The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-12-09
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

noon the galleries OF the Senate Chamber
filed up with visitors, and at II o'clock pre-
cisely the Senators were called to order.
Some formal business was transacted, and
. rccess taken until / so, at which hour W.
4 Rogers, private secretary to his Excel
4 lency the President entered, bearing with
him "a
Il - THE MESSAGE,
which was read. as follows, by the Clerk of
/ the Senate:
! FELLow-CrTIzENs OF THE SENATE AED
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVE: 1 congratulate
YOU on the cont,nacd and increasing prori Gritty
dcnce , We have been % b!essed' dnii % ing the Past PAST
yea. with health. with abundant hdrvests, with
pontabic employment for all our people, and
with contentmenJ at home, and with peace md
| friendship with other nations.
| The occurrence Of the t,yenty-fourth election
portnnity To he people of the United States to
exhibit to the world ,signffc mt ample of
the peaceful and safe transuiis -iou OF tile power
and authority of gosernment from tiie pubic
Betvants hose terms of office are about to ex
pire, to Their newiy1cnosen succe'sors; This ,i:,
advantage which republican thstitntioi as .f;
ford. The Immediate, general, and cheerful
acquit scence OF all coed citizens in the result
or the election. gives gratifying Assurance to
orld that q ~leovernmentT nased on the free
consent OF an intelligent and yatriotic reopie
Possesses elements OF strength, stability and
permanency not fonnd in an sotier form Of
government =. = :
Continued opposition to the full and free en-
1oyme 1T CT the nsh $ of citizenship. conferred
upon tie colored people by tie rec mt amend-
rnerts TO the constitution, still prevails in sew
eral of the lite slayenolding States. II has,
/ c. haps, n It BEN unaffected in the recent
eiecson to any large e 1tenJ III acts OF violence
lent practices in conn ct.on with ballots, with
the regulations Is the plgc, and manner Of
voting, and with c.untinG Cunning, and can
vassing the votes cast, bee. succe sui in de-
featirg tie exeEc,se OF the right preservatiye
constitution expressly conters upon en-
1t is the desire of the good people of the
whole country that sectionalism factor in
our politics should disappear They prefer that
no section of the country should be united in
solid opposition to any other section. The dis
position to refuse a prompt and hearty obedi-
enee to the equal rights amendments to the con-
stftuticn is all that now stands in the way OF a
conn lete oblitcrationof sectional lines in our
political contestsy, Az long as' either of these
garded. IL is safe To. assume that the people
who placed them in tie constitution, as ersl-
bodying the legitimate results of the war foe
the Union, and who believe them TO be wise and
necessary, Will continue b, together, and 70
insist that they shall he obeyed. The para
mount question still is, as to the enjoyment of
the right by every American citizen who has
the re, ,iuisite qualifications to freely cast his
question rightly settled the country will be
relieved OF tine contentious OF the past: bygonas
VIII indeed be bysones, and political and party
q administration. internal Improvements, the |
tariff. domestic taxation, education, finance
taeir full share of attention: but resistancsto |
and nulihcation OF the results or the war win |
unite together In Iesolute purposefor their sup
port all who maintain the authority of tue gov |
cTnn1ent and the perpetuity Of the Union. and |
aeiexedy 5nG vsns OF the vic
from hostile sentiment or feeling to any part /
Of tie Ieople OF our country, or to any OF tfeir,
rests upon the fundamental principle
They are the solemn Expressions
Of the Will of the people of the United Sta,cs.s
The sentiment that the eonstitut+eHnfFse rights
Of all our citizens must be maintained, docs not
soveJ nnlent Of the country. Happily, the his-
tory OF the late election shows that in many
ifteenth amendnuent has heretofore prevailed.
t is diminishing, snl is likely to cease alto
e .l, he; II G MN and Yel,consideEed acton is
-esentatves and the Senate. which have tho
1shs TO Judge OF the elections. freturns, sAd
OF their own members. will see to
{ that every case of violation of the letter or
'plrt OF the fifteenth amendment is thorough
y investfS atcd. and that no benefit from such
10 alton shall accrue TO any person or party.
Z VIII be the duty OF the Executive, with suf-
iccnt appsoIr atoms FOR the puIpo.e to p-o,e-
.ufc unsnaringiy an who have been enp,rcJ in
lepnvfng cttf ,ens Of the rights guaranteed to
hem by the constitution.
1t is not. however, u he fotgotten that the
'est and snrt st guarantee of the primary rights |
4 citizenship is 10 be found in that CAPACITY \
or s-if-prot1c ion which cln belong only to
eoplc whose light 10 universal sunr5ge is |
upportei by univc: sal eiucatIou. The means |
I the command of the local and State au lho.1-
les ere, IN many cases, wholly Inadequate to
d. nish frecinsterctfon to ali who need it, This r.
especially true where before emanciI alton the |
fucatiou of the people was neglected or pre-
hat the subject Of popula iiIcation reserves |
he earnest att ntion OF the people Of The whole
ountry, with view to wise and comprehcn- !
We action by the Government OF the Unitei | /,
'atcs, 1 respectfully recommend thai Con- L
. iieguards. supplement I, local educational
1nns in tn. several States where the grave du-
es and possibilities o. citizenship Lave
cen devolved on uneducsted people, by de- ,
otlnS TO the purpose =. ants Of the publ C !
snr II Of s sy
,s- COVE c-nment IN fairly do to promote free 7
opular ed :cGtion cu.ht & he done Wherever | !,
encrai e.iucation n 10 founl. pe:ce, virtue and b
DC ai 81 der prevail, and cigii and religious hD-
-ty are secure = :
In my former annual messages have asked G
ie attention OF Congress to the urgent neces- n
ty of a reformation of the civil service system =
the government. NV views concerning the q
anger OF patronage, or appointments for per- :,
,nal or pa; tisan consider atoms, have been | v
rem ngthcncd by my obseryatfOns and expert N
arlgers threaten the stability of the govern | =
Lent. Abuses 50 serious III their nature cannot I,
g permanently tolerated. They Tend to be. r
iane more alarming with the enlargement. of +
service, "a the growth of the | T.
,untry in population increases the number of +,
fcers and placemen employed c.
fixed rules for the regulation of appoint r
ents, promotions and removals, establishing
uniform method, having exclusively In view, ,,
every instance the attainment OF the best II II
for the position in question Such Of
method alone is consistent with the equal n
gits Of all citizens, and the most economical W
ID elicient administration Of tie public busi- II
IS. h
Competitive examinations, in aid of all i'm | =
lrtial appointme and promotions have y
the executi,e e departments, and by my direc- S
)n this system has peen adoDted IN the cns11m :,
uses AMI post Offices OF the Larger cities OF the
untry., In the city OF new York over two y
oussnd positions in the civil service have =
en sub;ect, in their appointments and tenure ID
place, to the operation of published rules for -
is purpose, during the past two years. The u
sult of the practical trials have been very II
tisfactory, and have confirmed my opinion in :
vor of this system of selection. All are sub fc
cted to tile same tests, and the result Is free on
om prejndice by personal favor or partisan IN % %
= hest uuaffscations .ittajnahie amt nq the ~
mpeting applicants 1t is efectual protection 81
pm the pressure of Importantly which, under :,
" other course pursued, largely exfcts the q
NE and attention of appointing officers, to n
cir great detriment in the discharge of their ~
icial duties, preventing the ab1se of the serv- Dt
for the turtle .ance OF private or party pur- 1,
snt freed from the Obligations imposed by 50
tronage, to depend solely upon merit for re- al
n:fon and advancement, and with this. con- t ts
mt Incentive to eXertion and Improvement IN
Fhcse invaluable rsuts have been attained In d,
high degree in the Offices where rules for ap- d'
intment BY compeditve examinatlon nave ho
4 method which has SO approved itself by ex- E
iaitIy carfsf'fered concIi,siyc should beck Oh
nded TO all subordinate positions Under the Vc
yernment. believe that a slrong and grow IN
2 public sentiment demands immediate meas tr
rs tor securing and enforcing the highest pos co
,lc efficiency in the civil service, and It. pro- Pt
;tion from recognized abuses and that the ! or
perience referred demonstrated the lie
lsibflity of such measures gu
The examinations in the custom houses and sit
stoffic ices have been held undcr many embar- pr
and without proy ision toy e2mPensa- 70, 70
10 Ia re Contracted Them nnd. Whose com "a
,ndabie interest IN the Improvement OF the w
Bile service has induced this devotion of IN
nc and labor without pecuniary reward 81
ntfnuapce of these labor- rratritousiy ought en-
t to Re expected. and without an approIl ia ga
n by Congress for compensation, 1t II not
to extend the system OF exaIEina- pl
ns generally throughout the civil servicc Gel
is also highly important that all such exam erl
,tions should he conducted urou a uniform st:
t m and under general suIervfsfoD. Section tn,
3 of the Revsrd Statut - authorizes the att
esident to prescribe rhe regulations for ad- on
ion the civil service of the United States NV
4 for this purpose to emp'oy s1itable per- lar
IS TO e nduct the reluisitc injuries with Ma
erence to the fitness of each candidate, In SUI