Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-01-29
OUR WASHINGTON Letter.

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of his nominations no has violated
his professed principles of Civil
Service Reform through competl-
tive examinations. He has made
partisan appointments, and has
ignored that clause of the cOnstitu-
ton which says the President
shall nominate, and "by and with
the advice of the Senate appoint
etc.
How can the Senate advise with
the President in regard to appoint.
ments without some interchange of
views 7 And how can such an inter
change be brought about while a
large number of Senators hold
that the Senate has no business to
know anything about the Presi-
dents reasons for making appoint
ments. This is precisely the stu
alton now. When the Senate FL
nance Committee called upon the
President to furnish information in
regard to certain removals, SuS-
pensions, and appointments of
officials the President instructed
his Cabinet to send to them certain
papers on file in the departments.
But these papers related only to
appointments. Each package of
papers furnished bore evidence that
the documents bearing on sus-
pension from Office had been re-
moved and withheld from the Com
mittee. Each package was ac-
companied by a letter Of trans
initial in which the Cabinet officer
stated that he had not been direct
ed by the President to furnish any
informs ton in regard to suspen-
sions from Office under section
1,76S OF the Revised Statutes.
The Republican Senators then
took the position that they would
require reasons for the suspensions
from Office and that the Admins
tration should be made to furnish
them. Senator Edmunds made
long speech on the subject main
tanning that while the Senate may
not call upon the President to ex-
plain his acts, it is justified in
asking of him all information in his
possession upon which his acts are
based. lie said the officials who
were suspended and their friends
were entitled to know what charges
had been made and what influences
had been exerted to bring about
removals under an Administration
which had repeatedly declared
that faithful officials should be re-
tanned in office, and that removals
would not be made except for
cause. The Senator frem Vermont
declared positively that he would
not agree to the confirmation of the
successor of any suspended officials
unless the Administration would
furnish information on which the
Senate could act intelligently. He
was in favor of authorizing each
Senate committee to send for per.
sons and papers and to bring be
fore it the members of the Cabinet,
if need be, to ascertain why sus-
pensions had been made. lie
would oppose all such confrma-
tons until there was at least ex-
tracted from the Administration
the avOwal that it had no informa-
ton bearing upon such cases.
The situation is very puzzling to
the Democratic Senators who eau
Gus on the question " What to do !"
about once a day. Since the Pres
ident has declined to hold conf
dental relations with his party in
the Senate it is difficult for the
latter to reach basis Of harmon
iOus action. When asked by the
Democratic Senators what he
would have them do in regard to
the action of the Republican Sena-
tors and his nominations, he told
them to do what they thought best.
The latest report from the Presi-
dent is, that he will recede from
his position and furnish all the in
formation desired, but this report
has not yet been confirmation.
In the Senate again this week,
the Silver question has held sway.
The speeches of Senators Teller,
of Colo, Eustis Of La, and Nor
rill, Of VT, attracted considerable
attention. Senator TelleTs State
produces one fourth of the annual
silver yield Of the world. His ar
gument was directed principally
against the acts of the Secretary
of the Treasury, because, he said,
they had a tendency to disturb the
public mind, and every scheme
that could disgrace silver, had the
sanction Of Government officials.
The Louisiana Senator criticised
the silver policy of the Admins
tratiOn, as was expected, and the
Senator from Vermont opposed
further coinage. Being a Republi-
can, he promised with a remark
about the necessity of coming to
the rescue Of the President and
Secretary of the Treasury against
the cruel attacks that had been
made on a cardinal measure of the
Administration by the Democratic
| Senatora He knew the fate of