New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-07
ruF PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

will commend Itself 10 the Ahcrican pVoP'o
by its wise and temperate tone, It's freedom
from any suggestion of craftsmanship and
at the same time its. moderate yet firm state
ment OF certain vital principles which MI
Hayes WIS elected to represent, and which
the majority of the American people are IN
| fcxibly determined shall remain forever liked
| in their indestructibe system of free lnstltu-
| tons.
Among the great multitude of topics dis-
cussed in the Message, there are six OF UNI
versal popular interest as well as Natohai
| Importance. The leading place is properly gwen
| TO the suppression of the negro vote III the
South--the fact of supreme concern IN our
| National life. The Presidents presentation OF
| this abuse to a Congress controlled IN both
branches by the party responsible for 1t is
| admirable He is firm and frank, but never
allows himself to forget the dignity OF his
own Office or that of the body he is address
ing. IL is open to question whether III
the statement that this wrong 81 has, perhaps,
L" not been manifested IN the recent election TO
| "any large extent in acts of violence or IN
timidation," the President has not, IN his
desire to be impartial, rather understated
than overstated the case. II organized threats
| to take the Died out vi tHt hOuth9 Va A'''''
children unless he shall vote the Democratic
| ticket come under the head OF " intimidation,
there has never been a campaign In which that
| kind of oppression was more sysema'lcally en-
ployed in many parts of the South thah
in the last. But this Is, perhaps, a minor
| point and one with which 1t Wouid
he difficult for the law to deal lhe
President tells Congress, with quiet en-
phasjs. that as long as the war
Amendments are violated or disregarded, SO
long will the people who created them con-
"tlnue to act together, and to insist that they
shall be obcyed." lie assures Congress that
tbis sentiment "does not grow weaker"
and expressly urges both Houses to cor
rect such wrongs when they are disclosed
IN the election OF persons claiming seals as
members. Happily, there is reason to believe
that this counsel will be followed when the
new Congress has organized pcxt year, and mat
the neople of the South Will be taught by the
stern rule of justice what they seem
unwilling to learn in any easier Way-that,
while the National Government is poweiless
70 interfere In the domestic concerns OF a
STATE. no man will be allowed to SIT III the
Federal Congress whose election Is shown to
he due to fraud or the suppression Of the lib
ertv of the citizen What the President says
on this point cannot be charged with PARTISAN
shin. because he says less than Democrats and
Democratic newspapers have themselves ad-
mItted
In his discussion of the need of Civil Service
Reform, tic President covers ground which his
own Messages have made familiar. The chief
new features are hs recommendations that
oG No pnqHo
for Commission which shall devise a system
of competitive examinations to De applied
~ the whole Civil Service; that a law be
passed defining The relations OF Congressman
| TO amendments To Office, so as to end Con-
gress!onal encrOachment upon the appointing
newer; that TIE Tenure of Office Act be re-
Dealed, and that another law be passed pro-
toetiDg oiiicehslders in resistance to po-
Utical assessments The President states
that in this city over 1000 Govern
,nent positions have been subject, both with
resDpct to appointment and tenure, to
| competitiye examinations, and lie believes
that the extension Of the system will, with
the exclusion Of Congressman from the con-
troll Of the appointments, solve the Civil
Service problem. The success of such
| Commissions has not been great III the
past, but the experiment proposed would not
be a costly one, and might be well worth try
ing.
UDon the continued existence of polygamy
4be President takes strong ground. He says
compactly, that "polygamy will not be abol-
sished if the enforcement of the law depends
son those who practice and uphold
:" the crime" This is practically the
fTtah 70 Il
the Mormon Church, as THE TRIBUNE has
often shown, Is stretching itself into other
Territories. The President proposes radical
measures-the reorganization of the Terrific
rial Government into new Government like
that provided by the famous Dane ordinance of
1877 for the Northwest Territory or If the
existing form be continued, the exclusion OF
all who practice OF uphold polygamy from
the right to vote, hold office or sit
on juries. Neither plan seems to in
volve any injustice to the MormOns
Those who defy the law ought not 10 ask
the privilege of making it or administering it.
The President does not exaggerate the impor-
lance of the subject, or the Willingness of the
!, country to go as far as it rghtfuly can in
: stamping out this abomination.
The growth of our foreign trade is dis
: cussed at some length, and several
important recommendations are made
, There is O deserved tribute TO the USE
fitness of the system of consular reports
which Secretary Evarts inaugurated, and
there is an earnest suggestion that every effort
should be made to develop American commerce
with South America, the West Indies, Mex
leo, Japan, China, Australia, ETC., III our OWL
bottoms. There is distinct recommends.
ton of postal subsidies, with other sugges-
: tions Of importance.
That part of the Message relating to the
finances may perhaps be passed over as being