National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-03-20

"Dut l cannot see ny on the barn door
without seeing the barn"
Mr. Edmunds. Undoubtedly, and the
senator has seen y good many barns uu-
doubtedly. | am Inclined TO think he has
not seen much ofanything else. Laughter
MIR. Beck. have not seen the fly.
MIR. Edmunds. No, the senator never
takes anything on the fly. Renewed
Mr.. Beck. Nor on the sly, either. [Up.
roarious laughter on the floor and In the
galleries.l
Mr.. Edmunds admitted this. The senator
from Kentucky, he said, regarded the reso-
luton, as he has now discovered, rs de-
vice TO entrap the President aud the Attor.
ney General into reporting the official facts
on file, which showed Duskin TO be an Inn
proper officer, in order that they might be
compelled to report in other cases where
they had slaughtered man upon charges,
on the invitation OF the Postmaster General
or somebody else, that were false and fab
ricating. The point was, therefore, that
the administration was going to be unveiled
before the people by being entrapped into
telling the truth about bad officer and so
be led to tell the truth about a good
officer. That certainly, Mr.. Ed
munds said, was an amazing atti-
tude for the administration to occupy
and he took IL that the senator from Ken
lucky represented the administration In the
matter. We were asked to assist in remov-
ing an officer, and because we asked for
official information In order TO be able to
act In that matter, we were not TO get the
Information for fear that in another in
stance, where an accused officer
had been accused falsely, aud by
inYitCd perjury, of offenses that he had
never committed. the conduct Of the ad.
minstration would be brought into re-
proach. al will leave the position Just
there" concluded Mr.. Edmunds, who then
moved an executive session.
When the galleries had been cleared aud
the doors closed MIR. Beck offered resolu-
ton that the injunction Of secrecy be re-
moved with regard to the papers in the
hands OF the judiciary committee relating
to the Duskin case. He said he did not
wish 10 rest under the imputation passed
upon his honor by the senator from YER
mont, and wished to show to the public
that he had good grounds for all he had
asserted.
Mr.. Edmunds disavowed all intention to
cast any aspersions upon the honor OF the
senator from Kentucky, whom he held in
the highest esteem.
Mr.. Conger proposed an amendment to
the resolution OF the senator from Ken
lucky, providing that the resolution should
not take effect until the Attorney General
or the President should have sent In the
papers in the case.
Thereupon the resolution and the amend
ment were referred to the committee or the
judiciary.
A motion was entered 10 reconsider the
vote by which r. s. Dement, was confirmed
as surveyor general Of Utah.
AT o p. m. the doors were reopened, and
shortly afterward the Senate adjourned.
In the morning hour Wednesday Mr..
springerson behalf OF the committee on
claims, called up, and the House proceeded
to consider, bill comforting Jurisdiction on
the court OF claims to investigate private
and domestic claims and demands other
than war claims against the United States.
Pending discussion the morning hour ex-
pired, and after agreeing to the amend
ments to the urgent deficiency bill, the
House resolved itself into committee OF the
whole (Mr. Townshend, of Illinois, In the
chair on the Indian appropriation bill.
The bill was then read by paragraphs for
amendments, and shortly afterward the
committee rose, and the House lat 5 o'clock)
adjourned.
The feature in Thursdays session of the
Senate was the very effective speech de-
livered by Senator Spooner, the new senator
from Wisconsin. He proved himself
ready debater and fluent, pleasing speaker,
with excellent analytical and argumentative
powers. He dissected the report of the
and also "the Presidents supplemental re-
port" In the course Of which he made APP
parent the weak points in both documents.
That he made good impression upon the
Senate is evinced by tho fact that he en-
gagged the undivided close attention OF all
the Republicans, including Messrs. Ed
munds, Evarts, Hoar, ingalls,, and Logan,
and OF nearly all of the Democrats.
Mr.. Spooner said he would make no
attempt to disguise the fact, or to apollo.
gize for it, that the fortunes of the Repub-
lican party were very dear to him. He
would not attempt to deny that he wished
that that party might, here and elsewhere,
reap every fair party advantage which
might be taken from the blunders and short
comings, If any such there were, Of this
administration. "But / trust" continued
Mr.. Spooner, "that | do not forget, aud
shall not forget that am a senator Of the
United States as well rs q Republican, and
that as n senator my first duty always is to
the people, and that | have no right to
take action here TO subserve party In
terest which would be baneful. to the In
terest Of the people. l deny for myself
and have authority TO deny for every sen
ator upon this side Of the chambcr-the
statement SO often made upon the other
side, that we desire, or are willing, even,
to harrass, hamper, or embarrass the Presi-
dent In the proper exercise OF executive
functions.n
Mr.. Spooner, after reading the Senate res
olution calling for the progress In the Dus-
kin case and the Attorney Generals reply
TO 1t, characterized the Attorney Generals
letter the most remarkable response ever
coming from an executive officer TO a legls.
lative body. The Attorney General had not
denied the existence of the papers called
for, but commended that the papers were
private papers, and said substantially that,
as the papers were called for by the Senate
for special purpose, namely, to be consid-
cred In relation to u suspension, the Senate
was not entitled to them.
Mr.. Spooner then took up the question
from legal point of view, and quoted
from the constitution and the tenure of of
flee act to show that the power OF removal,
rs well asof appointment, was in the Presi-
dent and the Senate acting together, and
that what was In his sole discretion abso-
Lutte was the power OF suspension during
recess OF the Senate. One source Of much
confusion In this debate, Mr.. Spooner said,
was a confounding by the Democratic sena-
tors Of suspensions with removals. 1t was
very different thing. To suspend an Of
iicer caused n temporary cessation of his
functions; to remove caused permanent
cessation. To suspend the writ of habeas
corpus was one thing; to oblterate 1t was
another and quite different thing. A sus-
pended officer was nota removed omcer for
II the Senate refused to confirm his sue
cessor, the suspended man returned TO the
Office, The Supreme Court has so decided
Mr.. SpooDer read from decisions of the
courts to show this. The President has de
clined to furnish the papers called for be-
cause, foTsooth, they would enable the
Senate to see the reasons for the suspen-
sion; they would enable us to see that he
had exercised the power Of suspension
wantonly. No power could be SO danger
Gus to the republic as the power thus as
serted by the President that papers relat-
lug to the public business on the files Of
the government were his private papers, to
cellars Of the white house, or carted off TO
| Buffalo II he chose, merely because he had
ustd them In exercising his power OF sus-
| pension. IL the mere fact that the Pres-
don't ACtCd on the nnners made them his