The Worthington advance., 1876-07-20
HAYES, LETTER
l. Reform, Resumption, Pacidcation, Free
a>j:. schools ond but One Term.

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Reform, Resumption, Pacihcation, Free,
ay:., schools ond but One Term. d.. -
'*. ''. tsb CoLuxBus, 20. July 8. : -
To the Hon: Edward McPherson, Hon. VIM:
A: Howard, Hon. Joseph ii. Rainey and
others Committee Of the Republican Ma
/! uQnn1l a1l Convention: .s.-,~." -. ;.,..:,.,f
.Gtx1lrxuss- reply to !, your official
communication of Junel7 7th; by which
l am informed Of my nomination. for:
the office ,of President of the United
States N: by the national republican lhli con: 9
vention i3 at Cincinnati, 7 accept the
nomination with gratitude, hoping.
that, under Providence, I shall be able,
If elected, to execute the duties Of the
high office. as a trust. for the benefit Of
all the people. !. do not deem it:ne-s
cessary to enter upon any extended
examination of the declaration Of
principles made by the oconvention.'
The resolutions are in accord with my
views, and l heartily concur in the
principles they 5announce.l In several
OF the resolutions, however; questions
are considered which are Of such I'M
p6ftahce. that / 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, 'sTo the VIC
tons, ,beloag the spoils.' The old rule
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. It
has been essentially modified since it's
first introduction. It 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 in many cases passed into the
the control Of members of congress.
The offices in these cases have become
merely rewards for services to party
eaders.
This system destroys the indepen-
dence Of the seperate departments of
the government. It tends directly to
extravaganza and official incapacity.
It is temptation to dishonesty. 1t
hinders and impairs that careful super
vision and direct accountability by
which alone faithful and efficient pub.
lie servants can be procured. It OBJ
structs the prompt removal and sure
punishment of the unworthy. In
every way it degrades the civil service
and the character of the government.
1t is felt, am confident by large ma
jority Of the members Of congress, to
he an intOlerable burden and unwar-
rantable hinderance to the proper dis.
charge Of their legitimate duties. 1t
ought to be 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.
tion when needed that which was for.
merly an 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 in his tenure as long as his per-
sonal character remained untarnished
and the performance of his duties sat-
| isfactory. If elected I snail conduct
the government on these principles,
and all constitutional powers vested in
the executive will be employed to es.
tablish this reform.
FOR ONE TERN ONLY.
The declaration of principles by the
J Cincinnati. convention makes no all
nOuncement in favor of a single presi-
Dental term. [ do not assume to add
to that declaration but believing that
the restoration of the civil service to
the system established by Washington
and followed by the early presidents
can be best accomplished by an execu-
tive who is under no temptation to use
the patronage of his Office to promote
his own reelection, I desire to per-
form what 1regard as duty in stating
now my inflexible purpose, if elected,
| not to be a candidate for election to a
second term.
SPECIE RESUMPTION.
On the currency question have fire
quently expressed my views in public,
and 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, as constituting Il
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 fuctuation of values, is one of
the great obstacles to a revival of con.
fidence in business and a 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 be the injury
inflicted upon our economical inter.
ests and all classes of society, and if
elected l shall approve every appro-
pirate measure to accomplish the de-
sired end and shall oppose any step
backward.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The resolution with respect to the
public school system is one which
should receive the hearty support of
the American people. Agitation upon
this subject is to be apprehended until
by constitutional amendment the
schools are placed beyond all danger
OF sectarian control or interference.
The republican Dartv iS nledc ed t0 es.