The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-12-16
VOL. V.

| tha assurance that his success will depend upOr
! isalone.
). also recommend such legislation as while leav
inc every officer as free as any other citizen to eX
nreSs his political opinions AMI to use his mean:
| for their advancement shall also enable him t
! feel AZ safe rs any private citizen in refusing al
demands upon his salary for political purposes. 4
law which should thus guarantee true liberty anc
Justice to all who are engaged IN the pubhc ser
vice and likewise contain stringent provision:
against the use Of Official authority to coerce the
political action Of private citizens on of otficia
| suborolinates greatly to be desired
THE spolLs SYSTEM.
! The most serious obstacle, however, to an i'm
prove of the civil service and especially to
reform in the method Of appointment and re-
mOval has been found To be the practice under
| what is known rs the spols system, by which the
appointing power has been SO largely encroacheo
| upon by members Of congress The first step IN
! the reform of the civil service must be a complete
divorce between congress and the executive IN the
matter of the appointments. The corrlptnG
doctrine that ''to the vctors belong the Spos, is
inscpurabc from congressional patronage us the
established rule and practice of parties III power.
1t comes to be understood by applicants for office
| and by the people generally, that representatives
and senator's entitled to dispurse the patronage
of their respective districts and states. 1t is not
| necessary to rccte at length the evils resulting
from this invasion of the executive functions. The
appointments to office, stated i'll the national
conventions of the leading parties OF the country
have again and again been approved by the
American people, and have not been called in
question in any quarter. These authentic EXPIRES
| slons Of public opinion upon tins ali-lmportant
subject. the statement of principles that be-
long to the constitutional structure of the govern
:ncnt
''l'ndcr the constitution, the president and
heads Of the departments arc to make nominations
for office. The senate is to advise and consent to
appointments, and the house of representatives is
to accuse and prosecute talthleSs officers The
best interest of the public service demands that
these distinctions be respected, that senators and
representatives, who may be judges and accuscrs,
should not dictate appointments to oticc" TO
this end the cooperation of the legislative depart
ment of the government Il required alike by the
necessities Of the and by pubic Oplnl0n.
Members of congress will not be relieved from the
demands made upon them with reference to APP
pointmcnts to office until, by legislative enact
ment the pernlclous practice Is condemned and
forbidden.
1t is therefore recommended that an act be
passed defining the relations OF members OF con-
gress with respect to appointment to office by the
president and l also recommend that the provis-
ions of section 1867, and Of the sections following,
of the revised statutes, comprising the tenure of
office act of March 2, 1867, be repealed.
Believing that to reform the system and meth
obs of the civil service in country Is OF the
highest and most imperative duties Of statesman
ship. and that it can be permanently done only by
the corporation of the legislative and executive
departments Of the government, | again com
mend the whole subject to your conslderate at
tentiOn.
1t is the recognized duty and purpose Of the
people OF the United States to suppress polygamy
where it now exists III territories, and to pre-
-y.
have been made by the United States authorities
in Utah to enforce the laws against it. Expert
ence has shown that the legislation upon this sub
ect, to be effective, requires extensive modlfca-
tion and amendment. The longer action is de-
layed the mere difficult it will be to accomplish
what is desired. Prompt and decisive measures
are necessary. The Mormon sectarian organiza-
ton which upholds polygamy has the whole pow
er Of making and executing the local legislation
of the territory. By its control of the grand and
and petit jures it possesses large influence over
the administration of justice. Exercising, as
the heads Of this sect do the local political power
of the territory, they are able to make effective
their hostility to the law of congress on the sub
ject Of polygamy, and, in fact, do prevent its en-
forcement. Polygamy will not be abolished if
the enforcement Of the law depends on those who
practice and uphold the crime. 1t can only be
suppressed by taking away the political power of
| the sect which encourages and sustains it. The
power Vi congress 10 cldcl suitable ilWS 10 pro-
| tect the territories is ample. 1t is not of
halfway measures. The political power of the
Mormon sect is increasing; it controls now one of
| our wealthiest and most populous territories. 1t
is extending steadily into other territories here
ever it goes it establishes polygamy and scctarian
political power. The sanctity Of marriage and
the family relation are the corner stone of our
American society and civilization. Religious lib
ertv and the separation of church and state are
among the elementary ideas of free institutions.
To re-establish the interests and principles which
poygamy and Mormonism have imperiled. and to
fully reopen to intelligent and virtuOus immi-
grants of all creeds that part of our domain
which has been, in great degree closed to general
immigration by intoerant and immoral institu-
tiOns, it is recommended that the government of
the territory of Utah be reorganzed.
l recommend that congress provide for the gov
ernment of Utah by governor and judges, or
commissioners appointed by the president and
confirmed by the Senate-a government analogous
to the provisional government established for the
territory northwest of the Ohio by the ordinance
of 1897. IT, however it is deemed best to con
tinue the existing Of local government, |
recommend that the ight to vote, hold office and
sit on juries in the territory of Utah be con-
fined to those who neither practice nor uphold
pOlygamy. If thorough measures are adopted it
is believed that in few years the evils which
now atfct Utah will be eradicated and that this
territory will in good time become one of the
most prosperous and attractive of the new states
Of the union.
FOREIGN RELATIONS.
Our relations with all foreign countries have
been those of undisturbed peace and have pre-
sented no occasion for concern as to their CON
tinued maintenance.
My anticipation Of IN early reply from the
British government to the demand of indemnity
to our fisherman for the njurics suffered by that
industry at Fortune Bay, in January, 1878,
which | expressed in my last annual message, was
disappointed. This answer was received only in
the latter part of April in the present year, and
when received showed failure of accord between
the two governments, as in the measure of the in
shore fishing privilege secured to our fishermen
bv the treaty of Washington, of serious a