Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-01
MR. HAYES MESSAGE.

MR. HAYES MESSAGE.
The message of Mr.. Hayes, which by
courtesy he is permitted to send to Congress
annually, is published in full elsewhere, and
those who are interested in his opinions on
public topics, will have the privilege of Pc
rusing it several hours before its submission
to Congress. It is not remarkable docu-
ment, nor yet ono teeming with interest.
In a literary point of view, it is hardly equal
to the efforts of his predecessors, and in this
respect hardly deserves rank among the
state papers of the patton.
The message opens in the usual form
congratulating the country on season of
prosperity and all that sort Of thing, and at
once launches out into the declaration that
the present state of affairs has been brought
about by the resumption of specie payments.
He gives no credit for the revival of bust
ness to the abundant crops of the past two
years, nor to the increased demand for our
products from abroad, created by the failure
of the harvests there. To do so, we sup.
pose, would be considered by HIM as an act
of disloyalty to his own administration.
MIR. Hayes agrees with his copercener, Mr.
Sherman, in advocating limitation of the
coinage of silver, and goes beyond him,
though, no doubt, IN obedience to his sug-
gestions, in urging upon Congress the pro-
priety of retiring the legal tender notes of
the government. He insists that they were
issued only to tide over in emergency, and
that emergency having passed, he considers
it the duty of Congress to provide for their
retirement. He ignores the question of
public convenience CT preferences, and
lays himself open, by reason of his
argument, unsupported by valid reasons, to
the imputstion of having been influenced by
those who desire to substitute their own cur
rency for that of the government. Mr..
Hayes assault upon the greenbacks and Mr.
Sherman's vindication of the national banks,
taken together, form complete whole, and
should not have been separated into two diff
ferent documents.
In regard to the tariff Mr.. Hayes has but
little to say. The only recommendation ne
has to make is that if any change is deemed
necessary tax might be laid upon the i'm
portation of tea and coffee without increas-
ing the burdens of the consumers. Expert
ence has demonstrated that Mr.. Hayes is
right in this, for Notwithstanding the aboli-
ton Of those duties several years ago, the
prices of the articles have in no wise dimin.
ished.
Mr.. Hayes refers only incidentally to tie
conflict of the extra session over the ques-
ton of free suffrage. He does not argue
the issues thus raised, but contents himself
with the expression of the opinion that the
people will jealousy guard their interests.
On the subject of civil service reform Mr..
Hayes is exceedingly ditfuse, but he adds
nothing to what has already been said on
the subject, save to insist that his impossible
theory, emitted in the early days of his ad.
ministration, is capable of enforcement. He
wastes the best part of two columns in the
elaboration of his ideas, but conveys to the
public mind but faint conception of the
principles he wishes to enforce, and fails to
show wherein the public service would be
benefited by the adoption of his ideas.
On the Indian question Mr.. Hayes faltors.
He dares not deny that the policy now in
vogue has been failure, but at the same
time he has few suggestions of value to offer
by which the defects of that system can be
remedied. He talks wisely of the benefits to
be derived from civilizing the savages, but
presents no reasonable method by which that
result can be accomplished.
The Investigations of the executive in the
pumpkin fields of the West during the year
have led him to high appreciation of the
duties devolved upon the department of ag-
riculture, and he therefore advocates in the
strongest terms the ACCESSIBILITY of giving to
the magnificent LIE Due increased powers
and increased pay. Scientific farming he re-
CARDS as the hope Of the future, despite the
| declaration Of the late amented Horace
Greeley that every cabbage raised by him on
scientific principles cost him ten dollars,
while he c6uld go into the markets of New
York and buy better article for four cents.
There are various other matters mentioned
in the message, but they are of minor i'm
portance and require no comment at this
time. AS q whole, it is not message that
will attract wide attention, for in few respects
does it rise above the level of mediocrity.