The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-03-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.

senate galleries are crowded this week
and great interest is felt in the discus
sion OF the presidential prerogative.
For more than two weeks nearly every
senator on both sides of the chamber
has been at work preparing for the
conflict growing out of the refusal
of the administration to send to the
senate papers and information bearing
upon the suspension OF officials and
/ touching the appointment of their OIL
cials.
Probably no such thorough overhaul
| ing and minute examination OF historic
cal documents has ever before been
made with reference to this question.
Consequently as one senator expressed
il, both sides "were loaded to the muz-
zle with material' for the performance
which is now in progress. 1t was to
have begun on Monday, but the ''star,"
Mr.. Edmunds, plead a sore throat and
the people went away disappointed. He
kept his engagement for the following
day, however, and promptly at the ap-
| pointed hour, arose with pile of man
uscript before him (his precedents to
support his position) which he used
freely during his speech of two and
half hours.
When it was learned in the house of
representatives that Mr.. Edmunds was
actually discharging his long loaded
broadside at the white house, members
poured into the senate chamber and fill
ed the space in rear of the senator's
desks. The only vacant seat on the
floor was heavily draped with black.
1t was that of the California senator,
Mr.. Miller, who died the day before.
Mr.. Edmunds in his speech which
had attracted much attention, and
which will be generally discussed
throughout the country, made, as was
expected, the best OF his weak side OF
the controversy. He took such prece-
dents as best suited him and handled
them with ingenuity. He was most
specious perhaps in saying that the
senate does not ask the presidents rea-
SONS for making removals, but simply
for the papers Of every description re-
t lating to appended officials. In saying
this he admits that should papers which
the senate wants to DO forthcoming
they would show the very confidential
reasons which he disclaims any inten-
ton on the part OF the senate to de-
mand. Mr.. Edmunds said with a smear
2 that the most conspicuous result of i'm
proved methods of government under
the reform" administration was the
suppression of official papers. At this
point Senator Beck caused q smile to
ripple over the audience by remarking
in an undertone, but loudly enough to
be heard half across the chamber, thai
it "was a clear case of fly on barn."
You remember the Vermont leader has
. been accused of seeing a fly on the barn
door when he could not see the door.
As yet only Senator Pugh OF Alaba-
ma has replied 70 Mr.. Edmund's speech.
Mr.. Pugh showed among other things
, that the papers called for by Senator
Thurman when chairman of the judici-
airy committee in case OF suspension
related to a territorial court and that
the tenure OF Office act especially ex-
empts judicial officers from those to be
suspended by the president. Mr.. Ed
munds has been followed by Senator
Wilson OF Iowa and Senators ingalls,
and Evarts will be next to support him.
On the democratic side Senators Kenna,
Beck and Jackson will be among the
champions of the administration.
A prominent democratic lawyer OF
this city who was talking on this SUBJ
lject q few days since remarked that
there was nothing in the position OF
the majority of the senate judiciary
committee but q political man9uvre.
The president stands on impregnable
legal grounds, continued he, but the re-
publican party is languishing for an is
sue. The expedient of bullying and
embarrassing the president is the best
it can do for the present.
Senator Miller's death lessons the re-
publican majority in the senate tempo
rarily. The legislature OF California
does not meet until December, and the
governor of the state, Gen. Stoneman,
being a democrat, will doubtless APP
point one of his own party to fill the
vacancy. The funeral will take place
at the capitol Saturday afternoon, and
the senators, in a body, will escort the
remains to the railroad depot en-route
to California.
The social season closed brilliantly at
the white house. The third of the Sc
ries OF diplomatic military and congress
sional receptions eclipsed those preced-
ing it in several respects. The attend
ance was larger and the proportion oil
distinguished men and handsomely
dressed ladies were usually large, while
the white house apartments were rarely
If ever more effectively decorated
Senator Kdmunds' presence there at
tracted attention owing to his arraign-
ment of the administration few hours
before. He and Mrs. Edmunds stop
ped to chat a few moments with the
president and Miss Cleveland.