Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-30
EDMUNDS' FOLLY

EDMUNDS' FOLLY
Senator Morgan of Alabama coruered
Edmunds aud forced him to u declaration
that would sound ridiculous II it were
not tyrannical in answer to a direct
question OF Mr.. Morgan, he was driven
TO say ''that any officer of the United
States, except the president, about which
nc would go into no discussion now, was
lawfully bound to answer demand of
either house Of congress, and II he failed
he could be punished for contempt"
"Then," said Mr.. Morgan, "Nir. Ed
muuds meant to say that the senate had a
right to call the Encouragement before
It on this issue, and imprison hun for
contempt II he did not produce the pa
pers." To this conclusion the leader Of
the opposition did not except.
1t is new doctrine in our politics that
an officer Of the government, selected by
the president, directly under his control,
and responsible to him alone, can be inn
prisoned by the senate for acting in ODE
dienco TO the commands of the president.
It is not Mr.. Garland VINO has refused
to furnish the papers demanded by the
senate. His action Is only that of the
agent of the president Mr. Cleveland
directed him to refuse the demands of
the senate, and he has no option but to
obey, no matter what may be his view of
the rights of the senate and the executive
in their quarrel Mr. Edmunds proposes
to punish the agent for the acts of his
principal. If there is an act of contempt
of the senate in refusing to transmit GER
tain papers to 1t, and II that act Is pun
ishable by the senate, then the president
is the guilty man and ought to suffer the
penalty; certainly not member of his
cabinet, who can do nothing but comply
with the directions of his superior,
But Mr.. Edmunds is not ready to say
chat he can reach the president. 1t would
require even greater assertion OF
authority than he has ever claimed To
maintain that the senate has the right to
arrest the president and imprison him fol
contempt. So he proposes 10 wreak his
rage upon the attorney general, who /;
but yicarious victim.
OF course the proposition Of Mr.. Ed
munds is absurd, snd nobody knows il
| better than he. II the senate SHOULD
issue command TO the attorney-genera
to appear before it and answer to tn,
charge of contempt, he would take nj
notice of 1t, Then If, in pursuance o
the Edmunds theory, an attempt SHOULD
be made to impose any penalty upoi
him, or TO commit him TO prison, til,
president would see that he should no
be harmed. The senate Is impotent K
enforce any penalty upon member of tn,
cabinet, even il it were silly enough I,
support Edmuuds in declaring that 1t ha
the authority TO imprson any such mem
oer for contempt. Edmunds himsel
would not make any such foolish attempt
ue does not really believe what h
asserted of the power of the senate t,
imprlson member OF the cabinet. Mr.
Morgan's question put him in dilemm
where he had TO say what he did, or as
sert the opposite and admit that the sen
ate had no authority to uphold preroga
tive that he had been contending for &
strenuously. To allow the latter would b
to confess that be had been making foe
of the senators by leading buncomh
opposition to the president, anc claimin
an authority that the senate was incapa
Bile Of asserting. AS the best way out G
hts dilemma he chose to declare that tn
: senate may lmprison man who is onl
an agent, acting under the orders of su
perlor, to whom, alone, he is responsible
and who is able to protect him agaiDs
any attempted assault OF the senate.
Twenty years ago Mr.. Edmunds nigh
have led successful war upo
President Johnson. Then the countr
was IN the mind to countenance an
usurpation of authority by the Republi
| cans in congress. Then the Republican
had all power in both branches OF tn
national legislature. They could disabl
the president by laws passed over hi
veto. They could impesch him, and ru
the government TO suit their will. Bu
1 conditions are changed since then, TIL
house Is Democratic, and there is but
! bare majority Of Republicans in the SCI
. ate. The country is under constitutions
government, No usurpation Of authorit
win be allowed. Edmunds may raw,
and threaten to imprison the attorne,
general, but nobody Tears such talk, an
, nobody knows better than Edmunds ths
) X Is idle hravadn