The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-08-12
OTTAWA FREE TRADER: SATURDAY, AUGUST -, 1875


raised the standard of reform. Nothing cal
be well with US or with our affairs until tn,
public conscience, shocked by the en- ormou
evils and abuses which prevail, shall have de
manded and compelled an unsparing reform
alton of our national administration in II.
members In such reformation the remov
al of a single officer, even of the President i.
comparatively a trihing matter. If the sys
tenn which he represents, and which has fos
tered him as he has tostered 1t, is suffered &c
remain,
THE PRESIDENT ALONE MUST NOT BE MADE
The sCAPEGOAT
for the enormties of the system which iniests
the public service and threatens the destruc-
ton of our institutions In some respects
hold that the present Executive has been the
victim rather than the author of that vicious
system; Congressional and party leaders
have been stronger than the President. No
one man could have created 1t, and the remov.
al OF no one man can amend it. 1t is thor.
oughly corrupt, and must be swept remorse.
lessly away by the selection of government
composed of elements entirely new and
pledged to radical reform. The first work of
reform must evidently be the restoration of
the United States, with all its amendments,
The necessities of war cannot be pleaded in
a time of peace The right Of local selt.gov.
eminent as guaranteed by the Constitution
must be everywhere restored, and the cen.
trallzed, almost personal, Imperialism which
has been practiCed must be done away with,
or the first principle of the republic will bo
lost.
OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM
OF eXpedients must be reformed Gold and
silver are the real standards of values, and
our national currency will not be perfect
medium of exchange until it shall be CONVEX
tible at the pleasure of the holder. AS have
heretofore SAID, no one desires a return to
specie payment more earnestly than do, but
| do not believe that it will or can be reached
in harmony with the interests of the peo-
pie by artificial measures for the contraction
of the currency any more than | believe that
wealth or permanent prosperity can be crea-
ted by an initiation Of the currency. The
laws of finance cannot be disregarded with
impunity. The financial policy of the gov.
eminent, If. indeed, it deserves the name of
policy at all, has been in disregard Of these
laws, and therefore has disturbed commercial
and business confidence, as well as hindered
a return to specie payments. One feature of
act of 1875, which has embarrassed the coun.
try by the anticipation of a com ,)ulsory re-
for which no preparation has been
made, and without any assurance that it
would be practicable. The repeal of that
clause is necessary that the natural operation
of financial laws may be restored, that the
business of the country may be relieved from
its disturbing and depressing influence and
that return to specie payments may be ia
cilitated by the substitution OF wiser and more
prudent legislation, which shall mainly rely
on judcious system of public economies
and official retrenchments, and, above all, on
the promotion of prosperity in all the indus.
tries of the people. | do not understand the
repeal OF the resumption clause of the act OF
1870 to be backward step in our return to
specie payments bat the recovery of a false
step, and although the repeal may for time
be prevented, yet the determination of the
Democratic party on the subject has been de-
clared. There should be no hindrances put
in the way of Il return to specie payments,
AS such hlndrance, says the platform of the
St Louis Convention: 1--WE denounce the re.
clause of the act of 1875 and de-
mand its repeal" | thoroughly believe that
by public economy, by official retrenchments,
and by wise finance legislation enabling us to
accumulate the precious metals,
RESUMPTION AT AN EARLY PERIOD
possible without producing an artificial scare
ity of currency, or disturbing public or com.
mercial credit; and that these reforms togeth.
er with the restoration of pure government,
will restore general confidence, encourage
the useful investment of capital, furnish EN-.
plUyment to labor, and relieve the country
from the paralysis of hard times. With the
industries OF the people there have been FIRE.
luent intcrterences. Our platform truly says
that many industries have been impoverished
to subSidize few. Our commerce has been
degraded to an Inferior position on the high
seas. Manufactures have been diminished.
Agriculture has been embarrassed, and the
distress of the industrial classes demands that
hese things shall be reformed. The burdens
Of the people must also be lighened by a
great change IN our system of public eXpens-
IS The profligate expenditures which in
creased taxation from 50 per capita in 1860
o $lS in 1870 tells its own story of our need
If reform. Our treaties with foreign powers
should also be revised and amended in so far
Is they leave citizens of foreign birth in any
particular less secure in any country on earth
han they would be if they had been born up
IN our own soil, and the UBIQUITOUS coolIe
system, which through the agency of wealthy
establishes Il species of slavery and interieres
With the just rewards of labor on our Pacific |
coast should be utterly abolished. In the re.
orm of our civil service | most heartily in
iorse the section Of the platform which de. |
,lares that the civil service ought not to be |
ubject to change at every election, and that
t ought not to be made the brief reward of
party zeal, but it ought to be awarded for
proved competency and held for fidelity ID
he public employ. l hope never again to
zee the cruel and remorseless prescription .
or political opinion which has dsgraccd .
he administration of the last eight years
But as the civil service now is, as all know
t has some men of tried integrity and private
,bility; such men, and such men only, should
,e retained In Office but no man should be
etained on any consideration who has pros
Ituted his office to the purpose of partisan
or compulsion, or who has fur
lished money to corrupt the elections This
s done and has been done in almost every
county, the land. 1t is blight upon themor