The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-11
SOME OF HIS EXPERIENCES.
EX-PRESIDENT CLEVELAND's SEC
OND LECTURE.

Spoke on "The Independence of the
Executive" Before n Large Audi
cnce Mt PrincetOn-His Remarks
on Omce Seekers-His Controversy
With the Senate Over the Question
of Suspensions From Office-The
President the Independent Agent
of the People.
Princeton, N. j., April 10.-Ex-President
Grover Cleveland delivered his second
lecture in Alexander Hall tonight before
a large number of students, members of
the faculty, their families and many
others. At s. o'clock President Patton
and Mr.. Cleveland appeared on the ros-
trum and were greeted with prolonged
applause.
DR.. Patton surprised the audience by
announcing THAI Mr.. Cleveland would de-
liver the Stafford Little lectures again
rext year, and he hoped for as many
years as the ex-Presdent would have
strength to deliver them.
Mrs Cleveland was at the lecture and
sat beside the venerable Stafford Little.
Ex-President Cleveland spoke on
The Independence of the EXecu
tive" He began by speaking OF
the pressure for the removal of public
officeholders Immediately after the change
of administration in 1850, aud the substitu-
ton of Democrats in their places. while
| claim he said, ito have earned a posi-
ton which entities me to resent the ac
cUSation that | either openly or covertY
favor swift official decapitation for parti-
san purposes, l have no sympathy with
the intOlSrant nponlQ who without the
least appreciation of the meaning of pa
ty work and service, superciliously affect
TO despse all those who apply for office as
they would those guilty of a fragrant mis-
demeanOr. Why should indscrimi-
nately hate those who seek office? They
may not have entirely emancipated them
selves from the belief that the offices
should pass with party victory; but even
if this is charged against them, it can
surely be said that in all other respects
they are in very many instances as hon
est, as capable and as intelligent as any
of us. There may be reasons and con
siderations which properly defeat their
aspirations, but their applications are not
always disgraceful. l have an idea that
sometimes the greatest difference between
them and those who needlessly abuse
them and gloat over their discontinue
consists in the fact that the office seekers
desire office, and their critics. being more
probably employed, do not"
Mr. Cleveland then passed to a discus
sion of his controversy with the Senate
over the question of transmitting the
reasons for suspensions from office and
the papers relating thereto. 81 could NOT
avoid the conviction" he said that a
compliance with such requests would be
to that extent a failure to protect and
defend the constitution, as well as "A
wrong to the great Office 1 held in trust
for the people, and which I was bound
to transmit unimpaired to my successors;
nor could I be unmindful of a constant
tendency in certain quarters to encroach
upon executive functions, or of the eager
ness with which executive concession
would be seized upon as establishing pre-
cedent."
Mr. Cleveland then quoted at length
from the report of the Senate Committee
on the Judiciary, to which the question
had been referred, and also from his own
message to the Senate. After reviewing
the debate in the Senate upon the ques-
tons presented by the report, he COM
mented upon the passage by the Senate of
the resolution condemning the Attorney
General for Withholding the papers and
documents which the Senate had demaded.
He then pointed out that in December,
1855, prior to the first request or demand
upon an executive department relating to
suspensions and before any controversy
upon the subject arose, a bill was intro
duced in the Senate for a total repeal of
the law of 1869. This bill slumbered in the
Senate Committee on the judiciary until
June, 1886, nearly three months after the
close of the controversy. 1t was then re-
turned to the Senate with favorable re-
port and passed both the Senate and the
House of Representatives. THUS" de-
clared Mr.. Cleveland, in closing, twas an
unpleasant controversy happily followed
by an expurgation of the last vestige of
statutory sanction to an encroachment
upon constitutional executive prerogatives.
and thus was a time-honored interpreta-
ton of the constitution restored to us. The
President freed from the Senate's claim
of tuteage. became again the independent
agent of the people-representing a co-or-
dinate branch Of their government-chare-
ed with responsibilities which under his
oath he ought not TO avoid or share