Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-12-16
discretion Of the ssetetarv for 0aaIou. 10 ..l.re.

with beneficial results It Is worthy OF considera-
tlon however, whether 1t would not be wise TO
provide by law for an examining board, the maiori-
y of whose members should notbe officers of the
department to which the clerk IL to be assigned In
should also be extended TO The principal custom
houses and revenue offices of the country, BY
such an arrangement definite security would be
taken for the character and qualifications of clerks,
as far as they can be asoerained tested without
actual service In the discharge of official duty. II
is well understood, however, that no examination
can furnish security that the person examined Will
prove satisfactory upon trial, and there should
always be speedy and easy method of removing
such persons from office. | do not therefore &C
cept the idea that the tenure of office for the clerks
and employees In this department should be
changed. Indeed, believe that the present ten
the people of the country can have, that the bust,
ness of the government Will he efficiently and
properly performed. The work of the Treasury
Department does not differ essentially from the
business done in the banking houses and the mer-
chants counting rooms, and there is no reason
why the tenure of office should be permanent In
one case that does not apply with equal force In
the Others. 1t does happen practically, that there
are in the Treasury Department and in every bu-
reau and office OF IT, men who have been con-
nected with the service for several years, and who
possess all the knowledge derived from experience
aud tradition that Is essential to the performance
| of their duties
| -, TREASURY DEPARTMENT FORCE.
| Excluding the employees of the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing, and the messengers and la
berers, there were 2,143 officers and clerks CON
nected with the Treasury Department at Wash.
these 4S9 were in Office on the 4th day of March,
1859, leaving 654 as the total humber Of appoint
ments me made sl9Se M & thss s reyose 10 t ,Sa Ma
| on the LIST of March, 1851, only 493 persons were
employed, and of these 81 are now in the service.
One has been in office over fifty years, one over
thirty five years seven over thirty years over
twenty-five years, ten over twenty years, fourteen
| over fifteen years and twelve over ten years.
These Statements show that the changes in the de-
partment are not so numerous as TO deprive the
service Of the knowledge derived from experience.
On the other hand, the introduction of new men
| secures additional energy and efficiency.
ERRORS POINTED OUT.
| Two errors prevail in the community in connec
lican government, every man has right to an
office. This is in no sense true The only right is
that of the people to elect and to have appointed
| to Office, persons best qualified 10 perform the
work The other error Is that offices in the Treas
ury Department are prizes which the Xng young el men
ally, it is misfortune for young man who pos
sesses ordinary capacity for business or labor
to remain permanently in the public Offices of this
city. 1t is, however, true that many of the most
| valuable clerks in tue Treasury are young men
who are pursuing professional studies, or who,
having completed their courses, remain from one
to four years in the department. with the purpose,
| by industry and economy, of securing small
Of With which ns & to erS Hsye
clude all these men from the service, unless they
chooseto accept i as permanent pursuit, which,
in the main, would be an injury to them and to the
country. 1 am also fully convinced that any more
permanent tenure Of Office would materially i'm
pair the efficiency of the revenue system There
are many thousand men employed in the
| customs and internal revenue service, and, how
ever careful the preliminary examination might
be, the evils which now impair their efficiency
would undoubtedly exist No system of examina.
ton could exclude all those who are dishonest or
who under the pressure of necessity or the Ohef OF
| wealth, might yield TO temptation. 1t often hap
! pens, and 1t would happen under any system, that
men are found who are honest, temperate, suth
70 a s sSS s e9Gy s
lava duty which often requires sagacity and 9
kind of intelligence too subtle for discovery
through formal questions. Men who are thus un
qualified should be removed from office, and this
without an investigation, which, indeed might fur
nsh nothing tangible In Justification Of the act
So too, in the Custom House collection districts
branch of the service viii fail TO meet just expec
tatiOns, although no dishonesty may be traceablt
to any person connected with the Office. In sucf
cases the inteEests> OF the government demand /
change, and change must be madewithout the
hearing Of the parties CONCERNED may be war
ranted in saying in this connection that the evil
Office seeking, although great, Is probably exagger
aed in the public mind. 1t is true that there are
more applications for appointment to office in the
department than can be met but the number of api
plicants who are well qualified. who could pass any
proper examination, Is not usually very large
Outside the department and in several States ant
districts of the country, the number OF applicants
for the local services does not often exceed three
not more than two who are really so presented q
to he considered in connection with the appoint
ment. In justification of the present tenure, and
as proper recognition Of the services OF omcer
and clerks employed in this department, expires
the opinion that the business, upon the whole, /
not only done in a satisfactory manner, but that
will compare in accuracy and efficiency with tn
business Of the country generally which ls carrle
on by corporations or individuals. ~
TAXATION. q 4 l4
In my annual report in December last, advise
, the continuance of the existing system OF taxato
as an essential condition, acquired blythe propose
loan. The circumstance that was declare
between France and Prussia simultaneously wit
tile passage Of the Loan bill, put it ont of III
power of the Departmental make negotiations, a
had been expected. The large revenue, however
, of the government continuing without materia
! abatement until the present time, improved Tn
i credit of the country, and enabled the Ireasur
! Department, by weekly purchases, 70 reduce IN
i amount of surplus bonds offered for sale, an
: contributed to depreciate the market value
gold. also expressed the opinion that the settle
policy of the country should contemplate rev'
: nue. sufficient to meet the ordinary expenses {
the government pay the interest on the public del
and from S25 900 900 to SsOO0O,000 of the principe
. annually The reduction OF the public debt sine
: the both day OF June last has been great as
render IL certain that the total reduction for th
present fiscal year will exceed S6O,OOOOOO. The ma
ural increase of the business of the.country durin
the next eighteen months Is likely TO be such az
a show a surplus for the fiscal year ending June
r 1872, OF about $40O00,0OO. The principal OF I'll
# public debt the last day of November 1870, nc
n | deducting moneys hapA, was, ~ 4lS.6th0II d
OF this amount 1895, 300 237 .0e was represented d
= United States notes and fractional currency NJ
!. bearing Interest," The banks of the country, actin
= within the authority of the existing law, viii requi
about 1893 600 900 of bonds 10 he placed on depos
i security for their circulation Should the pre-
y country partly By the Treasury and partly by n
Z tional Banks lie continued the entire eireuiaio
a be furnished by the Treasury or by the banks, q
credit of the United States will be secured for q
!, redemption of notes From this view of the polio
# of the country it follows that an amount of $500
20 100000 of the public debt will remain unpaid, e.
isting either in the form of treasury notes In clrc
lation without interest, or In bonds owned !
- banks and held AZ security for the redemption
e their notes. and that only about 81, $780, uO0,eO0
e the principal of the debt Is subject to paymeI
y The financial prospect, although highly favorabl
* il not such to warrant important changes in Il
y revenue system at the present session of Congres
~ but should the result during the coming year me
r my expectations, il will be possible at the ID
N ceInber session of the Forty.second Congress
= make a very material reduction in. revenues wit
70 out impairing the ability Of the government
r, make satisfactory payments of the public det
Of The reduction already made has been adva
y tageous to heIcopntry, not only in the pa
ie ticulars indicated, bat in other respects hard
u less important There is much evidence tendi
~ to show that other event since The concusiC
g of the war has contributed so mnch TO "
&c diffusion of republican opinions an France. ~
es spread of these opinions stimulates emigrati6
ls from Europe. and at the same time prepar
"a the way for the establishment OF free institution
T on that continent Nor can there be any dou
d that the policy of accepting the debt perm
IN nent would retard emigration from Europe, esp
y cialy the reading and rejecting classes Whi
4 theories may be advanced, the fact must ey
es remain that the public debt Is public evil 1t
g especially burdensOme to the labortng classe
1r and is therefore inthelr interests to provide
IN the constant reduction of the existing nauon
e debt. This policy will not prevent such chang
10 in the revenue system, from time to tim
Is as will equal re the inevitable burdens Of o
g. present condition, and, within q comparative
~ ~ short period, taxes may be removed irom many
10 ticlee Of prime necessity 1t is an occasion OF 50
N isfaetion that other nation passed throul
le great war with so slight shock TO industry al
IN business. Specific information and general intel
nj gence from various parts Of the United States sho
le that all classes, and especially the aboring classe
N are in the enjoyment of more than the ayera'
a. prosperity whether tested by experience in Ii
" country or by the present condition OF other n
s. tions No reason can be found, however, in Il
G favorable condition of public and private affair
n for neglecting any proper measure for equ9llzh
or and diminishing the burdens of taxation, but
d. does Justify the statement that the nstion can NAL
Z provision for the public debt In the many wa
Ut Recommended without embarrassing industry
le retarding its progress. [Signedl
10 GEO. S. BOUTWELL,,
y Secretary of the Treasury.
Of Vicious Cows.
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