Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1877-03-10

! Of beneficial local self government can be
built up, and not otherwise. In the fur
,herauCc OF such obedience to the letter
aud spirit of the constitution, and in be
lief of all that its attainment implies, all
50 called party interests lose their apparent
| importance, and party lines may all be
permitted to fade into insignificance. The
| question we have to consider for the i'm
mediate welfare of those States Of the
! Union Is the question of government or
no government; of the social order and the
peaceful industries, and all the happiness
belonging to 1t, or return TO tarbarlSm.
! II Is a question in which every citizen of
the nation is deeply Interested, and with
respect 10 which we ought net to be in a
partisan sense ether Republicans or Dem
ucrais bnt fellow citizens and fellow men
to whom the interests Of a common cOun.
try and common humanity are near.
| The sweeping revolution Ofthe entire
LABOR SYSTEM
or a large portion of our country and the
advance Of four millions of people from
n condition Of servtudc to that of citizen
ship, upon an equal footing with their
former masters, could not occur without
presenting a problem of the gravest mo.
mcnt TO be dealt with by the emancipated
race, by their former masters, and by the
general government, the author of the act
Of emancipation. That it was wise,
Just and providcntial act, fraught with
good for all concerned, is now generally
conceded throughout the country. That
| tho moral obligation rests upon the nation,
nj government to employ its constitutional
powers and influence to establish the
rights OF the people it has emancipated,
and to protect them in the enjoyment OF
those rights, when they are infringed or
! assallcd, il also generally admitted. The
evils which aillict the Southern States can
only be removed or remcdied by the united
and harmonious,
EFFORTS OF BOTH RACES,
Acluatcd by motives of mutual sympathy
aud regard. and while in duty bound
aud fully determined to protect the rights
Of all by every constitutional means at the
disposal OF my administration, am sim
| cerelv anxious to use every legitimate in
fiucnce In favor of an honest aud efficient
local government as the true resource of
those States for the promotion of content
mcnt and prosperity of their citizens. In
that effort shall make to accomplish this
purpose, ask the cordial cooperation of
all who cherish an interest in the welfare
of the country, trusting that party ties
and the prejudice of race will be freely
surrendered in behalf Of the great purpose
to he accomplished. In the important
work OF the restoration of the Sonth, it is
not the political situation alone that
merits attention. The material develop
mcnt Of that sccion of the country has
been arrested by the social and political
revolution through which it has passed,
and no needs and deserves the consider
ate care Of the National Government
within the just limits prescribed by the
Constitution and a wise public economy.
But ut the basis Of all prosperity, for that
~ well rs for every other part of the
country, this improvement of the intel
lcciual and moral condition of the people,
UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE SHOULD REST UPON
UNIVERSAL EpUCMoN.
To this end liberal and permanent pro-
vision should be made for the support OF
free schools by State governments, and,
II need be, supplemented by Legitimate
aid from national authority. Let me as
sure my countrymen of the Southern
States that II is my earnest desire and re-
gard to promote their true interests,-the
Interests of the white and of the cOlored
people, both equally, and to put forth my
best cffor's in behalf of civil policy
which will forever wipe out of our affairs
the color line and the distinction between
North and South, to the end that we may
have not n.crcly u united North aud united
South, but united country.
CIVIL SERVICE.
ask the attention of the public to the
paramount necessity of reform in our civil
service, a reform not merely AS to certain
abuses and practices Of sO-called official
patronage which have come to have the
| sanction of usage in the several depart
mcnts Of our government, but change i'll
| the system Of appointment itself, a reform
thu, shall be thorough, radical and Gem
plcte, a return to the principles and prac-
, ices Of the founders ot.She government
They neither expected nor desired from
public officers any partisan service; they
meant that public officers should owe
| their whole services to the government
and the people: they meant that the officer
should be secure in his tenure as long as
his personal character remained unfair.
.ishcd, and the performance of his duties
satisfactory: they held that appointment
| To office was not to be made or expected
merely as rewards for partisan services,
nor merely on the nomination of mem.
bcrs Of Congress az being entitled in any
respect to the control of such appoint
ments The fact that both political par.
ties Of the country in declaring their prin'
cipl.s. prior to the election, gave premi
nent place to the subject of the reform OF
our civil service, recognizing and urging
Its necessity Ia terms almost identical in
their specific import with those have
here employed, must be accepted as con
| elusive argument in behalf of these meas
ures. II must be regarded as an expires,
sion Of the united voice and will Of the
whole country.
THE PRESIDENTIAL TERM SIX YEARS.
The President of tho United States, OF
| necessity, owes his election to Office to the
suilrages and jealous labors of a poltica
party, members of which cherish with ar.
dor and regard rs Of essential importance
the principles Of their party organization
but he should always be mindful of the fac
that he serves his party best who serve:
the country best. In furtherance of the
reform We seek, and az in other important
respects change of great importance,
recommend an amendment to the Consti
tuition prescribing term of six years fol
the; Presidential office, and forbidding 9