The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1880-12-14
From the N. Y. World, 7th inst.
The Presidents Messaoe.

IN circumstances which,
hough not at all discredilable to himself,
we're unpleasant, since the people had
elected his competitor. But his first
though it's hopefulness betray.
ed the writers intxperience and lts re-
were somewhat crude,
was at least his own, anil reflected his
opinions on the needs OF the country
His swan song is scarcely recogniz ,ble
as his own, or rather his own plaintive
note occurs in il only at intervals, by
way OF antiphony Go the harsher voices
OF his constitutional advisers"
The most surprising suggestion in the
present message is doubtless contributed
by the Attorne, General. although the
method Of it's presentation is likelv
enough to be the Presidents own. A
trained lawyer might have committed
the two gross breaches of official de
corum which the President commits in
his remarks on the solid South, but be
would have heen almost sure 10 show
some sense that he was offending Pur-
posed indecorum could not rival the
bland Inconsistencies Of indecorum
which the message shows in these two
instances. One OF them is the assump-
tion that "the recent election" in some
of the Southern States was fraudulent. :.
both in the voting and in the canvass
Not only is there no evidence OF this ac-
cessible to the President which wonld
be admitted many court in Christendom,
but there cannot be, fol. the simple rea-
son that no judicial investigation Of tue
"recent election" has anywhere teen
made. In charging fraud upon the peo-
pie OF the South the President is thero-
fore embodying In an official message
mere flying rumors and the irresponsi-
BILE and anonymous tattle OF partisan
newspapers. or bis second ofrense
against official propriety it seems almost
Impossible that Dir. Hayes can be una
ware In the act of reminding the
houses OF Congress that each Of them is
the Judge OF the election and qualiica.
tions OF its own members, he reminds
himself that the membership OF either
house is matter with which he has
nothing whatever to do; and that in ma
king any recommendation or suggestion
whatsoever in regard TO the manner in
which either house shall exercise dis
cretion vested entirely in itself, he is
going as much outside OF his own prov.
ince as he woul he If he were to send q
"messnge" to the Supreme Court rec m
mending certain decision in a given
case. Moreove-, the Congress ~Lich be is
addressing has nothing to do, in any
case, with The election or tho qualtica
tions of members who were chosen las,
month for the Congress which is not to
come into being until the 4th OF neg
March. after Mr.. Hayes ceases to be
President. and with which, therefore, he
has and will have no more to do than
with the qualifications of members of,ht
Horse OF Commons or the Chamber o
Depu les. His recommendation is as
die and irrelevant a. it is inlecorous
II President HAYES we're man who
could he held 10 the logical consequen
ces of his own positions it would be fail
to say that such o recommendation a,
this, as it could have no effect nor ever
any relevancy. must have been inserted
purely for 'buncomhe" But it woult
he unjust to say this. OF President Hayes
As he has so often shown, his officia
recommendations are TO him merely th,
expression of his benevolent impulses
By asking Congress to do q thing h'
only means that it would please him Il
have the thing done-although in ihi
case it may very possibly have occurred
to him tha. by making impractical,
suggestions TO this Congress to seat al
the Republican cnntastants 10 the mex
Congress he will artfullv concilia:e tn,
stalwarts to look more kindly upon hi
ancient hobby. OF civil-service reform
and his more recent hobby Of universe
education administered, In strict t1isre
gard of the Constitution. by Fedora
machinery at the public expense.
Clvil-service reform, as our reader.
are aware, we regard as Of as much i'm
porlance as 1t can seem to the President
and there is now, f,r the first time sine,
what the President collrquially describes
as 'tbe spoils system" began to prevail
a reasonable hope of obtaining the re
form. But the President does not hell
liz on by "pointing with pride" to any
thing which has been practically effecte,
for it thus far under his Administration
1t is because the President must b
aware that his own efforts have resulted
in a somewhat ridiculous failure that n
hope to see him give his consent to
real, radical and bipartisan measure
such as 1t is the partisan interest Of th
present Congress TO enact. The Presi
dent may sincerely think that the are
form" in the New York Custom -Hous
amounts to something, and that work
ing Republican politician like Mr. Mer
ritt becomes regenerated into somethin
purer and nober thsn working Repuh
ican politician by the mere fact of bein,
appointed by Mr. HAYES to succeed an
other working Republican politician lik
General Arthur, who was not appointe
, by Mr.. Hayes. But if Mr.. Hayes doe
think so, prudence require him to kee
, his thoughts 10 himself, since the uttel
! ance Of them subjects him to cruel mis-
, construction
II The message, loose as ii Is in though
and slovenly in form, is at least OF goo
augury in this, that it indicates that tw
at least of the three reforms which It be
hooves Congress to effect at this sessio
will meet with no opposition from th
President. He is firmly committed +
civil service reform as public man ca
be committed to any measure. His mes
sage indicates, and Secretary Sherman
!, report indicates even m IRE clearly, tha
he will sign a bill for the repeal Of lh
navigation laws, and whether It its pos
sihle or not to carry radical measur
OF tariff. reform, there is at least groun
for hope that those anomalies OF tb
tariff may be removed which are not de
fensibre on any theory. These are th
reforms by which this Congress ma
still establish solid claim to the conf
dence of the country.
In vsxlsc GnvAn~