Morris tribune., 1886-03-17
CLEVELAND'S CHAMPION.
kENNA, OF vlR0lANA, uPHoLDs The
PRESIDENTS COURSE.

Ths Most Enective Speech Delivered on
the Democratic Sids-Funeral OF Sem
ator Miller-The Telephone Inquiry
Morrison's ON Dement'S Confirmation.
/. WAsHrSGroN CIry, March 1A=-Ksnns, Of
West Virginia, made the most effective
speech In the senate Friday that has been
delivered on the Democratic side Of the con-
troversy with the president He started
out by accepting the issue made by Ed
munds that all papers received by the presi-
dent referring to official acts were official
papers and subject to the call of the senate,
and argued against that position by the re-.
-ductio adj absurdum- he then proceeded
to cite recent precedents for the presidents
action Every since this controversy be-
gan it has been repeatedly said that, while
John Sherman was secretary of tae treasury
he wrote a letter to Roscoe Conkling refus-
ing to send papers that were desired from
the department. files Sherman has been
several times twitted about this letter, and
has replied that he remembered no such
letter. and that he always furnished the
papers that were asked for Kenna sent to
tho clerks desk and had read this identical
letter. Sherman, in his speech some three
wosks ago, disclaimed for all senator's on his
side any claim to know the presidents
reasons Tor suspensions; they only claimed
the right to see the documents on file.
Kenna answered this by sending to the
clerks desk and having read the letter from
the finance committee, Of which Sherman is
a member, to the secretary of the treasury,
asking for the reasons or for the papsrI
containing the reasons for O certain suspen-
sion.
He also quoted from Blains's book
passages relating to the tenure-of-office act
To llustrate Mr.. Blaine's statement that the
Republican party passed the tenure-of-oftic
act to prevent johnson from removing Re-
publican officials too fast and practically re-
psaled it in 1869 lest Grant should not be-
able to remove Democrats fast enough
Kenna read the bill offered by Logan, then
In the house, declaring that all civil offices
except judgships filed prior to March 4,
1853, should become vacant June so, 1869, as
il the Democrats could not be turned ont
East enough one at time, and yet, said
Kenna, while fuss Is being made over 643
suspensions by Mr.. Cleveland in eight
months, Gen. Grant made $50 removals in
seven weeks, during six of which the tenure
of-office- act OF 1857 was in force This rate
was so slow that Logan wanted to make
CAeAA sweep DJ hCO u COuHIcSS hounh
read in conjunction the tenure-of-office acts
Of 1867 and 1869, to show that the Republi-
cans had repeated every material feature Of
the law of 1867. One OF the best
parts Of Mr.. Kenna's speech was that
in which he described the practical effect Of
an attempt by the senate to revise all sus-
pensions He drew clever picture Of the
way the government would be carried on
with the president before the Judiciary COM
mittec Of the senate trying to get marshal
out Of Office, the secretary Of the treasury
prosecuting collector of customs before the
finance committee, and the postmaster gen.
eral marching down to the committee of the
senate ON postofficss and post roads with !
lot Of documentary evidence and witnesses
30 corro5orate him, and trying to secure
removal Of a 8, 200 postmaster. Kenna
closed with an eloquent defence Of the presi-
dent from the charges of Inconsistency and
. lack Of candor which the Republican.
have made. He received the warmest con-
Eratulations from Democratic senator's for
his Sreoch