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


opinion will override all political pre;udic,
and all sectional and State attachments, il
demanding that, all over our wide territory
the name and character of a citizen of tht
United States shall mean one and the same
thing, and carry with them unchallengeC
security and respect. / earnestly appea
to the intelligence and patriotism of al
good citizens of every part OF the country
however much they may be divided il
opinions on other political subjects, tC
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 il
is within its power to remedy. / again
invoke the cooperation of the exec.
utive and legislative authorities ot
the States in this great purpose.
1 am fully convinced that if the public
mind can be"set at rest on this paramount
question of popular rights, no serious OBJ
lection will thwart or delay the complete
pacifcat!on of the country or retard the
general diffusion of prosperity.
On the subject of civil service re-
at some length. he says: I'm
view of the facts that during a consid-
erable period the governm 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 every respect highly salts
factory, | thought it desirable to have
fuller information upon the subject, and
accordingly requested the chairman of the
Civil Service Commission to make thor
ough investigation for this purpose. The
result has been an elaborate and oompre-
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 examinations, and open on equal
terms to all, and which are carried on
under the superintendent of a single
commission, nave with great advantage
oeen established as conditions of admission
to almost every official place in the subor-
dinate administration Of that country Of
British India. The completion of the re,
port, owing to the extent of labor involved
IN Its preparation, and the omission of Con.
gress 10 make any provision either for the
composition or the expenses of the COM
mission, has been postponed until the pres
ent time. 1t is herewith transmitted Ia
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
Ineir aoap!atlon to our institutions
them to our consideration. The
views L have heretofore expressed
concerning the defects and abuses in our
civil administration remain unchanged, ex.
cept IN SO far as enlarged experience has
opened my sense of the duty of both the
officers and Of the people themselves to co.
operate tor their removal. A large and re-
sponslble part of the duty of restoring the
civil service to the desired purity and eff
clency rests upon the President, and it ha:
been my purpose to do what is within nv
power to advaL ce such prudent and grad
ual measures of reform as will most surely
and rapidly bring about tho radical chang gt
OF system essential to make our admins.
tratlve methods satisfactory to free anG
Intelligent people. By proper exercise O.
authority, 1t is in the power of the Execc.
1--WE 10 90 much to promote such reform
but 1t can not be too clearly understood
that nothing adequate can be accomplished
without cooperation on the part of Con.
gress and cOns!derate and intelligent
support among the people.
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 examination:
for office he says: Il think the econony =
purity and efficiency of the public service
would be greatly promoted by their sys.
tematlc introduction wherever practicab
tnroughout the entire civil service of the
government, together with ample proyis.
ions In order to secure consistency and uni.
form justice. Reports of examination
heretofore made show that the results have
been salutary in a marked degree. and tha
the general application of similar rules car
not fail to be of decided benefit to the SER
vice. deem it my duty to renew the re.
commendation contained in my annaa
message of December, 1877, requesting
congress to make the necessary appro
pFlatlons Tor the resumption of the work O.
the civil Service Commission. Economy
will be promoted by authorizing q moder
ate compensation to persons in the public
service who may perform extra labori
upon or under the Commission as thu
Executive may direct. It may not be ca Y
ana 1t may never, perhaps, be necessary
TO denne with precision the proper limit o
political action on the part of Fedora
officers; but, while their right to hold anG
freely express their opinions can not b.
| questioned, it is very plain that they shoult
neither be allowed to devote to other sub
charge of their official duties, nor to US
the authority Of their Office to enforce thei
own opinions, or to coerce the political &C
tlons of those who hold different opinions
Reasons of justice ard public policy, quit
analogous to those which forbid the US
of official power for the oppression O
the private citizen, impose upon tn
Government the duty of protecting
its officers and agents from arbitrary ex
actions, from whatever aspect considered
The practice of N aking levies for party pur
poses, upon the salaries of officers, is high
| ly demoraljzing to the public service ant
discreditable to the country. Though a
officer should be as free as any other citi
Zen to give his own money in aid of hi
opinions or his party, he should also be q
free as any other citizen to refuse to mak
such gifts If salaries are but fair com
pensation for time and labor, it is gross in
justice, &C., &c.
The President calls attention to foreig
affairs, showing that we are at peace wit
all the world. He calls attention to the re
ports of the heads of departments, dis
cusses the Indian question and closes b
calling attention to District of Columbi
affairs.
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