Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-09-01

The Senator then discussed civil service
reform. He said; President Grant had
recommended reform in this direction,
and had, under the act of Congress, ap-
pointed Commissioners to examine the
subject and report to him. Two of these
gentlemen were prominent editors, who
had written voluminously in favor of re-
form, and when they were put upon the
Commission and asked TO devise some
thing practicable, they met with Difficult
ties at the very threshold, even clnstitu-
tional difficulties. He hoped they would
present something practicable to Con-
gress. Our civil service has many imper-
fections; many which arise ont of the inn
perfections of human nature. II had been
suggested that government clerks and
subordinates should hold office for life.
We want no life tenures in this country.
Ten thousand clerks and officials at Wash
ington, that being about the number
there holding office, for life, would consti-
tute an aristocracy sufficient to revolution
ize the government in twenty-five years"
He also referred to the suggested plan
to give clerks and subordinates term of
eight or ten years, and removal only for
crime or incapacity. That might be good,
but he was not sure. He did not know,
however, that had such a law been in force
when the rebellion broke out the govern
ment would have been hurt, for amaiority
of the employees at Washington were In
sympathy with the rebellion, and If they
could not have been removed the govern
ment could not have been carried on. He
believed our civil service, with all its i'm
perfections, taken as a whole, was the best
in the world. He would not exchange it
for any European system. They are not
adapted to IL. "At the same time," he
said, 81 belong to the great Republican
reform party. We want to make every
reform in that branch that we can, and
we will do it; and allow me to say, in JUS
tice TO General Grant, that he appears to
be the first man that has taken practical
step in that direction. OF course l don't
refer to bills that have been offered in
Congress, because there have been q num-
ber of them; but l want to say to our
Democratic friends, who now appear to be
very much in favor of civil service reform
in their arguments before the people, that
during the early period that this party was
in power, and when the civil service was
carried on in much inferior manner to
what it Is now, such a suggestion as that of
civil service reform was never made. If
reform in the civil service does come, 1t
has to come through the Republican
party"
He then discussed questions of tariff re-
form and taxation at considerable length,
but presented little beyond his well-known
views on these subjects.
Speaking of the labor reform question,
the Senator said one of the fundamental
IDEAS of the Republican party is the dig
nifty of labor, and the party planted itself
upon the idea that labor should be free
Slavery degraded labor, and that was one
reason why we were for tearing slavery
up by the roots. He drew attention TO
the prosperity of Missouri under free
labor, saying the books of the State Audi.
tor showed that, not outstanding the mis-.
fortune of the war that had to be overcome
Missouri has, since 1865, nearly doubled
the value of her taxable property. Her
population has been vastly sweled, and
she has never been so prosperous before
and this took place under Republican
administration. Labor should not only
be honorable and dignihed, but should be
paid in good money. NO class of men are
so robbed and plundered by deprecisting
and fluctuating currency as the laborinG
men. A merchant may hoard up his mer
chandise for high prices, and a land owner
can hold his land for higher value: bui
you cannot hoard up labor for a rise in
prices. When there came fall, labor is
the first to feel it, but when there is eX
pansion, labor is the last thing to feel it
Labor should also be educational, and the
children of laboring men in this respect
placed ON an equal footing with those Of
the rich men. The republican party is in
favor of advocating everything that pos
sesses the spirit of the free school system
ocratic nartv are not III rot t,, no "f the Dem
free schools; yet so far as know, all the
enemies of free schools are in the Democrat
| ic party. Ponder that well, and tell YOU
that when the assault upon free school,
comes-Snd come it will some time-that
the Democratic party, if then in existence
will lead that assault.
| He discussed questions of tariff and free
trade at considerable length, announcing
himself in favor of every reform, but de
string incidental protection to bur home
manufactures, and taking generally the
same ground that he has occupied il
speeches in the Senate in regard to taxa
ton. He said Republican Congress, a
the session before the last, repealed $57,
100000 OF internal tax, and about S25, 600,
900 of tariff. Now our Democratic friends
are always clamOring about taxation; bu
when they came to the passage of tha
bill which relieved the nation of eighty
five millions at one blow, believe it die
not receive single Democratic vote
They are always in favor of relieving tn,
taxes on articles that are not included il
the bill. They are in favor of the Othel
articles; and when we put the other ar
ticles in the bill, then they are in favor o
the other articles, and they never can b,
got to the point where they vote Tor tn,
reduction of taxes. He predicted that tn,
next session of Congress could furthe
reduce taxation from $4,000, 900 to $50,
! 100000.
Speaking of the recent riot in New
York, he said the leading Democratic pa
pers Of that city justified Mayor Hail.
order prohibiting the Orange procession
and such was the leaning of the Demo
cratic party
DE sketched the circumstances which
brought the Ku-Klux bill into existence
and defended the bill in strong terms, say
ing 1t is one OF the best measures that ha
ever passed Congress. The moral efftc
of 1t has already been wonderful Th,
mere passage of that bill has ALREADY
saved hundreds of lives, and thousands o
men from torture and punishment It i
| dangerous only to marauders, robbers
and that class of Democratic partisan
who have been hoping to carry ali th,
Southern States for the Democratic ticke
by means of this very Ku-Klux organi
zation.
He had very little faith in the new
Democratic departure. He did not believ
the party could scarcely change opinion il
so short time. There is not one man il
thousand among the Democrats in tn
Southern States that accrpts the amend
ments. There is not man in fifty amt nj
the Democrats in the Northern State
that accepts the amendments. They can
not come into power while the amend
ments or reconstruction are in the issue
They cannot carry the Northern States
They say, therefore, that they must TAX
such course as they may by which the,
can get into power. What will the Dem
ocratic party do when it comes int
powerf Suppose they get the Presiden
and control Of the government; the Soutl
! NnA1 IL. ~ H. -