The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-19
I HAYES, IET,TFR
Reform, resumption, Paciffcation, Free
Schools 0nd but One Term.

$S.CoIUNBuss O., July g. s.
To the Hon. Edward MCPHERSON, Hon. VIM
A: Howard, Hon. Joseph H. Rainey and
others, Committee of the Republican Ma
GESrIEMEN-1n reply to your official
communication of June 18th, by which
am informed of my nomination for
the office of President of tn United
States by the national republican con-
vention at Cincinnati, l accept the
nomination with gratitude, 4 hoping
that, under Providence, l shall be able,
ii elected, to execute the duties of the
high Office as trust for the benefit of
all the people. I do not deem tine.
cessary to enter upon any extended
examination Of the declaration Of
principles made by the conventions:
The resolutions are in accord with my
views, and heartily concur in the
principles they announce. In several
of the resolutions, however, questions
are considered which are Of such inn
portance 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 a system of
making appointments to Office grew up,
based upon the maxim, ''To the vic
tors belong 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. 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 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 separate departments of
the government. Intends directly to
extravaganza and official incapacity.
1t is a 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. 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, I am confident by large ma
jority of the members Of. congress, to
be an intolerable burden: and unwar-
rantable intolerance to the proper dis
charge of their legitimate duties. It
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, slegisla-.
ton 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
eminent, and to the people. They
meant that the officer should be Sc.
cure in his tenure as long as his.per-
sonal character remained. untalnished
and the performance of his duties sat-
isfactory. If elected L shall conduct
the government, on these principles,
and all constitutional powers vested in
the executive will be employed to es-
tablish this reform. -, -
FOR ONE TERM ONLY.
The declaration of principles by the
CINCINNATI convention makes no an
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 Iregard as a duty in stating
now my intlexible purpose, if elected,
not to be candidate for election to a
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. as constituting a
pledge land moral obligation of the
government which must inSgopd faith
be kept, It ismys conviction that the
feelings Of .unc certainty, inseparable
from an irredeemable paper currency,
with it's fluctuation of values, is one OF
the great obstacles to a revival Of con-
fidence in business and a return 81
prosperity. That uncertainty can BE
ended in blltkOne Wav-the resnmntinn