Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-08-24

diaapnoIntment 10 many Republicans throuRheut
the United States, who oespiy sid nd
do STARE in that feeling, and YET IeeI SEC knoM
that eyerV step taken by President Hayes was
dtty ana nom the highest motives Of patriotism.
Some are foolish enough TO talk OF hie abandoning
the colored people and their eons5tunonaI Tg9ts; rs
beeu an anti-slaVery man: his life was i'm
periled on many bsttlehslds in the
s1s .6a Saa7s S % m0fs r s the sSGaR en
Of the colOred people than those who falsely ac-
euae him, and believe this day that the policy
he has adopted will do more to secure the full
practical enforcement Of those rights than the en-
pl0yment Of an srmy tsnfOld greater than the
army Of the United States
THE EQUAL RIGHTS OF FREEDMEN
Are Low placed on the same constitutional footing
as ours. Unarmed. unorganiIed, defenseless and
Ignorant as they have been, they csn only reanze
the full enjoyment Of their rights when eanoa,
them how defend their rights. The policy OF the
President Will make it possible in the Gulf States
thy Of an influential portion of the
whites. u has also secured 70 them
the pledge Of honor Of me local state
cal rights No people can be more interested in
observing this pledge than the governing white
life and property depends upon It. The people Of
the United States will hold them to IT, and now
when by this
PoLICY OF PREsDEET HAYES
Tney nave MQaL llGy Gail QOLno Ful6t upon buc4I
selfproclaimed promise that home rule means the
equal protection in equal civil and political rights
Of an, they. have to fulfill this promise or
stand dlshonored before the ciTilizad
world. The amendments to the Constitution viii
stand. and they will be enforced bub IL 10 far bet
ter this shall be done by the consent Of ALL IN the
interest Of ali. than by the agency Of an army.
Constitutional rights can only be secured by legal
means. The whole Southern policy OF President
by legal but BIZ peaceful means, by an appeal to
the interest and honor Of all classes, but II this
fails, do not greatly err be viii not be wanting
In the exercise Of the full powers OF hls great
office to the civil rights Of ALL without dis
tinotion Of race, color or condition.
Another question OF administration promptly
received the attention Of President Hayes.
1t has been the standing promise Of both poltt-
ical parties for fifty years TO secure
CIVIL SERVICE RBFoRK,
Without defining what was meant by this phrase;
but old abuses grew aud new abuses were devised
by which the civil service OF the Governments ws1
largely made an agency to control the action Of
parties, and 70 influence the rising falling for
tunea OF politicians while the public service was
q secondary consideration. Upon this subject the
President had clear and radical views, and mas ROT
hesttated, against the opposition Of many in his
own party, to enter upon the reform OF these
abuses.
the CustoD-houss in New York, the great agency
for the collection Of the duties on imported goods,
was especially open to these abuses, and that the
public interests were sacrificed to the advance
ment OF the political and pecuniary interests OF
individuals- The President directed that thor
be made there BY Independent men Of both par
ties aimed not at individuals, but at the system
itself II was IN the progress Of this investigation
that he issued the order about which % much com
plant has been made.
Here It is:
'Se ofnoer should be required permitted to take
euSess conventions OF election osmpaEna Their
tons ethsT orally through the press denied
provided L does not interfere with ne dscaaTge Of
poses officers or suDordnates should be allowed"
This order was promptly met with denunoiat1on
az an invasion Of the rights OF individuals and its
meaning and purpose grossly perverted.
N THE WESTERN COUNTRY,
Where our political movements are more free from
the influence Of ofhce-holders, there has always
been a strong popular feeling against the inter
position OF mscnlne polnolans; Inc people & mere
ers, 20 manage their conventions. cRuouses and or
ganizations, and it has always been . matter Of
complaint even in our counties and cities when
ever rings Of oficeholders formed, who are Of
fensivelY of6cious in controlling popular conVen-
tions. snd, as 5 rule; such things have not
cities the ofce-holders selected not only to be
sctIEs st the election, to influence the election,
are made and caucuses held. They select delegates
20 conventions, pay their expenses, control their
votes, appear rs President Secretary or guiding
genius Of the convention, and thus the whole ms
chinery Of politics iB an Offoe holding monopoly,
offensive to the mass Of the people and tending %
prevent the Just control Of political movements
by free, unbiased popular opinion.
IT WAS THIS ABUSE,
The greatest Of alI that the President struck d.
rectlY at The President has not, and never did
object to the most active men being appointed to
and aspiring for Office. He would naturally select
from among the most active men IN private life
those who are to hold public offices, and, other
party rather than Of the adverse party. At all
events that 10 my own view. l think 1t would be
hS o. 4o% ssa 1F wb0ss S1 to ss
and principles he opposed, though he
may accept an Office rendered to him.
It is natural that, in selecting men for Office from
the great political organizations composed Of large
massel OF people, friends rather than adVersarfes
should be selected. But there are occasions
where
Should not be drawn, and, In all cases where
parties put up bad men 1t is the first bouDden duty
and thus compel the selection Of the best men
for ONCE. But where anyone has attained office,
either BY appointment or election he ought not to
S.r"tss tIaf ha is tharsfora 10 ha tha rnin MA
ing manager Of conventions and oaueuses
with . view to put up this Republican and put
put up another. He ought to hold his office with
seemly mOdesty. leaving TO the people to run the
machinery Of Their own political orEanizaHons.
our system that the necessary movements Of the
people need the guidance Of paid othce-holders.
OF late the influence Of ofhce-holdiDg in politics
has grown worse and worse. When, eighteen
years ago, heard prominent member Of the
House OF Representatives declare that It cost him
DOLLARS 10 bE
was happy to respond for you that If had spent
five hundred dollars securing my election I
would have been defeated, and can say in your
presence, for you know It. that the custom then
prevailing prevented any large expenditure Of
money, and that, though four times elected to
Congress in this district, did not and could not,
without danger to myself, spend any considerable
sums on my election. But Of late the expenses OF
popular elections have increased that we are in
danger of the very evils that for hundred years
dsgraced the election Of the members Of the House
Of Commons, and led to laws OF the greatest Sc
verify against bribery and corruption.
believe in the order Of the President, and hope
he will stand by It, and II he adds TO the good WORK
OF his Administration, the breaking down Of this
of1ce- holding o61ciousness in the management Of
campaigns this running Of
oAUCUsEs AND CONVENTIONS
By ofice-hoIders, and forced assessment from un-
willing of1ce-holders for political purposes, and
will secure TO the people free, unbiased control
Of their primary movements IN the election OF
officers, he viii have accomplished work second
only In Importance to the pacihoation Of the
Ths order Of the President does moi
interfere with the right Of any officer
| to vote or to express his views on pub
lie questions, either orally or through the press,
and at your invitation talk to you to-day, but
you would regard it ss offensive II should under
take to manipulate your conventions TO secure the
nomination OF personal friends, interfere in any
way with your free choice in popular movements
And this is all that the order Of President Hayel
undertakes 70 prevent.
ADMINISTRATIVE REFoRA.
Icome now to speak Of some Administrative re-
forms that usually the subject OF demRRogtcal
promises, but are always imperative duty, and