Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-01-27
Gen. Joe Wheeler's Statement
OF His View OF the Right OF Represen-
tatives i'm Congress TO Hold Two Conn
missions.

OF His View OF the Right of Represen.
tatives i'm Congress to Hold Two Com,
missions.
The inquiry ordered by the House O
Representatives into the cases of member
holding outside ofiices-originally intend
ed to determine the status of Major Gen
eral Wheeler and other Congressman whC
served in the army during the war with
Spain-was begun Tuesday by the com
mittee on the judiciary. The principal in
terest attached to the modest and digniiet
statement of Gen. Wheeler, which was in
part as follows:
l concur with the committee that the
question before them is one of very grave
Importance. II the extreme view is taken
that the clause in the constitution is man.
datory and that it applies to all members
OF Congress who accept offices of a TEN.
porary character which may be terminated
at any moment, then the government will
frequently find itself embarrassed i'm Sc
lectlng men for certain duties. For in.
stance, 1t would have been unfortunate II
the President had been inhibited from an
pointing Senators Davis, Frye and GRAY
on the peace commission. 1t would have
been detrimental for him to have been in.
hibited from appointing Senators Nor
gan and Cullom and Representative Hit
on the Hawai- an commission, and it would
have been equally unfortunate had he been
inhibited from appointing Mr.. Dingley and
Senators Fairbanks and Faulkner on the
Canadian commission.
1t would also have been unfortunate had
he been inhibited from appointing such a
distinguished and able man as Senator
Morgan on the arbitration court in Paris
II has frequently been the case and will
often hereafter be, that members of the
House and Senate possess knowledge with
regard to important matters which emf
nently fit them for holding Offices Or per.
forming duties of vital Importance. So
thoroughly have Congress and the execu-
tive been impressed with this that during
the ITO years of the existence of our gov
ernment many hundred members of the
Senate and of the House have been ap-
pointed 10 offices.
The committee will readily understand
my embarrassment in a matter of this
character. There are three other mem
bers of this House who have accepted mil.
itary commissions, and some IS others
VINO nave accepted civil positions. II
would be very unjust to them for
me to assume 10 decide this cues
tion by attempting TO resign, as it has been
urged that such action on my part would
be used as an argument against their right
to retain their seats in Congress. Again,
have received continued and urgent an
reals from my constituents not to resign.
and these have come from men who have
successfully supported me in ten primary
elections and in zen elections as a member
Of this body.
In Difference TO the views of the distin-
guished members of Congress who are in
sisting upon my seat being vacated, have
studiously refrained from taking an active
part in the proceedings of Congress. and
since the day of my appointment, on May
4, have refrained from voting 1t is true
that at first | entered the hall a few times
to see some of my fellow members, but
since learning that this was disiasteful TO
one or two of my old friends, have re-
Trained from even availing myself of this
privilege. | have not drawn any congress
sional pay, mileage or clerk hire since May
/, Notwithstanding that / have been com
PEELED to employ clerks at my own expense
TO perform routine duties.