Sacramento daily record-union., 1880-12-07
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

ratnef 20 learn tile poiCy anu purposes o.
new rulers than to review the course OF
those who are about to withdraw from the
scene of action. To the President himself,
however, his final message is necessarily
more than commonly important He feels
it proper and necessary to rehearse the
measures OF his administration, tocffer sug-
gestions for the use of his successor, and to
make recommendations to Congress which
his experience may approve. It may often
be that the last messages of conscientious
Executive contain more pregnant and
stateamanlike ideas than his earlier state
papers, since after four years of govern
ment he certainly should be better pre-
pared to discuss grave questions under
standingly than when he entered office. In
these times, however, it is very difficult for
Presidents to offer the public anything
new. The press and the department re-
ports have always forestalled whatever of
special interest the Government may have
to communicate, before Congress meets,
and the result is that unless the Executive
be an original thinker his messages are apt
to be tame, trite, and not little super
fuous President Hayes has written at
great length on this occasion, but a large pro-
portion of his message is little more than
recapitulation of the statements and sug-
gestions of the heads of departments, and
as these have already been published and
commented on, it would be waste of
time to notice them again. Naturally
President Hayes devotes considerable space
to the important subject OF civil service
reform. What he says Of it is partly
vindication and partly an exposition. He
of course adheres to the principles which
he has so frequently expressed, and he in
Inmates that though the progress already
made in the line of reform has not been
very encouraging, yet the results OF what
has been achieved are SO striking as to af-
ford tangible basis for further and more
vigorous effort The country is by this
time aware that President Hayes sue
cumbed, in this regard, to circumstances
which stronger men lad previously been
much more disastrously overthrown by.
But while he failed to carry out the reform
he had at heart, it must always be remem-
bered to his credit that he refused to the
last to acknowledgethesupre of thepo
litical ''bosses," and that he not only en-
dured the ostracism by which they sought
to punish him, with good-natured con-
tempt, but succeeded in giving the country
an administration entirely free from Off
cial scandals, and distinctly moral and ele-
vated in tone. Whether his views upon
Civil Service reform will bear fruit in the
coming administration remains to be seen.
On the Southern question the President
expresses himself hopefully, though as it
seems to US, without sufficient grounds.
He endeavors to persuade himself that the
change in the political methods of that
region from bulldozing to ballot-box stuif-
ing is an advance in civilization, and he
thinks that in its turn ballot-box stuffing
will give place to better methods We
are afraid that the change in Southern
methods is really attributable to the dis
coyery that violence was unnecessary,
since fraud would produce the SINE re-
suits with less scandal and noise. That
there is any less disposition at the South
to deny the negro his political rights we
see no evidence. He IS still disfranchised,
and those who disfranchise him appear
in no way inclined to abandon the power
they have usurped. Mr.. Hayes has, how
ever, nothing to upbraid himself with in
this connection. He took the only course
which the Constitution left open to him,
and those who find fault with his policy
hold by implication that they would have
favored unconstitutional methods.
The President is quite severe on Mormon
polygamy, and urges upon Congress the
duty of abolishing that Institution. It is
evident that he has not studied the qucs-
tion sufficiently, and that his ideas upon it
are rather ecclesiastical than statesman
like. 1t is not an easy matter to enforce
laws which are obnoxious to whole COM
munity, and this his Southern experience
should have taught him. His recommends.
tion that the Territorial Government of
Utah be reorganized in order to give effect
to Congressional legislation is not at all to
the purpose. Any such policy would be
sure to help Mormonism by lighting the
flames of fanaticism, while it would merely
confirm and intensity the devotion Of the
Mormons to plural marriages. The ques-
tion is one to be dealt with in the most
cautious manner. Violent methods can
only make bad worse. It is quite possible
that influences now in operation will de-
stroy polygamy if they are suffered to
work quietly, but no coercive measures
can eradicate an evil SO intrenched by SUI
perstition and self-interest.
The views of Secretary Schurz ON the
Indian question merit the approval of the
President. He thinks that the wild tribes
may be tanned and taught to cultivate
lands secured to them by better titles than
they have hitherto enjoyed. Whether the
breaking up Of tribal relations by legisla-
ton is practicable we are not prepared to
say, but we think the experiment at once
bold and dubious. We are glad to find
that reference is made to the defenseless
condition of the entire coast line, and that
Congress is urgently recommended to make
the necessary appropriations for fortifying
our great sea-ports. Unless this is done
it may at any time become impossible to
preserve the dignity of the United States
against foreign insolence or aggression.
Reference is made to the new Chinese
treaties, but nothing new in regard to them
is stated. The financial paragraphs are
little more than partial Endorsements of the
recommendations made by Secretary Sher-
man, and, singularly enough, the silver
question is not discussed. 1t is not neces-
sary to make any special reference to the
other topics discussed in the message.
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