Morning journal and courier., 1886-03-17
FORTY.NINTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, March 16.


 SENATE-The bill increasing the pensions | of soldiers widows was passed as it came l from the House. The bill increases the pen | slons of widows and dependent relatives ot only needs the Presidents signature to be- l come law.
 l At two o'clock the Judiciary committee resolutions were taken up, MT. Cullom be- ing entitled to the floor, but he gave way to MT. Morrill, for few moments so that Sena- tor might make an explanation. He said MT. Kenna in his speech had alluded to a ! letter written by MT. Morrill, as chairman of the Finance committee to the Secretary of 1 the Treasury in which the Secretary was I asked for the papers relating to the reasons l for the suspension of an internal revenue | collector and had represented that that let ter was the beginning of the controversy between the Senate and the President. When Congress met MT. Morrill, said it was promulgated that this administration, or at least the Treasury de- partment, was to be administered on busi- ness principles, therefore following the usu- al custom of the committee they had made this instance had responded promptly, fur nishing .the committee with the reasons which had prompted the suspen- sion of the revenue officer. This reply and the papers accompanying it, letter written by the suspended man, were so
 
 cessor was reported favorably to the Senate by the unanimous vote of the committee. The committee in this case simply followed practice that has been pursued for years. It has been the practice of the committee, MT. Morrill, said, to give man whom it was swer charges, and it seemed only justice and equity that a person about to quit office if worthy should go out with as clean bill of health as that of the party to succeed him.
 MT. Cullom then took the floor in support of the Edmunds resolution. Mr. Gu lom eontended that the refusal of the Attorney General to furnish the papers called for in the Duskin case was denial of the right of the Senate, whose duty it was to legislate concerning the administration of public af- fairs, to inquire into the management of a public office at any time it may deem proper In answer to a statement made by Senator Pugh in his speech the other day that Dus- kin had not complained of his removal, Mr. Cullom read a letter from MT. Duskin in which he says he did not complain to the President or Attorney General because he believed he had been removed solely on po itieal grounds and especially because he had never hesitated to denounce ballot box stutfing and frauds at elections, but he had written to Senator Edmunds as chairman of the Judiciary committee asking an opportuni- ty to refute any charges that might be made against his personal character or his integri- ty and efficiency as officer. Suppose, he said, some Democrat should draw up paper bearing the semblance of an information charging the Republican incumbent of an office with all sorts of offenses. This was perhaps sworn to and forwarded to the President, by whom it was filed in the proper department. This paper was perhaps followed by it's authors appli- cation for office. It might perhaps be as- stunned that the President had the right as he claimed to consider such communications as private papers, but after he forwarded them to a department and placed them on the files they certainly became public papers. If the President has removed no officers except for cause some such papers must have been filed. Indeed, such documents had been invited by the present administration, in evidence of which MT. Cullom read the confidential letter of Post master General Villas showing that doeu- mentary evidence would be required in mak- ing removals, in which circular the Postmas- ter General stated that he spoke for the President. If such papers were on file the Senate was en- titled to them and the President oue h. to produce them. If there were no such papers on file let him say 50 and the country could judge how we'll he had re- deemed every pledge he had madesto the people.
 Mr. Maxey followed MT. Cullom. He opposed the resolutions reported from the majority of the committee. Complaint was made in that majority report that 643 sus pensions had been made. The complaint made by the people, MT. Maxey said, was that there had not been ten times 643 removals. The significance of the cleo tion of 1884 was that the people wanted a change from Republican to Democratic meth ods, principles and policy. What was want ed and expected was Democratic admins tration, root, stem and branch. Genuine civil service reform demanded that the e1- ecutive should have the selection of honest and competent agents in accord with the policy indicated by his election. The power of removal from office was essentially mat ter of executive power. The constitution nowhere restricted the exercise of that power.
 Mr. Dolph then took the floor in support of the majority report. Without concluding his remarks MT. Dolph gave way to a motion to adjourn, which was agreed to and at 5 p. m. &l.zC