected the soldiers was insinccre or came
| from improper motives. But he had a
| right to show, II he could, that the provi-
sions Of law intended for the protection OF
the Scared and disabled veterans Of the
Union army had been dlsregarded by this
| administration.
Mr. Dolph sent to the desk and had read
a report Of the employment committee of
the Grand Army Of the Republic, depart
ment OF the Potomac, for the past year.
| This report, among other things, stated that
this had been an "ofI Year, for the class
which the committee represented; that the
| greater part Of their labors had been
directed to securing the reinstatement OF
comrades to places under the government
| from which they had been discharged
seventy.eight Grand Army comrades had
been discharged during the past year, as
well as a large number OF eX-Union soldier:
and sailors not affiliated with the Grand
Army; that 1t was not to be supposed that
those who served the nation In war were
skulkers or bummers in the ''piping times Of
peace;' that the discharges amounted
in some cases, to ostracism-the boys
in blue being boycotted for the advantage
OF the boys in gray-who were to be treated
as "prodigal sops.n Mr.. Dolph had nc
means of knowing how many of the Gas
suspensions were cases Of eX-Union sol
diers; but there many. Several cases had
come under his observation In which
one-armed and one.legged soldiers were
discharged, whose families were thus left
in dcstitution, and their places filed by
persons who had rendered no services t
the government. Who were Those persons
thus Disseminated ngainstg Not strong
able-bodied men; hut men who on TIT
march, and on the battle field, and in the
rebel prison, had suffered for the cause Of
the Union-the men who, by their, Sacrifices
had carried our flag to victory aud saved
the republic. The discrimination against
these men amounted to practical nullla
| cation Of law.
At this point Mr.. Mcpherson inquired
whether Mr.. Dolph would permit himself
to be Intercepted, to which Mr.. Dolph re
piled that at the close Of his remarks hi
would be glad to answer any question thai
might be put to him.
AT 4:55 Mr.. Edmunds, understanding tina
Mr.. Dolph did not wish to proceed furthe
yesterday, moved an adjournment, bu
expressed the hope that the Senate woul'
sit later to-day.
The Senate then adjourned, Mr. Dolp
retaining the floor.