The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-11
THE RIGHT OF REMOVAL.

report OF the Senate Judiciary committee
Oh the Dustin case is three or four times as
long as the majority report, and embodies
no resolutions. NJ. Pugh asked that the
report be printed and placed on the calen-
dar, and it was not read in the Senate. The
report says that when President Cleveland
came into Office he found about % per cent
of the offices filed by Republicans appointed
as reward for party services. The party TO
whom the President owed his nomination
and eIe -tion had been exiIed from all partici-
pat on in the civil administration of the Gov
eminent for nearly quarter of century, and
the frienCs and supporters of the President
made application for a Redistribution of
the public trusts. No other President had
ever been subject TO such a severe trial or
had SO many grave difficulties and no other
had such an abundant supply of valid rea-
sons and causes urging him TO the free eX-
eTcse of his power of removal from Fed
eral Offices and no other ever resisted with
more fairness the just claims of his sup
pOrters, or used the power of removal more
coDscientiousy. Notwithstanding these
facts, $50 communications have been sent
to the Senate in suspension cases and have
been allowed to remain before the commit
tee without consideration and final DISPOSE
ton.
NOT PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
Stripped TO the naked truth without any
special pleading, the case made for the SEN
ate on their resolution and answer of the
Attorney General is whether the Senate has
Al.
eral transmission against the order of the
President Of a paper or document of the de-
scriptinn mentioned in the resolution. when
that paper OF document is stated in refusal
TO relate exclusively to the removal of Dus-
tin by the President and for that
reason alone is not open to in
spectiOl by the Senate. The President
holds that it is not public document, and
there is no doubt that his decision must be
accepted as conclusive. The minority adj
mitS that all public documents relat-
ing to any subject over which Congress
has power are subject to call but denies
the right to demand documents relat-
ing exclusively TO removals or suspensions
The only rightfu custodian of such papers
is the President. The demand, says the re-
port, in the present case upon the Attorney
General necessarily implies that in the
judgment OF the majority of the committee
the Senate has the same power over remOS-
ais that 1t has over appointments There is
no escape from this crucial test of vino is
in the Tignt ia this controversy, the Senate /
or the Pres dent.
TIE MINORITY SURPRISED.
The minority expresses surprise at the
appearance il the majority report of the .
resolution relating TO The preference of APP
pointing hOnorabiy discharged soldiers and .
sailors and asks by what authority such Il
resolution WAS reported and what it has to .
do with the Dustin case. The information .
of the minority is that Dustin never was q .
Union soldier, but on the contrary Was either .
a Confederate soldier or Sympathzer and .
they eieye the intent of the resolution was F..
TO secure political and partisan advantage.
The report concludes as follows: Tie in .
evitable result is To arTaign President Cleve- !
land and try him 10y the Senate with an un-
friendly political majority for making Sus-
pen Sions IN alleged violation of hiS public .
pledges and promises not to ina Ike removals
or suspensions except for cause. President
CieVelands promises and pledges are part
of the published history OF the country, +
MES his responsibility To the Senate, and
stands ready Tor trial 10y tie people. lie
did make the promise that during the
term of q civil officer he would
not suspend or remove him for the
sole reason that he was a Republican.
Merely being a Republican, if he had been
and WAS capable, faithful and efficient o.
ficeT, Gne President declared he would not
reg ard as sufficient cause. But il such off
Ger while in Office had used its power, or in
fiuence, or emOiumentS to promote the or
ganzation and success of his party by at
tending conventions and making himself
active as partisan in elections, the Prts-
dent has declared such conduct and action
by any incumbent however capable, as a
violation of the spirit of the law declaring
that civil Office is public trust for public
uses and not To be employed as an element
"a power in patty elections, and that such
conduct would be treated as a sufficient
canSe for suspension.
TIE PRESIDENTS POSITION.
''The President declines to submit voIun-
tarily To the decisions of the tribunal hav-
ing no jurisdiction as to the sufficiencv of
such cause for suspensions, especially when
his fear is that such conduct in the officer
might be regarded by the Republican MA
jOrity as reason for the retention of the
incumbent in Office. The President will
never avoid n trial by The people for the
exercise of any of his powers or the dis
charge of any of his official duties, as lie
will have a fair tribunal on the who,r
truth, but he declines obedience TO anv I'M
lawful summons To trial under uSurpad
authority by an unfriendly tribunal Oh mere
papers and documents relating exclusively
to suspensions, and containing in near
every case only partial statement of the
causes, facts and reasons for his official act
of suspension. In large majority OF ting
cases OF suspension, as the minority are
informed, the President had information
communicated to him orally, by persons
considered reliable, which il would be
impossible for him to remember or repro
duce in every case so as to put the Senate
in possession of all the facts which gov
erned him in the suspension, if the Senate
had the authority under the Constitution or
laws of the United States To call him To an
account. In conclusion, the minority of oul
committee are gratited at being able to
state that when the Democrats had ma
jOrity in the Senate no such spectacle as
that now exhibited to the country was ever
witnessed in tile history OF its proceedings"
The report is signed by James /. Pugh,
Richard Coke. George Ii. Vest AMI lowell
Z Jackson
The French papers have been filed
with stories more or less aOOcrvDhal