The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-10-12

cipal. Our Federal taxation has swol-
len from 500, 100000 in gold in 1860 to
$450,000,000 in currency in 1870. Our
aggregate taxation from $l94, 900 900
in gold in 1850 to $73O,0OO,0O0 in cur
roncy in 1870. Or in one decade,
from less than $5 per hoad, TO more
than SIS per head. Since tho peace
the people havo paid to their tax gatho
crcrs more than thrice the sum of the
national debt, and moro than twice
that sum for the + ederal government
alone. .......
Wo demand vigorous frugality in
ovory department. and from every Of
ficer Of tho government. Reform is
necessary to put stop TO tho profit
gate waste of public lands. and their
diversion from actual settlers by the
party ln.powor, whic!, has souandered
S2OO,OOO,OOO Of acres upon railroads
alone, and, out Of more than thrice
that aggregate, has disposed Of less
than n sixth directly to tiIlers of the
soil. Reform is necessary to correct
the omissions of the Republican Con-
gross and the errors OF our treaties and
our diplomacy which havo stripped
our follow citizens Of foreign birth and
kindred race rccrossing the Atlantic
Of the shield Of American citizenship,
and have exposed our brethren of the
Pacific coast to the incursion of II raco
not sprung ttom the sano great par~
cnt stock, and, in fact, now by law
denied citizenship through natnrali>
zation, as boing neither accustomed to
the traditions OF u progressive civili-
zatiDn nor exercised in liberty under
equal laws. Wo denounce the policy
which thus discards the liberty low
ing German and tOlcrates the revival
OF the cooIic trade in Mongolian wo-
mon, imported for immoral purposes,
and Mongolian mcn hired to perform
scrvilo labor contracts, and demand
such modification Of the treaty with
tho Chinese Empire, or such l0gisla-
ton by Congress within o constitu-
tional limitation as shall prov cnt the
further importation Of immigration OF
the MCnSoIan race. Reform is NO.
ccssnry and can mover DO effected but
by making it the controlling issue OF
the elections, lifting it above tho two
false issues with which the Office hold.
ing class and the party in powcr seek
to smother it. Tho false issue with
which they would cnkindIo sectariun
strife N respect TO the public schuols,
of which the establishment to support
belonging exclusively to the several
States. and which tho Democratic
party has cherished from their tound~
alton and resolved to maintain with
out partiaIity or preference for any
class, sect or creed, ana without con-
tribnting from tho treasury TO any
tho taiso ISSUE by which they seek 60
light anew tho dying emGcrs Of Sec
tion9 ehato between i:indroI peoples,
once unaturuIly cstranz2d, but ne W
reunited in Cno indivisibIc rcpnbiic
and common destiny. Reform is
necessary in the civil service. EXpc>
ricncc proves that efficient, cconomi-
cal conduct Of tho governmental busiS
moss is not possible if its civil service
be subject to change at every election,
be prize fought for at he ballot box,
be half reward of party zeal instead
of posts of honor, assignoA tor proved
competency and held for fidelity il
the public employ. That tho dispcns
ing Of patronage should neither be n
tax upon tho time Of all our public
men, nor the instrument of their am
bition. Horo again professions faIsi-
fled in tho performance, attest that
the party in power can work out no
practical or Statutory reform. Reform
is necessary even moro in the higher
grades of public service. The Prcsi>
dent, Vice President, judges, Sona>
tors, Representatives and Cabinet Of
Gccrs. These, and all others in au-
thority, arc the peoples' servants;
their Officers are not private pcrQui-
sites; they arc public trusts. When
tho annals Of this republic show the
disgrace and ccnsuro of n Vice Pre-
sidcnt, q late Speaker of the House OF
Representatives marketing his ruling
as presiding officer; three Senator'S
profting secretly by their votes as law
makers; five chairmen of leading com
miLtoes of the late House OF Rcpre-
scntativcs exposed in jobbng; Il late
Secretary OF tho Treasury forcing bal
anccs IN the public accounts; u lato
Attorney General misNppropriating
public funds; Secretary of tho Navy
enriched or enrching friends by per-
certaIs levied off the profits Of con-
tractors with his department.; an am
bassador to England censurrd in q
dishonorablo speculation; the Prosi>
dents Private Secretary barely cs-
capped conviction upon trial tor guilty
completely in frauds upon tho Reven~