Terre Haute Weekly Gazette, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 4 December 1879 — Page 1

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VOLll.-^O.S3.

THE HUE

Of the President to |t»e Read in Concre** T«-day.

Complete Text of the Document.

A Review of the Events of the Past Year.

The National Finances, Public Credit, National Debt,

Civil Service Reform, Indian and Foreign Affairs,

And Various Other Topics Discussed at Length.

A Very Complimentary Beview of the condition of the Navy,

Confirming the Report of a Large

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Saving in That Department.

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WASHINGTON, December I, 1S79. The following is a full text of the President's Message, to be delivered to Congress to-day: ,M

FEI.LOW-CITIZKNSS OF THE SEWAft AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: The members of the Forty-sixth Congress have assembled in their first regular session under circumstances calling for mutual congratulation and grateful acknowledgment to the Giver of all good for the large and unusual measure of national prosperity which we now enjoy.

THK MOST INTERESTING EVENTS which have occurred in our public affairs since npv last annual message to Congress are connected with the financial operations of the government, directly affecting the business interests of the conntry I congratulate Congress on the successful execution of the Resumption Act. At the time fixed, and in the manner contemplated by law, United States notes began to be redeemed in coin. Since the 1st of January last they have been promptly redeemed on presentation, and in all business transactions W public and private, in all parts of the country, they are received and paid as the equivalent of coin. The demand upon the Treasury for gold and silver in exchange for United States notes has fceen comparatively small, and the volmntary deposit of gold and bullion in exiJiitftchange for notes has been very large. ^Hsv'The excess of the precious metals depos-2-4-l.^ited or exchanged for United States notes over the amount of United States notes redeemed is about $40,000,000.

The resumption of specie payments has been followed by K? A GREAT REVIVAL OF BUSINESS.'

With a currency equivalent in value to .the money of the commercial world, we are enabled to enter upon an equal competition with other nations in trade and production. The increasing foreign demand for our manufactures and agricultural products have caused a large balance of trade in our favor, which has been paid in gold, from the 1st of July last to November 15th, to the amount of about $59,000,000. Since the resumption of specie payments there has also been a maiked and gratifying SJ-

IMPROVEMENT OF THE PUBLIC CKEDIT. The bonds of the Government bearing only 4 per cent, interest have been sold at about par, sufficient in amount to pav off all ol the National debt which was reIdeemable under present laws. The amount of interest saved annually by the process of refunding the debt since March 1877, is $14,297,177. The bonds sold •were largely in small sums, and the

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$45,000,850,

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tA Very Readable and IaterestTp' a-* in* Document.

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number of our citizens now holding the I raained until recently a dead-letter in the

public securities is much greater than! ever before. The amount of the National debt which matures within less than two years is $792,121,700, of which $500,000,000 bear interest at the rate of 5 per cent., and the balance is in bonds bearing 6 per cent, interest. It is believed that this part of the public debt can be refunded by the issue of four per cent, bonds, and by the reduction of interest which will thus be effected about $11,000,000 can be annually saved to the Treasury. To secure this important reduction of interest to be paid by the United States, further legislation is required, which, it is hoped, vrill be provided by Congress during it* present session.

DROPS FROM THE MINIS. The coinage of gold by the mints of the United States during the last fiscal year was $40,986,912- The coinage of silver dollars since the passage of the act for that purpose up to November 1, 1879, was

of which $12,700,344

have been issued from the Treasury and are now in circulation, and $32)3005°6 are still in the possession of the government. Th pendency of the proposition ior unity of action between the United States and the principal commercial nations of Europe to effcct a permanent system lor the equality of gold and silver in the recognized money of the world, leads me to recommend that Congress refrain from new legislation on the general subject. The great revival of trade, internal and foreign, will supply during the coming year its own instructions, which may well be awaited before attempting further ex perimental measures with the coinage. I would, however, strongly urge upon Congress the importance of authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to

SUSPEND THE COINAGE OF SILVER DOLA E S upon the presenf legal ratio. The mar ket value of the silver dollars being uniformly and largely less than the market value of the gold dollar, it is obviously impracticable to maintain them at par with qpch other if both are coined without limit. If the cheaper coin is forced into circulation, it will, if coined without limit, soon become the sole standard of value, and thus defeat the desired object, which it a cuirtWfcy'Cf WWf^fSParid silver, wltich shall be of equivalent value, dollafor dollar, with the universally recogr nized mouey of the world. The retirement from circulation of United States notes with the capacity of legal tender in private contracts, is a step to. be taken in our progress toward a safe and staple currency, which should be accepted as the policy and duty of the government, and the interest and security of the people. It is my firm conviction that ,the issue of legal-tender paper money, bated wholly upon the authority and' credit of the government, except in extreme emergency,

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and'a'Violation'*of sound financiafprinciples. The issue of United States notes during the late civil war, with the capacity of legal lender between private individuals, was not authorized except as a means of rescuing the country from imminent peril. The circulation of these notes as paper money for any protracted period of time after the accomplishment of this purpose was not contemplated by the framers of the law under which they were issued. They anticipated the redemption and withdrawal of thes notes at the earliest practicable period consistent with the attainment of the object for which they were provided. The policy efthe United States, steadily adhered tg from the adoption of the Constitution^ has been to avoid the creation of a

NATIONAL DEBT,

and when from necessity, in timfe of war,

Territory of Utah, because of the peculiar difficulties attending its enforcement. The opinion widely prevailed among the citizens of Utah that the law was in contravention of tlie Constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. This objection is now removed. The Supreme Court of the United States has decided the law to be within the legislative power of Congress, and binding as^a rule of action for all who reside within the Territories. There is no longer any reason for delay or hesitation in its enforcement. It should be firmly and effectively executed. If not sufficiently stringent in its provisions it should in amended and in aid of the purpose be view, I recommend that more comprehensive and more searching methods for preventing, as well a6 punishing, this crime be provided. If necessary to secure obedience to law, the enjoyment and exercise of the rights and privileges of citizenship in the Territories of the

United States may be withheld or withdrawn from those who violate or oppose the enforcement of the law on the subject. THE ELECTIONS OF THE PAST YEAR, though occupied only with state offices, have not failed to elicit in the political discussions which attend them all over the country, new and decisive evidence of the deep interest which the great body of citizens take in the progress of the country toward a more general and complete establishment, at whatever cost, of universal security and freedom in the ex ercise «, -|of the elective franchise. 'While many topics of political concern demand great attention from our people, both in the sphere of national and state authority, I find, no reason to qualify the opinion I expressed in my last annual message— that no temporary or administrative interests of government, however urgent or weighty, will ever displace the zeal of our people in defense of -U THE PRIMARY RIGHTS OF cftfizH&SHlP, and that the power of public opinion will override fell political prejudices and all sectional and state attachments. In demanding that all oyer our wide territory the name and character of citizens of the United States shall mean one and the same thing, and carry with thent unchallenged security and respect, I earnestly appeal to the intelligence and patriotism Of all good citizens of every part 9f the country, however much they may be divided in opinions on other political subjects, to unite in compelling obedience to existing laws aimed at the protection of the right of suffrage. I respectfully urge upon Congress to supply any defects in the laws which experience has shown and which it is within its power to remedy. 1 again invoke the co-operation of the Executive! ami X^islatlvg dufhontlee of the states in this great purpose. I am fully convinced that if the public? mind can be set at rest on the paramount question of popular rights no serious obstacle will thwart or delay the complete pacification of the country or retard the general diffusion of prosperity.

CIVIL SERVICE ORDER NUMBER ONE' In a former message I invited the attention of Congress to the subject of the reformation of the civil service of the government, and expressed the intention of transmitting to Congress as early as practicable report upon this subject by the chairman ?f the civil, service commission. ,B./?

In yiew of in# facts that, during a considerable period, the government of Greit Britain has been dealing with ad ntiifiiltrative problems and abuses, in various purtigulars analogous to those presented In this coantry-and that in recent years the measures adopted were un derstood to have been effective, and in every respect highly satisfactory, I thought it desirable to have fuller information upon the subject, and accordingly requested the chairman of fthe civil. service commission to make a thorough Investigation for this purpose. The result has been an elaborate and comprehensive report. The report sets fcrth the history of the partisan spoils sytterrf'lft Great Britain and of the rise Mid fall"Of the parliamentary patronage And of'official interference with the freedom of elections. It 6hows that after long trials of various kinds of examination those Which are competitive, and 'op^ioajeijtal terras to all, and which are carried on under the superintendence of a single commission, have with great advantage been established as conditions of admistidn to almost every official place fa the tubordinite administration of that country and of British India. The com pletiop of the report, owing to the extent Qf the labor involved in its preparation

debts haye been created, they have beenr and the omissioir of Congress to make any provisions either for the compensation or the expenses of the Commission, has been poiitponed until the present time. It is herewith transmitted to Congress. While the reform measures of another government are of no authority to us, they are entitled to influence lo the extent to which their intrinsic wisdom and their adaption to our institutions and social life may commend them to our consideration. The views I have heretofore expressed concerning the effects and abuses in our civil administration remain unchanged, except in so far as an enlarged experience has deepened my sense of the duty, both of officers and of the people themselves, to co-operate for their removal. The grave evils and perils of a

paid off on the return of peace as rapidly as possible, With this view, and for this purpose, it is recommended that the existing laws for the accumulation of a sinking fund sufficient to extinguish the public debt within a limited period be maintained. If any change of the objects or rales of taxation is deemed necessary by Congress, it is suggested that experience has shown that a duty can be placed on tea and coffee which will not enhance the price of those articles to the consumer, and which will add several millions of dollars annually to the Treasury

AFTER THE TWIN RELIC-

The continued deliberate violation by a large number of the prominent and influential citizens of the Territory of Utah of the laws of the United States for the prosecution and punishment of polygamy merits the attention of every department of the government. This territory has a population sufficient to entitle it to admission as a state. This important change will not, however, be approved by the country while the citizens of Utah in very considerable number uphold a practice which is condemned as a crime by the laws of all civilized communities throughout the world. The law for the suppression of this offense was et^actcd with great unanimity by Congress more than seventeen years ago, but has re-

PARTISAN SPOILS SYSTEM

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of appointment to office, and of office tenure. are now generally recognized. In the resolutions of the great parties, in the reports of the departments, in the debates and proceedings of Congress, in the messages ot Executives, the gravity of the evils has been pointed out, and the need of their reform has been admitted. To command the necessary support, every measure of reform must be based on common right and justice and must be compatible with the healthy existence of great parties, which are inevitable and essential in a free state. When the people have approved a policy at a National election, confidence on the part of the officers they have selected, and of the

•.** TERItE HAUTE, INIh.^—THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1878. $1*50 PER YEAR

advisers who in accordance with our political institutions should be consulted in the policy which it is their duty to carry into effect, is indispensable. It is eminently proper that they should explain it before the people, as well as illustrate its spirit in the performance of their official duties. It hardly need be pointed out that very different considerations applv to the greater number of those who fill the subordinate places in the Civil Service. Their responsibility is to their superiors in official position. It is their duty to obey the legal instructions of those* upon whom that authority^ is devolved, and their best public service consists in the discharge of their functions irrespective of partisan politics. Their duties are the same whatever party is in power, whatever policy prevails. As a consequence, it follows that their tenure of office should not depend on the prevalqpce of any policy or the supremacy of any party, but should be determined by their capacity to serve the people most usefully, quite irrespective of parti* san interests. The same consideration that should govern the tenure should also prevail in the appointment, discipline and removal of these subordinates. The authority of appointment and removal is not a perquisite which may be used to

AID A FRIEND OR REMOVE A PARTISAN, but is a trust to be exercised in the public interest under all the sanctions which attend the obligation to apply the public funds only for public purposes. Every citizen ha6 an equal right to the honor and profit of entering the public service of his country. The only just ground of discrimination is the measure of character and capacity he has to make that service most useful to the people. Except in cases where upon just and recognized principles—as upon the theory of pensions—offices and promotions are bestowed as rewards for pa&t services, their bestowal upon any theory which disregards personal merit i&an act of injustice to the citizen, as well as a breach of that trust, subject to which the appointing power is held. In the light of these principles, it beebmes of great importance to provide just and adequate means especially for every department and large administrative office where personal discrimination on the part of it& head is not practicable for ascertaining those qualifications to which appointments and removals should have reference. To fail to provide such means is not only to deny the opportunity of ascertaining the facts upon which the most righteous claim to office depends, but of necessity to discourage all worthy aspirants, by handing over appointments and removal to mere influence and favoritism. If it is the right of the worthiest claimmt to gain the appointment, and the interest of 4hc peoplt to bestow

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would seem clear that a wise and just method of

ASCERTAINING PERSONAL FITNESS for office must needs be an important and permanent function of every just and wise government. It has long since become impossible in the great offices for those having the duty of nomination and appointment to personally examine into the individual qualifications of more than a small proportion of those seeking office and with the enlargement of the civil service that proportion must continue to become less. In the earlier years of the government the subordinate offices were so few in number that it was quite easy for those making appointments and promotions to-personally ascertain the merits of .candidates. Party managets and methods Jud not then become powerful agencies of coercion, hostile to the free and just exercise of the appointing power. A large and responsible part of the duty of restoring the civil service to the desirpd purity and efficiency rests on the President, and it has been mjCour-pos^todO-ithat is within my po

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vance^uch prudent and frugal mflqpres refofil it will most surely and rapidly bring about that radical change of system essential to make our administrative's methods satisfactory to a free and intelligent people, By a proper, exercise of authority |t is in the power 0/the Execu tive to do much to promote such a reform. But it can not be tdb clearly understoodthat NOTHING ADEQUATE CAN BE ACCOM

PLISHED

without co-operation on the part oi Con gress, and considerate and intelligent support among the people. Reforms whjch clj^Ulenge the generally accepted theories, of parties, and demand changes in the methods of departments, are not the ftdrk of a day. Their permanent foundations must be laid on sound principles, and in an experience which demonstrates their wisdon and exposes the errors Qf their adversaries. Every worthy officer desires to make hisoffi cial action a gain and an honor to his country but the people themselves, far more than their officers in public station, are interested in a pure, economical and vigorous Administration. By laws enacted in 1853 and 1855, and now iu substance incorporated in the Revised Statutes, the practice of arbitrary appointments to the several subordinate grades in the government departments was condemned, and examinations as to capacity, to be Conducted by departmental boards of examiners, were provided tor, and made conditions of admission to the public service. These statutes are a decision by Congress that

EXAMINATIONS OF SOME SORT. as to attainments and capacity are essential to the well being of the public service. The important questions since the enactment of these laws have been as to the charcter of these examinations, and Whether official favor and partisan influence or common right and merit were to conirsl the access to the examinations. In practice these examinations have not always been open to worthy persons generally who might wish to be examined. Official favoritism and partisan influence, as a ruie, appear to have designated those who alone were permited to go before the Examining Boards, subecting even the examiners to a pressure rom the friends of the candidates very

difficult to resist. As a conequence, the standard ot admission fell below that which the public interest demanded. It was, also, almost inevitable that a system which provided for various separate Boards of Examiners, with no common supervision or uniform method of procedure, should |result in confusion, inconsistency and inadequate tests ef capacity highly detrimental to the public interests. A further and more radical change was obviously required. In the annual message of December, 1870, my predecessor declared that "there is no duty which so much embarrasses the Executive and heads of departmenta as that of appointments nor is there any such arduous apd thankless labor imposed on Senators and Representatives as that of finding places for constituents. The present system does not secure the best men, and" often not even fit men, for the public places. The elevation and purification of the civil service of the government will be hailed with approval by the whole people of the United States." Congress accordingly passed the act approved March 3,1S71, "To regulate the civil service of the United States and to promote the efficiency thereof," giving the necessary authority to the Executive to INAUGURATE A CIVIL SERVICE RE­

FORM.

Acting under this statute, which was interpreted as intended to secure a system of just and effectual examinations under uniform supervision, a number of eminently competent persons were selected for this purpose, who entered with zeal upon the discharge ot* their duties, prepared with an intelligent appreciation of the requirements of the service the regulations contemplated and took charge of the examinations, and who in their capacity as a Board have been known as the "Civil Service Commission." Congress for two years appropriated the money needed for the compensation and for the expense of carrying on the work of the commission. It appears from the repert of the commission, submitted to the President in April, 1874, that examinations had been held in various parts of the country, and that an appropriation of about $25,000 would be required to meet the annual expenses, including salaries, involved in discharging the duties of the commission. The report was transmitted to Congress by special message of April 18,1874, with the following favorable comment upon the labors of the commission: "If sustained by Congress, I have no doubt the rules can, after the experience cainfed, be so improved and enforced as to still more materially beneffi the public service and relieve the Executive, Members

hitherto been enforced, have resulted beneficially, as i6 shown by the opinions of the members of the Cabinet and their subordinates in the departments, Tand in that opinion I concur." And in the Annual Message of December of the same year similar views are expressed, and an appropriation for continuing the commission again advised. The appropriation was not made, and, as a consequence, the active work of the commission was suspended, and the commission itself in existence without the means, therefore, of causing qualifications to be tested in ary systematic manner, or of securing for the public service the

ADVANTAGES OF COMPETITION Upon any extensive plan. I recom mended in my annual message of December, 1877, the making of an appropriation for the resumption of the work of the commission. In the mean time, however, competitive examinations under many embarrassments have been conducted within limited spheres in the Executive Department in Washington, and in a number of the custom-houses and postoffices of the principal cities of the country, with a view to further test their effects, and in every instance they have been found to be as salutary as they are stated to have been under the administration of my predecessor. I think the economy, purity and efficiency of the public service would be greatly promoted by their systematic introduction wherever practicable throughout the entire civil service of the government, together with ample provision for their general supervision, in order to secure consistency and unform justice. Reports from the Secretary of the Intetior, from the Post-master-General, from the Postmaster in the city of New York, where such examinations have been some time on trial, and also from the Collector of the Port, the naval officers and the Surveyor in tnat city, and from the postmasters and collectors in several of the other large cities, show that the competitive system, when applied, has in various ways contributed to improve the public service. The reports show that the re-, suits have been salutary in a marked degree, and that the general application of similar rules cannot fail to be of decided benefit to the service. The reports of the government officers in the city of New York especially bear decided testimony to the utility of open competitive examinations in their respective offices, showing that "these examinations and the excellent qualifications of those admitted to the service through them," have had a marked incidental effect upon the persons previously in the service, and particularly upon those aspiring to promotion. There has been, on the part of these latter, an increased interest in the work, and desire to extend acquaintance with it bejond the particular desk occupied and thus the morale of the entire

force

has been raised. The examinations have been attended by many citizens who have had opportunity to thoroughly investigate the scope and character of the tests and the method of determining the results, and these visitors have, without exception, approved the methods employed, and several of them have publicly attested their favorable opinion. Upon such considerations, I deem it my duty to renew the recommendation contained in my annual message of December, 1S77, requesting Congress to make the necessary appropriation for the resumption of the

work of the civil service commission. Economy will be promoted by authorizng a moderate compensation to persons in the public service who may perform extra labor upon or under the commission as the Executive may direct. I aou~ convinced that if a just and adequate test of merit is enforced for admission to public service, and in making promotions, such abuses as removal without good cause, and partisan and official interference with the proper exercises of the appointing power, will in a large measure disappar,

PARTISAN BLACKMAIL.

There are other Administration abuses to which the attention of Congress should be asked in this connection. Mere partisan appointments and the constant peril of removal without cause very naturally lead to an absorbing and mischievous political activity on the part of those thus appointed, which not only interferes with the due discharge of official duty, but is incompatible with the freedom of elections. Not without warrant in the views of several of my predecessors in the Presidential office,'and directly within the law of 1S71 already cited,. I endeavored by regulations roadie on the 22d day of June, 1S77, to pat some reasonable limit to such abuses. It may not be easy, and it may never perhaps be necessary to define with precision the proper limits of political action on the part of Federal officers but while their right to hold and freely express their opinions cannot be questioned, it i» very plain that they should neither be allowed to devote to other subjects the time needed for the proper discharge of their official duties, nor to use the authority of their officc to enforce their own opinions, or to coerce the political action of those who hold different opinions. Reasons of justice and public policy quite analogous to those which forbid the use of official power for the oppression of the private citizen imposed upon the government the duty of protecting its officers and agents from arbitrary exactions. In whatever aspect considered*, the practice of making levies for party purposes upon the salaries of officers is highlv demoralizing to the public service, and discreditable to the country. Though an officer should be as free as any other citizen to give his own money in aid of his own opinions or his party, he should. also be as free as any other citizen to re»--fuset6 make such gifts. If salaries a rebut a fair compensation for,the time and labor of the officers, it is gross injustice to levy a tax upon them. If they are made excessive in order thai they may bear tax, the excess is an Indirect robbery ot the public funds. I reoommenf,. therefore, such a revision and fxtention of present statutes as shall secure to those in every grade of official life or public employment the protection with which a great and enlightened Nation shall guard those who are faithful in its. service. OUR RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN COUlfi

TRIMS

Have continued peaceful. With Great Britain there are still unsettled questions, growing out of the laws of the maritime provinces and the action of Provincial authorities deemed to be in deiogation of rights secured by treaty to American fishermen. The United' States Minister in London has been instructed to present a demand for $105,305.02, in view of the damages received by American citizens at Fortune Bay on the 6th day of January,. 1878. The subject has been taken into consideration by the British government and an early reply is anticipated upon the completion of the necessary preliminary examinations. Thesubject of our paiticipation in the Provincial fisheries as regulated by treatjr will at once be brought to the attention of the British government, with a view to an early and permanent settlement of the whole question, which was only temporarily adjusted by the treaty of Washington. Efforts have beep made to obtain the removal of restrictions found injurious to the exportation of cattle to the United Kingdom. Some correspondence has also occurred With regard to the rescue and saving of life and property upon the lakes, which has resulted in important modifications of the previous regulations of the Dominion government on the subject in the interest of humanity and commerce.

AUSTRALIAN EXPOSITION.

In accordance with the joint resolutionof the last session of Congress commissioners were appointed to represent the United States at the International Exhibitions in Australia, one of which is now in progress at Sydney, and the other to be held next year at Melbourne. A desire has been expressed by our merchants and manufacturers interested in the important and growing trade with Australia that an increased provision should be made by Congress for the representation of our industries at the Melbourne Exhibition of next year, and the subject is respectfully submitted to your favorable consideration.

THE FRENCH CABLES

The assent ot the government ha* been given TO landing on the coast of Massachusetts of anew and independent Transatlantic cable between France, by way of the-French Island St. Pierre, and this country, subject to any future legislation of Congress on the subject. The conditions imposed, before allowing this connection with our shores ta be established, are such as to secure its competition with any existing or future lines of marine cable, and preclude amalgamation therewith: to provide for entire equality of rights to our government and people with those of France in the use of the cable, and prevent any exclusive possession of the privilege as accorded by France to the disadvantage of jiny future cable communication bet wen France and the United States, which may be projected and accomplished by our citizens. An important reduction of the present rates of cable communication with Europe, felt to be too burdensome to the interests of our commerce, must necessarily Sow from the establishment of this

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