The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-12-14

n NC Suue IciOTIu CdDuOL Dc Indue
in a day, but must be the work ORA
tional legislation and of time AS
soon as revenne can be dispensed with,
all duty should be removed from cof-
fee, tea, and other articles of univer-
sal use not produced by ourselves
The necessities of the country com
pels us to collect revenue from i'm
ports. An army of collectors and as
SCISSORS is not n pleasant sight to the
citizen. but that or a tariff for revenue
is necessary. Such n tariff, so far as
it acts in encouragement to home pro-
,luc s, affords employment to labor at
living wages in contrast to the pauper
labor of the old world, and also in the
development of home resources.
In the west, evenu reform is I'M
derstood to mean the discharge of an
army of tax eaters now quartered on
the people, and a different and more
economical mode of providing reven-
ues.
OUR DEPRESSED COMMERCE.
Our depressed commerce is a sub
ject to which / called your especial at
tention Mt the last session. 1 suggest
ed that we will in the future have to
look more to the countries south of
us, and to China and Japan for its re-
vival. Our representatives to all these
governments have exerted their influ-
ence to encourage trade between the
United States and the countries to
which they are accrt dited, but the fact
exists that the carrying is done almost
entirely in foreign bottoms, and while
this state of affairs exists, we cannot
control our due share of the COM
Pacific States and China and Japan is
about all the carry ing trade nov con.
Quoted in American vessels. l would
recommend a liberal policy towards
that line of Americ n steamers-one
that will insure its success and even
increased usefulness. The cost of
building iron vessels-ihe only N
that compete with foreign ships IN the
carrying trades so much greater in
the United states than in foreign
countries, that without some assist
ance from the Government they can
not lie successfully built here. There
will be several propositions laid before
Congress in the curse of the present
session, looking to a remedy for this
eyIl. Even if it should be at some
cost to the national treasury, / hope
such encouragement will he given as
will secure American shipping on the
high seas and American ship5uilding
at home.
Prohibitory tariffs, and commercial
enterprise do not belong to the same
people. By prohibiting foreign man
ufactures, and interchange of commo-
dities, our commercial ravy will ne
cessarily rot in our own ports; while
yankee greed will thrive for want of
competition, by fixing a price for the
raw material as well as for the manu-
featured article. This is the occasion
of the rum of the American trade
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM RECON-
MENDED.
Always favDrng p'acticil re 'orns,
I respectfully direct V u attention to
one abnse of long standing wh:c'i l
would like to see re moved by this
Congress. 1t is Il reform in t. C Civil
Service of the country. l would have
it go beyond the mere fixing of the
tenure Of Office of clerks and employ
ees, who do not require the advice
and consent of the Senate to make
their appointments complete. | would
have it govern not the tenure but the
amer of making all appointments.
There is no duty which so much en-
b~arrasses the executive and heads of
departments as that of appointments.
nor is there any such arduous or
thaDkless labor imposed on Senators
and Representatives as that of finding
places for constituents The present
system does not ecure the best men,
and often not even fit men for public
places. the elevation and purifca-
ton of the civil service of the Gov
eminent will be hailed with approval
by the whole people of the United
States.
This, coming from Mr.. Grant, so
500 after the removal of Secretary
Cox, for attempting to shield his
clerks against the downright robbery
of political mountebanks and scoun
drels. is decidedly rich. 1t is enough
to make every thoughtful American
citizen blush with shame. .
We notice, that bills have already
been introduced in the Senate and
House, afixfng severe penalties, to
prevent the extortion, yearly prac-
ticed upon lily compensated clerks
and government employees in Wash
ington Let it come quickly; and
let the thieves be scourged from the
Federal Capital.