Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-07-20
NO. i6.
=, HAYES LETTER

the Office of President of the United
States by the national republican coll-
vention ut Cincinnati. / accept; the
nomination with gratitude, hoping
that, under Providence, Shall be able,
if elected, to execute the duties of the
high Office us a trust for the benefit of
all the people. I do not deem it ne
cessary to enter. upon any extended
examination of the declaration of
principles. made by. the convention.
/ The resolutions arc in accord with nv
views, and l heartily concur in the
principles they announce. In several
of the resolutions, however, questions
are considered which are of such i'm.
portance that I deem it proper to brief
~ express my convictions in regard to
them.
| CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
The fifth resolution adopted by the
convention is of paramount interest.
More than forty years ago system of
making appointments to office grew up,
based upon the maxim, '''To the vic
tors belo lg the SpOils." The old rule
1.-The true rule-that honesty, capaci-
| ty and fidelity constitute the only real
qualifications for Office, and that there
is no other claim, gave place to the
idea that party services were to be
chiefly considered. All parties in
practice have adopted this system. 1t
has been essentially modified since it's
first introduction. 1t has not been
improved. At first the president.
either directly or through the heads of
departments, made all the appoint
ments; but, gradually, the appointing
power III many cases passed into the
| the control of members of congress.
The Offices in these cases have become
merely rewards for services to Marty
caders.
This system destroys the indepen-
dence of the seperate departments Of
the government. 1t tends directly to
extravaganza and official incapacity.
1t is Il temptation to dishonesty. It
hinders and impairs that careful super
vision and direct accountability by
which alone faithful and efficient pub
lie servants can be procured. II oh.
Structs the prompt removal and sure
punishment of the unworthy. In
every way it degrades the civil service
and the character of the government.
It is felt, am confident by large ma
jority of the members of congress, to
hc al intOlerable burden and rnwar-
rantable hinderancc to the proper dis.
charge of their legitimate duties. 1t
ought te"bc abolished.
The reform should be thorough, rad.
ical, and complete. We should return
to the principles of the founders of
the government, supplying by legisla.
ton when needed that which was for
merly III established custom. They
neither expected nor desired from the
public officer any partiZan service.
They meant that public officials should
, owe their whole service to the gov
ernment, and to the people. They
meant that the officer should be Sc
cure III his tenure as long rs his per-
sonal character remained untarnisled
and the performance of his duties sat-
isf;,ctory. If elected snail conduct
the government OH these principles.
and all constitutional powers vested in
the executive will be employed to es.
tablisl, this reform.
! FOR ONE TERM ONLY.
| The declaration of principles by the
Cincinnati convention makes no an
n0uncement in favor of a single prcsi-
Dental term. | do not assume to add
to that declaration but believing that
the restoration of the civil service to
the system estal lished by Washington
and followed by the early presidents
can he best accomplished by an execu-
tive who is under no temptation to use
the patronage of his Office to promote
his own reelection, | desire to per-
form what Iregard as Il duty in stating
now my inneXible purpose, if elected,
not to he Il candidate for election to q
second term.
| SPECIE RESUMPTION.
On the currency question have fire
quently expressed my views in public,
and I stand by my record on this sub
ject. regard all the laws of the Uni
ted States relating to the payment of
the public indebtedness, the legal ten
der notes included, us constituting q,
pledge and moral obligation of the
government which must in good faith
be kept. It is my conviction that the
feeling of uncertainty inseparable
from an irredeemable paper currency,
with it's fluctllatiOn of values, is one of
the great obstacles to a revival Of con.
fidence in business and 4 return of
prosperity. That uncertainty can be
ended in but one way-the resumption
of specie payments. But the longer
the instability connected with our
present money system is permitted to
continue the greater will he the injury
inflicted upon our economical inter
ests and all classes of society, and il
elected 1 shall approve every appro
pirate measure to accomplish the de
sired end and shall oppose any steI
backward.
| - VI. PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The resolution with respect to the
public school system is one which
should receive the hearty support Of
the American people Agitation upoI
this subject is to be apprehended unit
bV constitutional amendment th(
schools are placed beyond all danger
of sectarian control or interference
The republican party is pledged to es
tablish such an amendment.
! TIE SOUTH.
The resolution of tho convention Ol
the subject of permanent. pacifcatiol
of the country and the complete pro
lection of all it's citizens in the FREE
enjoyment of all their constitutions
| rights is timely and of great import
ance. The condition of the southern
states attracts the attention and com
mands the sympathy of the people o
the whole union. In their progressive
, recovery from the effects of the wa
! their first necessity is an intelligen
: and honest administration of the 20,
ernment, which will protect all classe
of citizens in all their political an
private rights. n2EA sFzsa.s:a &
: What the South most needs is peace
8 and peace depends upon the supremac
Q of the laws. There can be no endul
;. ing peace if the constitutional right
n of any portion of the people are habi
a ually disregarded. A division of p'
9 litical parties, resting merely upon tn
g distinctions of race or upon section,
n limos ia alwavs unfortunate and ma