New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-01
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

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The annual Message of President Hayes.
which will be transmitted TO Congress to-day,
| reviews great variety Of topics, affecting the
multifarious interests of the country, with
/ conspicuous thOroughness. candOr and ability.
| The Message is dignifed in tone and
entirely free from partiSanship, but its
recital of facts and its recommendations
cannot fail to strengthen public confidence in
the party by which the President was chosen.
The comments and recommendations of the
Message will in the main he approved by the
country as eminently judicious and patriotic.
The President devotes large part of his
Message to the subject of reform i'll the Civil
Service. This, perhaps, is natural. The mag
nifcent triumphs achieved by the Adminstra-
ton in its financial conduct speak for them
selves, and do not stand in need of
long drawn excuses or Qualifications. Bat
the one subject upon which the perform
! ance of the Administration has not
fully accorded with or justified its
theories is that to which the President de-
votes most space-more than twice the space
that he gives to the triumph of reSump
ton, the revival of business and the success
full refunding of the public debt IL the
Administration had been conscious OF full sue
cess in its efforts on this subject the
President would have left the results to vim
dicate his course. III failure in any degree
had been caused only by defective legislation or
Congressional hostility, he might have rested
in the assurance that an intelligent people would
have appreciated both the effort and the opposi-
ton. The truth is that the ill-success of the
Administration has resulted in part from its
o,-r Iaol- Of consistency apd in n from, poa-
tive public disapproval of such reform as
has been made manifest in some appointments
and acts OF the Administration. The appoint
ment of serviceable Ohio politicians, or personal
| friends of the President, or individuals like
! George Butler, or men who had actively par
ticipated in the decision of the electoral dis
pute in Southern States, has not seemed
| to the public entirely consistent with the theO-
ries by which the President insists that
| Senators and Representatives should be
governed; nor have the people of this
great State approved the removal of
| officials acknowledged to be faithful and eff
cient. But the Administration is to be fairly
congratulated on the improved tone of the
service We do not think much of it
| is due to competitive examinations. but
ii is due to something the Admins
tration has done or has fOrborDe dong, for
which it deserves all honor. The civil service of
| the country is more efficient and economical
| than il was (; and it is clean. There are no
scandals and no thefts and for this Mr..
Hayes will get great and increasing credit.
The Message opens with very clear and
impressive statement of the splendid success
of the Administration in dealing with financial
problems. Here events afford an unanswerable
vindication of the Administration and the Re-
publican party. Resumption has beer ACCOM-
plished, the President states. with such success
that the amount of notes redeemed is about
SAC, 600, 600 less than the amount of specie
deposited in exchange for notes. Nevertheless,
the President recommends that the notes,
which the people SO greatly prefer to
coin. shall be redeemed and retired
perforce, in order 10 bring coin into
general circulation. The President does not
in terms dissent from the Secretary of the
Treasury for the retirement of notes having
the legaltendey quality might be reached. as
the Secretary recommends, by mere repeal of
the Legal Tender Act leaving Treasury notes,
no longer legal-tendcrs, to remain in use it
the people demand them. The remarks of
the President on the refunding of the debt
ana on Tie unnlulttu COlnukt Cl SDfcr are
emnently just, and he recommends that the
coinage of silver dollars should be suspended,
because the Government has been able TO
get into circulation only $12, 700,3i4 out of
S45, 000,s5O coined up TO November 1.
Many other excellent recommendations OF
the Message deserve separate attention, BAR
ticulaIy the one regarding diplomatic inter
course with Colombia and the construction of
an interOeeanic canal. But the best part of
the Message is that which treats of the
freedom and purity of elections. The Presi-
dent has good reason to say that the recent
elections give /" new and decisive evidence of
" the deep interest which the great body of
- citizens take in that subject. We trust it
may soon prove true, as he declares, that the
power of public opinion will override all
"political prejudices and all sectional and State
attachments in demanding that all over
=" our wide territory the name and character
of citizen OF the United States shall mean
Zone and the same thing, and carry
with them unchallenged security and re-
"spect." The Presidents appeal TO all
good citizens, "howcver much they may
"be divided on other political sub
fleets, to unite in compelling obedience
"to existing laws aimed at the protection of
=" the right of suffrage" ought TO meet q ready