The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-12-13
The MESSAGE.
Annual Communication of
President Hayes.
Read to Congress on Monday, Dec.

FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES, The members of the
Forty sixth Gong ess have assembled in their
first ogular session under circumstances call
ing for mutual congratulations and grateful
acknowledgment to the Giver of all good for
the large and unusual measure of national
prosperity which we now enjoy The most in
teresting events which have occurred in our
public affails since nay last annual message to
Congress are connected with the financial
operations o. the Government directly affecting
the business interests of the country
Resumption.
| congratulate Congress on the successful
execution o. the Resumption act. At
the time fixed. and in the manner
contemplated by law, United States notes
began to DO redeemed in COIN. Since
the LIST If January last they have
been prompi Y redeemed on presentation, and
in all business transactions, public and private,
IN all parts of the country, they are received
and paid out as the equivalent of coin. The
demand upon the treasury for gold and silver
in exchange for United States notes has been
comparatively small, and the voluntary DEPOSIT
of coin and bullion in exchange for notes has
been very large. The excess of the precious
metals depO.ited or exchanged for United States
notes over the amount Of United States notes
redeemed isabout 100000.
The resumption Of specie payments has been
followed by very great revival of business
With currency equivalent in value to the
money of the commercial world, we are ena-
bled to enter upon an equal competition with
other nations in trade and production. The
increasing foreign demand for our manufact-
ures and agricultural products has caused
large balance Of trade in our favor, which has
hpa IN rnI la 1Ef IF TI1lYy Loot ro
Nov ID, to the amount Of about s59.000.000.
Public Credit
Since the resumption of specie payments
there has been q marked and gratifying i'm
provement OF the public credit The bonds of
the Government bearing only per cent. inter
est have sold at or above par, sufficient in
amount to pay off all of the national debt
which was redeemable under the present
laWs The amount OF interest saved annually
by the process of refunding the debt since
March !, 1877, is Sl4, 291, III. The bonds sold
were largely in small sums, and the number of
our citizens DOW holding tie public securities
is much greater than ever before. The
amount of the national debt, which natures
in less than two years, Is S192, l2l 200, OF
which s500,NO,000 bear interest at the
rate Of 5 per cent 1t is believed that
this part of the public debt can be re-
funded by the issue of 4-per-cent. bonds,
and by the reduction of interest which will
thus be effected about 81, 000,0 900 can be an
nually saved to the treasury. To secure this
important reduction of interest to be paid by
the United States, further legislation is re
qnired, which it Is hoped will be provided by
Congress during its present session. The
coinage of gold by the mints of the United
States during the Last fiscal year was $40, 1856,
912
Silver Coinage,
The coinage Of silver dollars since the pass
age Of the act for that purpose up to Nov. l.,
1879, was 81, 000, $50, of which Sl2, zoe, 344
have been issued from the treasury, and are
now in circulation, and s32 300, 500 are still in
the possession of the Government The pen
dency of the propagation for UNI OF action be
tween the United States and the principal com
mercial nations of Europe to effect perma-
nent system for the equality of gold and
silver in the recognized money of the
world, leads me to recommend that Congress
refrain from new legislation on the general
subject. The great revival OF trade, in
teInal and foreign, will supply during
the coming year its own instructions. which
may well be awaited before attempting further
experimental measures with the coinage.
would, however, strongly urge upon Congress
the lmpOr ance II authorizing the Secretary of
the treasury TO suspend the coinage of silver
tDiraI Lilp-- r@a,.L
value of the silver dollar being uniformly and
largely less than the market value Of the gold
tain them at par with each other if both are
coined without limit If the cheaper coin is
forced into circulation il will, If coined without
limit, become the sole standard of value, and
thus defeat the desired object, which is cur
fency of both gold and silver, which shall be of
equivalent value, dollar for dollar, with the
universally recognized money of the world.
Civi1-Service Reform.
In a former message l invited the attention
Of Congress to the subject of the reformation
of the civil service OF the Government, and
expressed the intention of transmitting to Con-
gress, as early as practicable, report upon
this subject by the Chairman Of the Civil Serv-
ice Commission. In view of the fact that
during considerable period the Government
of Great Britain has been dealing with
administrative problems and abuses III
ed in this country and that, in recent years,
the measures adopted were understood to have
been effective and in every respect highly sat
isfactory, / thought it desirable 70 have fuller
information upon the subject, and accordingly
requested the Chairman of the Civil Service
Commission to make thorough investigation
for this purpose. The result has beer an elab-
crate and comprehensive report. The report
sets forth the history of the partisan spoils sys-
TEN in Great Britain, and of the rise and fall of
the Parliamentary patronage, and Of Of
fetal interference with tie freedom of
elections. 1t shows that after long
trials OF various kinds of examina-
tons, those which are competitive and
open on equal terms to all, and which are car
rled on under the superintendent of a single
commission, have with great advantage been
established as conditions OF admission to almost
every official place in the subordinate admins
tratlon of that country and of British India
The completion of the report, owing to the ex-
tent of the labor involved in its preparation, and
the onsslonof Congress to make any proyIs-
ION either for the compensation or the expenses
OF the commission, has been postponed until
fine present time. 1t is herewith transmitted
to Congress. While the measures Of another
Government are of no authority for Us, they
arc entitled TO influence TO the extent to which
their intrinsic wisdom and their adaptation TO
our institutions and social life may commend
them to our consideration The views | have
heretofore expressed concerning the defects
and abuses in our civil administration remain
unchanged, except IN so far an enlarged eX-
perlouco has opened my sense of the duty both
of officers and Of the people themselves
to cooperate for their removal The grave
evils and rerils of partisan-spolls system ofap-
pO1ntI ent 10 Office and Office tenure are now
generally recognized. Ia the resolutions of the
great parties, in the reports of depa tments, IN
the debates and proceedings of Congress, IN the
messages Of Executives, the gravity Of these
evils has been pointed ont, and the need OF their
reform has been admitted To command the
necessary support, every measure OF reform
must be based on common right end justice,
and must be compatible with the healthy
existence OF great parties, which are inevitable
and essential in E free state. When the
people have approved a policy at a
national election, confidence on the part OF
the officers they have selected, and of the ad-
visers who, in accordance with our political
institutions, should be consulted III the policy
which it is their duty to carry into effect,
Is indispensable. Il is eminentIy proper that
they should explain it before the people, rs
well as illustrate is spirit in The performances
Of their official duties. Ii hardly need be
pointed GU. that very different considerations
apply to the greater number Of those who
fill the subordinate places in the civil service