River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-03-08

considerable care of the government
within the just limits prescribed by
the constitution and wise public econo.
my. But at the basis of all prosperity
for that as well as for every other part
OF the country lies improvement of
the intellectual and moral condition of
the people. Universal suffrage should
rest upon universal education. To
this end liberal and permanent proyi
sion should be made by the State gov.
ernments and, if need be supplement.
ed by legitimate aid from the national
authority.
Let me assure my countrymen of
the Southern States that it is my earn
est desire to regard and promote their
truest interests-the interests of the
white and colored people. both and
equally-and to put forth my best eff
forts in behalf of a civil policy which
will forever wipe out in our political
affairs the color line and the distinc-
tion between North and South, to the
end that we may have, not merely
united North or ! united South, but
united country.
ask the attention of the public to
the paramount necessity of reform in
our civil service-a reform, not mere
ly to ascertain the abuses and prac-
tees of so-called official patronage,
which have come to have the sanction
of usage IN the several departments of
our government, but change of sys-
TEN OF appointments itself--a reform,
that shall be thorough, radical and
complete-a return TO the principles
and practices of the founders of the
government. They neither expected
nor desired from public officers any
partisan service. They meant that pub
lie officers should owe their whole SER
vice to government and to the people.
They meant that the officer should be
secure in his tenure as long as his pea
sonal character remained untarnished
and the performance of his duties sat
isfactory. They held that appoint
ments to Office 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 10 the
control of such appointments. The
fact that both political parties of the
country, in declaring their principles
prior to election, gave prominent place
TO the subject of reform of our civil
service, recognizing and strongly urg
| ing its necessity in terms almost
identical in their specific import with
those have here employed, must be
accepted as a conclusive argument in
behalf of these measures. 1t must be
regarded as an expression of the un-
! tied voice and will of the whole coun-
try upon this subject and both politi-
cal parties are virtually pledged to
give it their unreseryed support.
The president Of the United States
of necessity owes his election to office
to the suffrages and Jealous laborS of a
political party, the members of which
cherish with ardor, and regard as of
essential Importance the principles of
their party organization, but he should
strive to be always mindful of the fact
that he serves his party Uest who
serves his country best. In further
ance of the reform we seek and in
other important respects, as change
of great Importance, | recommend an
amendment to the constitution pre-
scribing torn of six years for the
Presidential office and forbidding re.
elections.
With respect to the financial condi
ton of the country shall not attempt
an extended history of the embarrass-
ment and prostration which we have
suffered during the past three years.
The depression in all our varied COM
mercial and manufacturing interests
/ throughout the country, which began
in September, 1873, still continues. 1t
is very gratifying, however, to be able
to say that there are indications all
around us of a coming change to pros
porous times.
Upon the currency question, init
mately connected, as it is with this
topic, may be permitted to repeat the
statement made in my letter of accept
ance: In my judgment the feeling of
unceri ainty inseparable from IRE
deemable paper currency with its fluc-
| tuatiOns of value is one of the greatest
obstacles to return to prosperous
| times. The only safe paper currency
is one which rests upon coin basis
and is at all times and promptly con
vertible into coin
| adhere to the views heretofore ex.
pressed by me in favor of Congression-
/ Ill ltRlSidllOu VI ~
sumption of specie payment, and am
satisfied not only that this is wise, but
| that the interests as well as the public
sentiment of the country imperative
ly demand it.
! Passing from these remarks upon
| the condition of our own country TO
consider our relations with other
| lands, we are reminded, by inteTna-
tional complications abroad, threaten
| ing the peace of Europe, that our ira
| ditiOnal rule of non-interferencei in the
affairs of foreign nations has proved
of great value in past times and ought
| to be strictly observed.
The policy inaugurrated by my hon
ored predecessor, President Grant, OF
submitting to arbitration grave ques-
tions in dispute tetween ourselves ana
foreign powers, points TO anew and IN
comparably the best instrumentality
for the preservation of peace, and,
will, | believe, become beneficent
example of course to be pursued IN
similar emergencies by other nations
| IL unhappily questions of differences
| should at any time during the perloa
OF my administration arise between
the United States and any foreign
government, it will certainly be my
disposition, as my hope, to aid In
their settlement in the same peaceful
and honorable way, thus securing to
our country the great blessings OF
peace and of mutual good offices with
| all nations OF the world.
Fellow.citizens, we have reached
the close of a political contest marked
with the excitement which usually at
tends the contests between great
political parties, whose members
espouse and advocate with earnest
faith their respective creeds. The
circumstances were, perhaps, In no
respect extraordinary, save In the
closeness and the consequent uncer-