Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-03-25
THE NORTHWEST
RlaHrs OF THE PRESIDENT.
AooavincIns Reply Made TO Republi-
rsNs can Attack.

<sS.s can Attack.
Mr.. Pugh OF Alabama Arraigns the
Senatorial Partisans-rhe position
ofthe Executive Supported by
Law aud Precedent.
WASHINGTON, March lO.--[Special.l
Senator Pugh's rejolnder to-day to
the speech Of Judge Edmund's on the
Presidents prerogatives was In every
way worthy of the occasion. The Ala
bama Senator removed the mask Of
sophistry with which the Republican
advocate sought to obscure the purposes
of his side Of the chamber. His purpose
was not to argue the case conclusively.
It was to state the question fairly and
TO show where Mr.. Edmunds has
stated it unfairly. The argument of the
Vermont Senator was irrelevant. Not
q single one of his citations was appli-
cable to the case. The unfairness of the
citation made of Mr.. Edmunds to show
that Allen G.. Thurman, Mr.. DcDOn-
Ald, Mr.. Bayard and Mr.. Garland had
united, when In the Senate, in de-
mand upon the Attorney General for
copies of papers bearing upon the sus-
pension of q Territorial Judge in Utah,
was exposed by Mr.. Pugh with most
sensational effect. Senator Edmunds
had drawn parallel between that case
and the Duskin case when in fact, no
parallel exists. The power to suspend
q federal judge is expressly denied the
President by the Tenure of Office act,
but In spite of this fact, the Utah Judge
had been suspended, the President TAX
Ing the ground that territorial Judge
was not . federal judge within the mean
ing of the statute. That being the case,
Judge Thurman had united with the
other Democratic and the Republican
members of the Senate judiciary in de-
manding papers bearing upon the ques-
ton. 1t was in the minds of the com
mittee, as it is to-day, an open ques-
ton. In addition to this, Mr.. Pugh
cited the fact that Senator Evarts had
but recently expressed the opinion that
q territorial Judge is federal judge
within the meaning of the Tenure of
Office law, and was, therefore, not sub
ject to suspension by the President, ex-
cept by the concurrent act of the Sem
ate IN confirming his successor.
Luis cApUSuIC VI OuuBO
insincerity was one of the telling feat
ures of the Alabama Senator's fine ar
gument. Mr.. Pugh made quotations
from Senators Morton and Sherman,
the Republican leaders, to show that
they were in strict accord with the
Democratic position to-day. He
quoted Edmunds against himself, and
the attack began to look like cruelty to
the Vermont statesman. Mr.. Pugh's
concluding remarks were fitting Orna-
ment to his powerful speech. He de-
clared that while Republican Senators
were willing to 60 to the people on the
issue of the supremacy of the Senate,
Democrats were ready to appeal to the
people on the issue of the supremacy of
the Constitution and the integrity of
the administration of Grover Cleve-
land. Many who heard Judge Ed
munds' speech yesterday, and cOnsid-
cred it "unanswerable, have conclud-
ed, after hearing Mr.. Pugh's presenta-
ton of the issue, that there is great
merit in the Presidents position. The
intense public interest in this debate
was again attested by great out
pouring of a society people to watch its
progress. A number of diplomats, ac-
companied by ladies, were present. To-
morrow Mr.. Wilson of Iowa will argue
for the Republican side. Mr.. Kenna of
West Virginia will follow for the Demo-
Gratis.
Mr.. Pugh opened his speech to-day
by saying he had expressed his views
fully on the subject of the debate in a
report made by the minority of the ju-
dietary committee, and the main object
he had now in replying to the Senator
from Vermont was to prevent that Sen
ator from changing the character Of the
question between the Senate and the
President. The real character of that
controversy could not be misunderstood
or msre presented, as it had arisen up
On facts reported by the majority of the
Judiciary committee. When the Sen
ator from Vermont was at the wheel,
said Mr.. Pugh, he steered by his own
chart; he never ran on straight lines.
He never consulted other sailors, and
he lost his temper when there was any
question of his seamanship; and when
the officer of the ship undertook to Sc
lect crew to man it without his advice
he instantly headed mutiny. At the
risk of incurring the displeasure of his
honorable and distinguished friend he
should call reckoning, so that we
might understand where we are and
wither we are drifting. The facts by
which the Senate should be guided
were few and simple. Mr.. Duskin, the
District Attorney, was suspended on the
18th of last July, and on the same day
Mr.. Burnett was designated by the
President to perform the duties of that
office. The 14th of last December, the
Senate being in session. Burnett was
nominated to the Senate to get its ad-
vice and consent to appointment. That
nomination was referred to the iudicia.
ry committee, and it lay there owe a
month. In the mean time, on the Goth
of December, 1885, the term of the Of
fee of Duskin expired. On the 25th OF
January, 1886, lone month after the term
9fDuskin hadlexpired, and when he was
no longer an incumbent of that office, a
resolution was sent by the Senate to
the Attorney General, calling for the
papers In the Duskin case. For what
purpose, he asked, was that informa.
tion sought by the Senate. The MAORI.
ty of the committee stated distinctly
the purpose for which the papers were
sought. Here Mr.. Pugh read from the
majority report the passage ending
with the declaration that,
The public interest and the public
duty would require that the facts be
made known, in order that the Senate
may understandingly and promptly ad-
wise their removal.
The use the Senate intended to make
of the documents and papers sought
from the Attorney General was to ena-