Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-12-02

people IN defense OF the primary rights of
citizenship, and that the power of public
opinion will override all political pre-; e;udice
and all sectional and Safe attachments, in
demanding that, all over our wide ter ritory,
the name and character of a citizen of the
United States shall mean one and the same
thing, and carry with them ballenged
security and respect. | earnestly appeal
to the intelligence and patriotism Of all
good citizens Of every part of the country.
however much they may be divided in
opinions on other political subjects, to
unite in compelling obedience to existing
laws aimed at the protection of the right
of suffrage. ! respectfully urge upon Con-
gress to supply any defects in these laws
which experience has shown, and which it
is within its power to remedy. l again
invoke the cooperation of the exec-
utive and Legislative authorities of
the States in this great purpose.
l am fully convinced that if the public
mind csn be set at rest on this paramount
question of popular rights, no serious OBJ
lection will thwart or delay the complete
paclhcat!on OF the country or retard the
general diffusion of prosperity.
On the subject Of civil service re.
form, which the President treats
at some length, he says: I'm
view of the facts that during = consid.
erable period the goyernm ent of Great
Britain has been dealing with administra-
tive problems and abuses in various par
| ticulars analogous to those presented in this
country, and that in recent years the meas
ures adopted were understood to have been
effective and in everygrespect highly satis-
factory, l thought II desirable to have
fuller information upon the subject, and
accordingly requestedth chairman of the
Civil Service Commission to make thor
| Ouph invaetiUatiou far thia purnnea Tha
result has been an elaborate and eompre-
hensive report The report sets forth the
history of the partisan spoils system in
Great Britain, and OF the rise and fall of the
Parliamentary patronage and of official
Interference with the freedom of elections.
1t shows that after long trials of various
kinds OF exsminations,and open qn equal
terms to all, and which are carried on
under the superintendence of a single
commission, have with great advantage
been established as conditions of admission
to almost every official place in the subor-
dinate administration Iof that country Of
British India. The completion of the re,
port, owing to the extent of labor involved
in It's preparation, and the omission Of Con.
gress to make any provision either for the
composition or the expenses of the com.
mission, has been postponed until the pres
ent time II is herewith transmitted to
Congress. While the reform measures of
another government are Of no authority for
us, they are entitled to influence to the ex-
tent to which their intrinsic wisdom and
their adaptation to our institutions
and social life may commend
them to our consideration. The
views / have heretofore express ed
concerning The defects and abuses in our
civil administration remain unchanged, ,ex-
cept IN so far as enlarged experjhce has
opened my sense>cf the duty of 6oth tIie
officers and of the people them sslvas.tof CO.
operate for their removal. A la}ge and re.
sponslble part of the duty, of r@torng the
civil service to the desired purAy and eff.
cheney rests upon the President, and it has
been uiy purpose to do what is within nv
power to adysl ce such prudent and grad.
ual measures of reform aa will most surely
and rapidly bring about the radical change
OF syskem essential TO make our admins.
tratih3 methods satisfactory to a free and
! intelligent people. Bya proper exercise of
aythority, it's in the power of the Execr-
I've to de much to promote such reform,
kbut itscan not be too clearly understood
! that nothing adequate can be accomplished
Without corporation on the part of Con-
9tess and cons derste and intelligent
support among the people.
Y he refers to the work of the Civil Ser
/ vice Commission and the failure of Con-
gress to appropriate money for the re-
sumption of the work Of the Commission.
On the subject of competitive examinations
for office he says: Il think the economy,
purity and efficiency of The public service
would be greatly PROMPTED by their sys-
tematic Introduction wherever practical Q
| throughout the entire OWL service of the
Government. together With ample provis-
ions in order to secure consistency and uni
form Justice. Reports of examinations
heretofore made show that the results have
been salutary in marked degree, and that
the general application Ofsimllar rules can
not fail to be of decided benefit to the SER
vice. deem it my duty TO renew the re-
| commendation contained in my annual
message of December, 1877, requesting
Congress to make the necessary appro-
| priatlons for the resumption of the work of
| the Civil Service Commission. Economy
will be promoted by authorizing moder-
| ate compensation to perslns in the public
service who may perform extra labors
| upon or under the Commission as the
Executive may direct. Il may not be cay,
and j may never. perhtls, be necessary,
| to define with precision the proper limit of
political action on the part of Federal
| officers; but, while their light to hold and |
| freely express their options can not be
questioned, it is very plan that they should |
| neither be allowed to deyble to other sub |
| jects the timo needed fol the proper dis
charge of their official duties, nor to use
| the auth ority of their otfde to enforce their
own opinions, or to coerce the political ac.
| tions of those who hold different opinions
Reasons of justice ard pbie policy, quite
analogous to those which forbid the use
of official power for tie oppression of
the private citizen. impose upon the
| Government the duty of protecting
| its officers and agents firm arbitrary ex-
| actions, from whatever abect consider 3D. |
| The practice of making leties for party pur-
poses, upon the salaries Of officers, is high--
| ly demoralzing to the lhblic service and |
discreditable to the country. Though an
officer should be as free 70 any other citi-
zen to give his own mlney in aid of his |
| opinions or his party, he hould also be as /
free as any other citizen b refuse TO MAKE |
such gifts. If salaries an but a fair COM
| pensatIon for time and labor, ii is gross in
Justice, &c, &c. ato1 |
Tho President calls aSntlon to foreign
| affairs, showing that we fe at peace with |
all the world. He calls aLention to the re-
ports OF the heads of apartments, lis
cusses the Indian questin and closes by |
calling attention to District Of Columbia
affairs i= 5000. . tEHst ..