The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-11-04

ana restoring the wastes made by the war
There are those who profess to believe
aud probably some VIII honestly do De
lieve, that if the Southern people had th'
power, they would provide for paying fol
the slaves emancipated by The late war
. aud for the payment Of the war debt OF the
: South than which, in my Judgment,
nothing can be more unreasonable or I'M
Z probable. Whatever else the Southern
] people might be disposed t. do, | have nc
fears of their voting any more debt on
themselves and Others, where the benehts
would result to the very few.
In a private conversation with a men,
Der. Who is an intelligent business man,
With more than ordinary opportunities for
knowing the sentiments of the Southern
people on these questions, | made the fore
gong state ments, to which he replied that
those entertaining these opinions must look
upon a majority Of the Southern people
as fools. For, said he, there never were
more than about -Four hundred thousand
slave holders in the South, and It was sim
by ridiculous to suppose that twelve 70
httecn millions Of people would vote such
an enormous burden upon themselves, for
the benefit of these few. In relation to the
payment uf the war debt Of the South, the
same gentleman said, he did not believe
that onr dollar If it would ever be paid !;
but If It vas, It would be by Northern IN
huel q aud Northern votes, after it had
been bought up by Northern and Eastern
capitalists at from one to five cents on the
dollar Many other members with whom
| canversed entertained similar views.
| can but regard it as the extreme of
folly. tU suppose that either Of these claims,
or any part Of them, will ever be paid.
I They are both etfectually barred by the
/ Constitution Of the United States, to
change which requires the consent of
the Legislatures Of three-fourths Of the
/ States, OF twenty nine out Of the thirty
eight now in the Union. There are but tif-
teen States in which there was property IN
slaves before the war; and it cannot be
I possible that there could be found fourteen
Northern States 50 completely under the
control of the gambling capitalist, who
would be the purchasers Of these claims.
as 90 be induced TO perpetrate such stu
7 peudous fraud
will. however, say that whatever may
/ DE- the disposition II parties North OF
south, respecting the payment Of these
| claims ! viii never vote for the recognl
tiou or payment of one farthing Of either
cf chem Nor viii vote f1r the payment
/ of any other claim growing ont OF the war,
until fully satisfied that it is just and
equitable Neither will / ever vote for
any law that viii deprive or abridge any
citizen. or class Of citizens, Of any pIivI-
lege or right guaranteed to other citizens
by the Constitution Of the United States
CIVIL SERVICE.
The corruption IN legislation and shame
less abuses in the administration of all
departments Of the public service have
become 50 notorious, and the demand
FIR reform % urgent from the peo-
ple Of all political parties, that even the
authors Of these abuses are themselves
forced to admit their existence and to ad-
vocate their correction. But while this is
81, there IL. nevertheless, wide differ
ence Of opinion as TO the extent to which
these reforms should be carried, as well as to
the means by which they are to be effect
! ed. One party proposes the adoption OF
the competitive system in the selection Of
| clerks and other subordinate officers, and
another the application Of the One-term
| principle to the office Of president.
But neither Of these can effect perma
nent cure. The evil is too deeply-rooted
and widespread to yield to any but the
most radical treatment. EAtirpation, and
not palliation, is what is needed.
We must first discover the cause Of the
evils complained of before We can proceed
intelIigently in the application Of the rem
edies
The constitution Of the United States
provides for three separate and distinct de-
partments in the goverrment-the legisla-
tive, the executive, and the judicial
I All legislative power is except as modified
bv the veto power Of the president-vest-
"a ia congress, the executive power in the
president, and the judicial power III the
supreme court.
II is clear that the design of the trainers
Of the constitution was to contine the du-
ties Of congress to making the laws that
Of the executive to seeing that they are
faithfully executed, and those Of the ju-
dicial to interpreting them. But this has
not been the practice. Congress has grad
ually encroached upon the prerogatives OF
the other departments, particularly upon
that Of the executive, until that branch OF
the government has arrogated to itself alb
solute control of most, if not all, of the
appointments. Neither the president nor
heads Of departments dare appoint a
cross-r roads post master OF any other officer
OF agent Of the government, without trst
eobtaining the consent Of the senators and
members Of congress OF the same political
faith as the administration, from the states
OF districts from which the appointments
are made. In most cases the appointees
, are selected more with reference to theiI
slill in YnaninVlatiDp nolitieal caucuses
the promotion Of the special interests o.
the senators and members of Congress t.
whom they are indebted for their places
and otherwise advancing the general in
: terests of the party, than with view t.
/, tn sir honesty and fitness for the discharg.