The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-12-06

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It secsus to be sacred tradition in
official literature that dizziness is essen
tial to dignity. Our presidents mes
sagcs are coming into formidable rivalry
with the queens speeches of England
in the art Of platitudinous composition.
a qneen's speech has the advantage of
brevity. however lacking it may be in
the body or sonl of wit. A presidents
message is a fearful expanse of words,
a more or less artistically arranged
patchwork, made up for the most part
If contributions from the several de-
partments of the government. The
present document is on the whole fair
specimen of its class. 1t is on the
whole dull and dignifed, with trop-
zeal lnxuriance of words and an arctic
sterility Of thought, fcrycnt sentiment,
and emphatic expression. In one or
two passages, however, and notably in
the discussion of civil service reform,
it breaks with refreshing effect through
the ice of official frigidity. There is
nothing but what was to be expected
in the presidents remarks on resump-
ton, coinage and currency. His dila-
ton on the revival of business and a
favorable balance of trade is 81 tissue of
platitudes such as little ingenuity of
phrase may employ to disguise a world
of ignorance. The presidents recon-
mendations with regard to treasury
notes, commonly known as greenbacks,
illustrate the extent to which his party
has shifted its ground as to the power
of the government in relation to ma
tional currency. Ten years ago it was
the fashion with Jealous republicans
10 regard it as little less than treason
to question the legal tender quality of
greenbacks or the right Of the govern
ment to Issue any quantity of such
paper. Chief Justice Chase was ostra-
cized for deciding adversely to this
doctrine, and the supreme court was
reorganized in order to force decision
in favor of the constitutiondlity of a
discretionary Issue oflegal tender notes.
Now president Hayes, the official head
of the republican party, expresses the
conviction that snch an issue, except in
extreme emergencies, is unconstitu-
tional. Will president Hayes inform
curious world what kind of consti-
nationality is that which has its basis
in underlined emergencies? If he rea-
sons at all on this subject, his reason
ing is not the logic Of constitutional
expounder, but of a constitutional
nnnihilator. If emergencies are to
decide constitutionality, why have any
constitution at alla Perhaps, after all,
it would be better to abandon the
pretense of written and binding in
strument, and accept emergencies and
the supreme expediency Of the mo-
sment as the only constitution that can
endure. The president is somewhat
misty or ineongruons with reference TO
the mormon problem. He thinks that
Utah could be justly and advantage
ously incorporated as state of the
rnion, and he urges more stringent
measure for the suppression of poly
gamy at the hands of congress. He
seems to forget that the admission of
Utah would place polygamy as a prac-
tiee among its population ont of the
jurisdiction Of congress. Adverting to
the late elections, the president has
few sentences touching the security
and freedom of the elective franchise
which few persons viii gainsay. Ger
tainly the public mind should be set
at rest on the paramount question of
popular rights. Regarding civil SER
vice reform the presidents remarks on
the partisan spoil system, Oh the abnse
of patronage, on the interference of
political managers with executive APP
pointnsents and official tenure, and on
the injustice and immortality Of levies
upon official salaries fur partisan pur-
poses, are as forcible as they are we'll
timed. lie does not tell Us why his
own administration has done 90 little
to extirpate this deeply rooted corrnp-
ton from orr political system.
I Sixteen YEARs SILEHcE.--A ISL.
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