Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-09-27
BITTER SPEECH BY STEWART.
The President Charged in the Senate with
Violating the Constitution.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Sept. 25.-The
session of the Senate opened to-day at
II O'Clock with Senator Stewards ar
raignment of President Cleveland for
the alleged violation of the constitution
in seeking to influence the legislative
department of the government. On
last Saturday the Nevada senator fired
the first gun at the White House by the
introduction of resolution declaring
that independence of the co-ordina-
ton of the government must be main
tain ed, and the use of power and IN
fiuence of one department to control
the action of another is in violation of
the constitution and destructive of our
policy and form of government" The
resolution under the rules went over
until to-day and was the first thing in
order after the preliminary business
following the reading of the journal.
There was dead stiffness as the Ne
vada senator opened his attack on the
President for his alleged endeavor to
cOerce Congress into passing the repeal
bill. A dozen words had scarcely been
spoken before Senator Henderson of
Nebraska broke in with an in
terruption. Senator Stewart waived
du 1HlpdIIenG ODJecllOu, UuG tHS
Nebraska senator persisted. Mr..
Henderson said there was no quorum
present. The roll was called and alb
sentees strolled in until a quorum re-
spOnded to their names. Senator
Stewart then resumed his speech. He
began by reference to the laying of
the cornerstone of the capitol and the
recent centennial anniversary of that
event. On the latter occasion, he said,
the President of the United States,
armed with more than 100000 high
paying, desirable federal Offices to
bestow, with the veto power designed
only for extraordinary occasions, backed
by concentrated capital and fiattered by
a venal press, turned his face toward
the Senate wing of the capitol, and in
angry and menacing tones said ii the
representatives there assembled legis
lated in prejudice or passion or in be-
half of sectional and selfish int rests,
the time when the cornerstone was laid
and the circumstances surrounding 1t
would not be worth commemorative.
This declaration, said Mr.. Stewart,
which had been cheered and encOur-
aged by thoughtless multitude had
been construed by venal press as re-
buke from the President of the United
States to guilty and venal Senate. He
lays History of England as to
the parliamentary struggle with
the Stuart kings. Coming to the
present time, Mr.. Stewart charged that
the President, in disregard of his oath
of office to execute the laws, had per-
mitted the secretary of the treasury to
violate the act which made the pur-
chase of 4, 100000 ounces Of silver bull
lion per month mandatory by eXercis-
ing an unlawful discretion in purchas-
ing smaller amount.
Mr.. Stewart undertook to say that at
no time since the execution of Charles
l., either in England or in the United
States, had any King or President ever
openly and detiantly disobeyed statute
which he himself declared was man
datory, or allowed his subordinates
over which he had control to do
the same thing. If constitutional iber-
ty was of any value, it seemed to him
that all friends and foes should stand
up and say to the President of the
United States: "You have overstepped
the mark. We cannot afford to have
the laws of Congress or any question
diSregarded."
Mr.. Stewart said the President of the
United States had no exalted opinion Of
the Senate or the House. He regarded
it, doubtless, as an appendage to the
executive department. Mr.. Stewart
| then read from a letter written by the
President accepting an invitation to at
| tend the centennial celebration of
| Williams College in ', hich he
said he soon expected to "have
Il session of Congress on his hands"
ga session of Congress on nv
hands," repeated Mr. Stewart,
in simulated seriousness. That remark
spoke volumes in interpreting how the
President regarded the coordinate
branches of the government. Would a
man who fully appreciated the respon
sibility Of his Office even by accident
make the remark Congress would be
on his hands" Congress had assem-
bled as an independent branch Of gov
eminent and was on nobody's hands.
At l :45 Mr.. Stewart yielded the floor
without concluding his speech, not hav-
ing reached the main part of it, he
said, to Mr.. Cameron, of Pennsylvania,
who proceeded to address the Senate
against the repeal bill.