The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-12-09


the United States during the last fiscal
year was $40,9sB,8i2. The coinage of
silver dollars since the passage of the act
for that purpose up TO November I, 1879,
was $45, 900 $50, of which $12,700, ,844 has
been issued from the Treasury and Is now
in circulation, and $32, 800 800 is still in
the possession of the government. The
tendency of the proposition for unity of
action between the United States and the
principal commercial nations of Europe
TO effect q permanent system for the
equality of gold and silver in the recog-
nized money of the world leads me to
recommend that Congress refrain from
new legislation on the general subject.
The great revival of trade, internal and
foreign, will supply, during the coming
year, its own instructions, which may
well be awaited before attempting fur
ther experimental measures with the
coinage. / would, however strongly
urge upon Congress the Importance of
authorizing the Secretary of the Treas
ury to suspend the coinage of silver dol
lars upon the present legal ratio. The
market value of the silver being uni
formly and largely less than the market
value of the gold dollar, it is obviously
impracticable to maintain them at par
with each other If both are coined with
out limit.
1.-THE retirement from circulation of
United States notes, with the capacity
of legal tender in private contracts, is O
step to be taken in our progress toward
a safe and stable currency, which should
be accepted as the policy and duty of the
government, and the interest and securi-
ty of the people. 1t is my firm convic-
ton that the issue of legal tender paper
money, based wholly upon the authori-
ty and credit of the government, except
in extreme emergency, is without war
rant in the constitution, and violation
of strong financial principles. The issue
of United States notes during the late
civil war, with the capacity of legal ten
der between individuals, was not author
lied except as means of rescuing the
country from imminent peril. The cir
culation of these notes as paper money
forany protracted period of time after the
accomplishment of this purpose was not
contemplated by the trainers of the law
under which they were issued. They
anticipated the redemption and with
drawal of these notes at the earliest
practicable period consistent with the at
tainment of the object for which they
were provided"
The President reports our relations
with all foreign nations in q satisfactory
condition. He gives considerable atten-
ton to the civil service reform and on
the subject says:
1.-The views L have heretofore ex-
pressed concerning the defects and
abuses in our civil administration re-
main unchanged except in so far, as an
enlarged experience has opened my
sense of the duty, both of officers and
the people themselves, to cooperate for
their removal. The grave evils and
perils and of partisan-spoils system of
appointment to office and of office ten
ure are now generally recognized. In
the resolutions of the great parties, in
the reports of departments, in the de-
bates and proceedings of Congress, in the
messages of Executives, the gravity of
these evils has been pointed out and the
need of their reform has been admitted.
To command the necessary support,
aVarv maone of rafnrn, ,,,,,et ,o hoaoI - =.
common right and justice, and must be
compatible with the healthy existence of
great parties, which are inevitable and
essential in free State. When the peo-
pie have approved policy at a national
election, confidence on the part of the
officers they have selected and of the
advisers who, in accordance with our
political institutions, should be consult
ed in the policy which it is their duty to
carry into effect, is indispensable. 1t is
eminently proper that they should ex-
plain it before the people as well as illus
trate its spirit in the performance of
their official duties.''
After saying much more on this SUBJ
ject, he closes this part of his message
as follows:
Though an officer should be as free
as any other citizen to give his own
money in aid of his opinions or his par
ty,he should also be as free any other cit
izen to refuse to make such gifts. If sal
aries are but fair compensation for the
time and labor of the officers, it is gross