The Russellville Democrat., 1877-03-15

; 5hail w aNtspil fui
 pose, 1 ask the cordial co-opera
 tion of all who cherish an interest ir the welfare of the country, trusting that party ties and prej udice of race will be freely sur rendered in behalf of the great purpose to be accomplished in the important work of the restoration
 of the South, It is not the polit- Heal 2itnatiaA- -<.la,ae--sl-..s---..ss ..ss-*.ite- l the attention, but the material de- velopment of that section of coun- ] try has been arrested by the so
 cial and political revolution throdgh which it has passed, and
 now needs and deserves the con
 siderate care of the National Gov
 ernment within the just limits
 prescribed by the Consultation
 and wise public economy; but as
 the basis of all prosperity, for that as well as for every other part ot the country, this improv-
 ment of the intellectual and moral
 condition of the people, universal
 suffrage should rest upon uniyer
 sal education. To this end liber
 al and permanent prvision should
 be made for the support of free
 schools by State Governments,
 and, if need be, supported by le- gitimate aid from the national authority. Lee me assure my
 countrymen of the Southern States that it is my earnest desire
 to regard and promote their truest
 interests-the interests of the
 white and colorcd peoyle both and
 equally and to put forth my best efforts in behalf af civil
 policy which will forever wipe
 out in our political affairs color line and distinction between
 North and South, and in the end
 we may not merely have a united
 North or united South, but uni
 ted country. l ask the attention
 of the country to the paramount
 necessity of the reform of onr civ 1 il seryice-reform not merely as
 to certain abuses and practices of
 so called official patronage which have come to have the sanction gof usage in the several depart
 ments of our government, but q
 change of the system of appoint
 ments itself; reform that shall be
 a thorough, radical and complete
 return to the principles and prac-
 tices of the founders of the Gov.
 ernment. Teey never expected nor desired from public officers
 any partisan service. They meant
 that public officers should owe
 their whole service to tue Govern
 ment and to the people. They meant that the officer should be
 secure in his tenure as long as
 his personal character remained
 untarnished and the performance
 of his duties was satisfactory.
 They held that appointments to Eofiice were not to be made nor
 expected merely as rewards for
 partisan service; nor merely on
 the nomination of members of Congress, as being entitled, in
 any respect, to the control of such
 appointments. The fact that
 both political parties of the coun
 try, in declaring their principles
 prior to the election, gave promi-
 nent place to the subject of the
 reform of our civil service, recog-
 nizing and strongly urging its
 necessity, in terms almost identi-
 cal in their specific import with
 those l have here employed, must
 be accepted as conclusive argu-
 ment in behalf of these measures.
 It must be regarded as the ex-
 pression of united voice and the
 will of the whole country upon
 this subject, and both political
 parties are virtually pledged to
 give it their unreserved support.
 The President of the United States of necessity owes his elec- tion to office to the suffrage and zealous labors of 8 political party, the members of which cherish with ardor, and regard as of essen tial importance, the principles of ! their party organization; bnt he should strive to be always mind ful of the fact that he serves his party best who serves his country best. In furtherance of the re form we seek, and in other i'm
 portant respects, as a change ol great importance, l recommend
 an amendment to the Constitution
 prescribing term of six years for the Presidential office, and forbidding reelection. With re
 spect to the financial condition o ' the country, l shall not attempt \ an extended history of the em 5 barrassment and prostratior ] which we have suffered during
 the past three years. The de pression in all our varied conner cial and manufacturing interest throughout the country, whicl } began in September, 1873, stii continues. |. IS very gratifying
 however, to be able to say tha there are indications all around us of a coming change to prosper ous times. Upon the currenc. 7 question, intimately connected q '- 1t Is with this topic, I may b