Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1886-12-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHrNeToN Nov. Is. 1886.

conSreSS IS ShantnS us pIedecesSo
; by industry. There has been
good deal less talk and good des
more work than usual so far. TIL
passage of such bills as that to Civ
the Indians lands in severalty, tha
to redeem trade dollars, that to re
peal the tenure office act, postal bill
and appropriations, reflects hig
credit on congress as a part of it
second weeks work.
Besides this legislation, variou
subjects have been briefly discussed
such as interstate commerce, tn
| fisheries, the tariff and the Beck rail
road attorney bill. The latte
measure OF the Kentucfey senate
strikes at the railroad senator's ant
members, and its aim Is to proven
them from acting as attorneys fol
subsidized railroad corporation:
while receiving salaries from the
Government.
When Col. Morrison called up the
tariff, hush instantly fell over the
house and noise in the galleries ceas.
ed. All eyes were turned upon him
as he arose to say, "Mr. Speaker,
move that the house resolve itself
into committee of the whole for the
purpose of considering revenue
bills. The yeas and nays were then
demanded. and during the roll call
absolute silence reigned in the hall,
and many members with pencil in
hand were figuring up the vote.
Messrs Morrison and Randall were
apparently the calmest men on the
floor, each leaning back in his chair
within a few feet Of each other,
while now and then a remark was
exchanged between them. When il
was annouced that the motion was
lost, there was applause on the Re.
publican side. Mr.. Morrison's pro-
position was voted down by the
small majority of five this time, while
last June it was defeated by seven.
teen,
The senate's rt peal of the tenure
of office act restores to the president
the right of removing federal officers
at any time. The house will proba-
bly, pass the bill with but little dis
cussion and so it will likely become
law before the fourth of March.
The president will then be free from
all restraint of legal character in
removing Republican officials.
The law was enacted when con-
gress was overwhelmingly Republi-
can on both branches, 20 handicap
the independent courss of President
johnson in removing Republicans
from office. As it was designed
specially to fit Mr.. Johnson's case,
few Republicans had any further
use for the law after Gen. Grant be-
come president and they made sever
al attempts to repeal 1t. On those
occasions the Democrats did not
urge, as was natural for them, that
what was law for Johnson must be
law for Grant, but contended for the
repeal of the act on constitutional
grounds in company with Morton
and Sherman, Butler and Logan and
other Republicans.
Senator Edmunds made two violent
speeches against repeating the act.
Ever since the famous controversy If
last winter between HIM and the
president which began with such
flourish of trumpets and ended so in
gloriously for Mr.. Edmunds, the
latter becomes a monomaniac when
ever the matter of executive rights
as opposed to the claims of the SEN
ate is brought before him. He at
once begins to rant about giving the
executive the ''kinglY power, and
the corruption that will follow his
right of removal.
1t would give lnexpressible COM
fort to politicians all over the country
if the letters that men write, like the
good they do, were entered with
their bones." A fifteen year old
letter of Gen. Grants showing his
disbelief In the sincerity of Gen.
Logan's Republicanism, has just
come to light. Who wants to have
his opinions published fifteen years
after they were uttered2 And if
Gen Grant did suspect the partisan
loyalty of Gen Logan then, he would
nst now, for the Illinois senator has
changed his base since then as com
pletely as has Senator Sherman his
views on the tenure of office act.
The willy Ohio senator is recorded
in congress and on the stump as one
Of the earliest advocates of its uncon-
repeal. This was on the |
ground that the only possible motto
of political parties in Republic is
''to the victors belong" everything
Imagine the surprise of his associates
asst Friday when Senator Sherman
Votee in the negative.
The program of the presidents
New Year reception at the white
house has been arranged like those
IF former years. The comptroller
- &ho 4rooa,,.x, I1,l1s orFa,,orobIx,