The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-05

The coin in the Treasury claimed to belong to
the Government. had. on the Both OF June, fallen
the 1st Of January, 1870 an1 the availability Of
part OF that sum IS said TO be questuDaOle. Inc
revenues are failing faster th approximations
and expenditures are reduced, leaving tho
Treasury with diminishing resources. the Sec
retary has done nothing under his power to
The legislative command. the ofRcIal promise
fixing day for resumption, havo thus far been
barren. No practical preparatiOns toward 70
sumption have been m de. There has teen no
progress. There nave been steps backward.
There Is no Decromancy IN the operations OF
government. The homely maxims Of every day
| life are the best standards OF Its conduct. a
debtor who should promise TO pay loan out of
surplus income. vet be seen every day spending
all he could lay his hands on In Iiotous living,
would lose all character for honesty and veraci-
ty. Hts orer OF new promise or his profession
as to the value OF the old promise would alike
| provoke derision.
RESUMPTION PLAN or THE ST. LOUIS PLATFORM
The st. Louis platform denounces the failure
for eleven years to make good the promise Of the
| legal tender notes. 1t denounces the omission
| TO accumulate ANY reserve for their redcmp-
| ton" 1t denounces the conduct (which, dur
| Ing eleven years OF peace, has made no advances
toward resumption, no preparations Tor resump-
tion, but instead has obstructed tesumptiou by
wasting our resources and exhausting all our
surplus income; and. while protesting to intend
speedy return TO specie payments, has annually
| enacted fresh hindrances thereto" And havlng
| FIRST denounced the barrenness Of the promise
OF a day Of resumption, 1t next denounces that
| tion. IL then demands its appeal and also de-
| mands the establishment Of "a judicious sys-
TEN OF preparation" for resumption. 1t cannot
| be doubted that the substitution of "a system
| OF preparation" without the promise OF n dav.
for the worthless promise OF day without "a
system OF preparation" would be the gain OF
the substance Of resumption In exchange for its
| Nor is tho denuncation unmerited OF that Inn
| providence which, In the eleven years since the
peace, has consumed 4,500 millions OF dollars,
| and yet could not afford to give the people
| sound and stable currency. Two and half per
cent. on the expenditures OF these eleven years.
| or even less, would have provided all the addi-
tional coin needful to resumption.
RKIrEr TO BUSINESS DISTRESS.
The distress now felt by the people In all their
| business and Industries. though It has Its prin-
| cipal cause In the enormous waste OF capital oc-
ment. has been greatly aggravated by the mis-
| MANAGEMENT OF the currency. Uncertainty Is
the prolific parent Of mischiefs In all business.
Never were Its evils more felt than now. Men
| do nothing because they are unable TO make any
Thsy nnSests ma6ing t"ey scasa vnn ssny r rsy
| loss In everything they would attempt. They
| stop and wait. The merchant dares not buy for
| the future consumption Of his customers. The
| manufacturer dares not make fabrics which may
not refund his outlay lie shuts his factory
| and discharges his workmen. Capit,lists cannot
\ lend on security they consider safe. and their
funds lie almost without interest. Men Of en-
terp ise, who have credit, or securities TO pledge
will not borrow. Consumption has fallen below
the natural limits OF reason ipie economy
Prices OF many things are under their range in
frugal specie paving times before the civil war
Vast mssses OF currency lie In the banks un-
uted. a 'eHF ana u Dalt ago tue legal tenders
were at their ARREST volume, and the Sls 00,uO
since retired have been replaced by fresh issues
OF sl5oo0,UD OF bank notes. In the mean time
the banks have been surrenderins about t40)0.-
0o month, because they cannot find profit
able use for so many Of their notes.
Tho public mind will no longer accept shams.
| II has suffered enough from illusions. An in
sincere policy increases distrust. Adjustable
| policy increases uncertainty. The people need
| TO know that the Government Is moving Ia tho
direction Of ultimate safety and prosperity, aud
that II is doing SO through prudent, safe, and
conservative methods. which will be sure to In
| nict no new sacrifice on tho business OF the
country. Then the ins spiration OF new hope and
weli-founded confidence Will hasten the re-
storing processes OF nature, and prosperity
| will begin to return.
The ST. Louis Convention concludes its er-
preston In regard to the currency by deci,ra-
ton Of It's convictions as TO the practical re-
SWtS ttbf STN9u al, nyn2astU1 10 'Strnfi Nvtens
| hands for execution, creating at no time an ar
| tincial scarcity of currency. and at no time
,hnt ysster 'Sachinery OF credit by which
ninety.nye per cent of all business transactions
are psrdormsJ ensrs csp9dence wSuid, from the day
of its ad option, brng heaiing on Its wings TO ni
wheels of commerce, manufactures and the
| mechanlc arts, restore employment to labor,
aud renew In all it's natural sources the pros
''ine Government Of the United states, In ny
opinion can advance 70 ,esulnpesoI Nv o anal
aud safe process tending TO releve the plesens
business distress u charsea 1S ano pcnpo "e,cn
| should deem n a duty so To exercise the POW,
ers with which II has been or may De lhNesteu
Ly Congress IS best ana soonest 10 COuuuSt Tue
country to that benehcent result.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
The Convention Justly afirms that reform Il
necessary in tho civil service, necessary 70 ~
ratification. necessary to It's economy ana w
efficiency. necessary in order that the ORDINARY
employment of the public business may mol o'
"a prize fought for at the ballot box, brief le
ward OF party zeal. instead Of posts OF honor as
signed for proved competency, and held fol
ndelity in the pnoc emtioY nv ayy eyc,
| more in tho higher grades Of the public service
President, Vice-president: Judges, Senators
Representatives, Cabinet 1hncers, tnese anu a. ~
: Others in authority are the peoples servants
Their ofiloes are not a private perauisite; the
are a public trust. ~,
!. One Is the prevalent and dem morazlng notiol
that the public service exists not Tor the pusl
ness And benefit OF the whole people, but Tor IN
). interest Of the ofllcehoders, who are, W truth
: but the servants OF the people. Under the iDni
ence Of THIS perncious error public employ
. m nts have been multiplied; the numbers o
+! ,hn.e catnered into the ranks Of ofhcehoider
u have been steadily increased beyond any posi-
y ble requirements Uf the pubic business, "hll
! ineflci.ncy peculation, fraud. ana malversatio
u or the public funds. from the hlgh places .
!, power to tho lowest have oyeispread TIE whoi
~ service like leprosy. " .
=, The other evil IL the organization OF the ol
- nciil class into a body Of puiltcal mttcenarie
y governing the caucuses aud debating the nom
u nations OF tneir own party, and attempting
. carrythe elections OF the people 10y undue II
10 nuence, and by immense corruption iuhds ~
10 of oniceholders. The official class IN oth'
10 cOuntres, sometimes by It's own weight an
"a sometimes III alliance with the hfmN' mas zee
W able to rule the uuorganized masses even unu'
'u universal suffrage. Here n has already grow
v, into "A gigantic power capable OF stininH the u
30 spirations Of sound puzzle opinion, ana OF 7,
~ sistinp an easy change Of administration, UNI
mIsQoyernment becomes lntoerable ana puDl
spirit has been stung 10 the pitoh OF CIV
u The frst step in reform Is the elevation Of Il
IN | standard by which the appointing power selec
10, | agents to execute official trusts. Next III u
he poTtance is a conscientious nieliti IN tho exc
be cl,s OF the authority To hOd to account ana al
be place untrustworthy or incapable subordinate
ct Ths uublic Interest in an honest, skiliul pc
ce formance OF official trust must not DO sacrluc'
III To the u-ufTuCt Of the lncumbonts. M
OF Alter these immediate steps, when Will !
* sure the exhibition of better examples, we m
Is wisely 90 on u the abolition OF unnecesSh
all ofhces and finally, to the patient. careful orgn
ns. iz zion OF better civil service system, una
IN The tests wherever practicable, OF proved col
petenCy aud hdeiitY, " A., Al,
err While much may be accomplished by the
an methods. IL might encourage delusNe eNpsc
d. tiuns II | withheld here the expression OF
Ill CONVICTION that no reform Of the clyil service
IT. this country will be complete ana pernant
A until its Chief Magistrate is constil
he tionally disqualified for reeectioni ,ekn
,ry ience having repeatedly exposed the nun
- solf -tmtosqd restricf Ions 10y chudluutea