The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1886-03-24
ASKING FOR LIGHT.

The Upper House of Congress Has to Deal
with Stubborn and Arbitrary Presi-
dent.
The Edmunds resolution, as signed
by every Republican member of the
Judiciary Committee, declares the ac-
ton of the Attorney-G General in with
holding the papers called for in the
Duskin case by the Senate "a violation
of his official duty and subversive of
the fundamental principles of the Gov
eminent Under the circumstances
this language is none too strong. In
acting on appointments the Senate is
entitled to any information in the pos
session of the Government that will
aid it in the performance of this duty.
All the important records and files of
the Government are preserved in the
executive departments, and if their
custodians can at will designate any
part OF them "private and confidential
and thus prevent legislative investiga-
ton or inquiry there is an end of all
equality between the legislative and
executive branches, and Congress can
acquire only such official information
as may be allowed by the President and
his Cabinet clerks. 1t would be dan
gerous practice to permit any depart
mental officer to withhold public docu-
ments or records from the inspection
of Congress The Senate should meet
the attempt by adopting the Edmunds
resolution of censure. ~ .rrItr.-'
* The Democratic minority of the
Judiciary Committee is rather cautious
in Its defense of Garland and takes no
such extreme ground as that assumed
by the President In the report pre-
sented by Pugh the Democratic Sen
ators ''admit that all public documents
relating to any subject over which Con-
! gress has power are subject to call" but
assert that papers concerning removals
and suspensions are the private prop
erty OF the President. 1t is easy to con-
ceive that papers relating to suspension
might show bribery, corruption or other
misdemeanor demanding impeach-
ment, and yet under the doctrine of
the Democratic minority the guilty
! officer could claim the documents as
private property and thus suppress all
evidence of his crime. II documents
found in the public files relating to
official matters and bearing the stamp
of the Government can be claimed as
private IL would be within the power OF
executive officers to prevent Congress
sional inquiry into their acts and avoid
all responsibility. Congress neces.
sarily has power to review all acts that
may involve misconduct in office, and
E. for this reason il for no other it can cal
for any paper in the public files. 3D..
But in accordance with Cleveland
order Garland has refused to produce
the papers demanded, and the Demo
cratic press asks what the Senate pro
poses to do about it. In the first place
1t can adopt the Edmunds resolution o
censure and make a formal protes
against the insolent assumptions Of tn,
No. 19 Administration. When the con
stitution was framed no subject wa
more earnestly considered than the ne
cessity Of means to prevent one depart
ment of the Government attempting /,
dictate to ahother and assume unau
thorized powers. 1t was conceded tina
impeachment was remedy to be EN-
ployed only as the last resort, and tha
some other method would often b,
needed to enable one department h
resist the aggressions of another
Schemes for arbitrators or censor
were considered impracticable, and il
was finally decided that such matter,
must be left TO the people. On at leas
two occasions in dealing with stubborn
and arbitrary Executives the Senate ap
pealed directly to the people and pre-
sented its protest in formal resolution
of censure. 1t may be in the present
instance that the Senate has no Other
means of defense than resolution ol
censure, but 1t owes it to its own dig
nifty to make at least formal protest
against the insolent assumptions anC
bullheaded obstinacy recently displayed
in the Executive Department. = Chicago
Tribune. r...