Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-12-07


aged to believe that the evil at which they
are aimed may be suppressed without reeort
to such radical measures as IN some quarters
have been thought indispensable for success.
THE TERRITORIES.
The close relation of the general govern
ment to the Territories preparing to be
great states may well engage your special
attention. 1t is there that the Indian dis
turbances mainly occur and that polygamy
has found room for its growth. cannot
doubt that a careful survey of territorial leg
islation would be of the highest utility. Life
and property would become more secure
the liability of outbreaks between Indians
and whites would be lessened the public
domain would be more securely guarded, and
better progress be made in the instruction of
the young
Alaska is still without any form Of civil
government If means were provided for
the education of its people and for the pro
lection of their lives and property, the
immense resources of the region would invite
permanent settlements and open new fields
for industry and enterprise.
AGRICULTURAL
The report of the commissioner Of agricul-
ture presents an account OF tho labors OF
that department during the past year, and
includes information of much interest to
the general public The condition of the
forests of the country, and the waste
full manner in which their destruc-
ton Is taking place, give cause for
serious apprehension Their action in pro
tecting the earth's serface, in modifying the
extremes of climate, and in regulating and
sustaining the flow of springs and streams,
is now we'll understood, and their i'm
portance in relation to the growth and pros
perity of the country cannot be safely
disregarded. They are fast disappearing
before destructive fires and the legitimate re-
quirements of our increasing population, and
their total extinction cannot be long delayed
unless better method than now prevail shall be
adopted for their protection and cultivation.
The attention of Congress is invited to the
necessity of additional legislation to secure
the preservation of the valuable forests still
remaining on the public domains, specially
In the extreme Western States and Ter
ritOries, where the necessity for their
preservation is greater than in less noun
famous regions, and where the prevailing
dryness of the climate renders
their restoration, if they are once de-
stroyed, well nigh impossible.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The communication which Imade to Con-
gress at its first session In December last con-
tanned a somewhat full statement of my SEN
hments in relation to the principles and
rules which ought to govern appointments to
public service. Referring to the various
plans which had heretofore been the sub
5ect of discussion IN the national legisla-
ture, plans which in the main were
modelled upon the system which obtains in
Great Britainy but which lacked certain of
the prominent features whereby that system
is distinguished, felt bound to intimate my
doubts whether they, OF any of them, would
afford adequate remedy for the evils which
they aimed to correct l declared. neverthe-
less, that if the proposed measures should
prove acceptable to Congress, they would
receive the unhesitating support of the
Executive. Since these suggestions were
submitted for your consideration there has
been no legislation upon the subject to which
they relate; but there has meanwhile been
an increase in the public interest in that
subject, and the people OF the country, ap-
parently without distinction of party, have
IN various ways and upon frequent occasions
given expressions to their earnest wish for
prompt and definite action. In my Judgment
such action should nolonger be postponed.
l may add that my own sense of its
pressing importance has been quickened by
observation of practical phase of the mat
ter, to which attention has more than once
been called by my predecessors. The civil
list now comprises about 100 900 persons, far
the larger part of whom must, under the
terms of the Constitution, be selected by the
President, either directly or through his
own appointees. In the early years
of the administration of the govern
lnent the personal direction of appoint
ments to the ciVil-service may not have been
that the burden has increased fully hum
dredfold, it has become greater than he
ought to bear. and 1T necessarily diverts his
time and attention from the proper discharge
of other duties no less delicate and RESPONSE
bic, and which In the very nature of things
cannot be delegated to other hands.
In the judgment Of not few who have
given study and reflection to this matter, the |
nation has outgrown the provisions which
the Constitution has established for filling
the minor Offices in the public service. But
whatever may be thought of the wisdom or
expediency of changing the fundamental
law in this regard, it is certain that much
relief may be afforded, not only to the
President and to the heads of the depart
E1ents, but to Senators and Representatives
in Congress by discreet legislation. They
would be protected in a great measure by
the bill now pending before the Senate, or
by any other which should embody its i'm
portant features, from the pressure of per
sonal importantly and from the labor of ex- !
anining conflicting claims and pretensions
of candidates. | trust that before the close
of the present session some decisive action
may be taken for the correction of the evils |
which inhere in the present methods
of appointment, and assure you
of my hearty cooperation in - any
measures which are likely to conduce to
that end. Asfor the most appropriate terms
and tenure of the official life of the subordi
to be generally agreed that, whatever their
extent or character; the one should be dei-
mite and the other stable, and that neither
should be regulated by zeal in the service Of
party or fidelity to the fortunes of an indi-
vidual. 1t matters little to the people at
large what competent person is at the
head of this department or of that
bureau If they feel assured that
the removal of one and the accession of
another will not involve the retirement of
honest and faithful subordinates, whose
duties are purely administrative and have no
legitimate connection with the triumphs of
any political principles or the success of any
political party or faction. It is to this latter
class of officers that the Senate bill to which
l have already referred exclusively applies. |
While neither that bill nor any other
prominent scheme for improving the
civil service concerns the higher grade
of officials, who are appointed by
the President and confirmed by the
Senate, feel bound to correct a prevalent
Misrepresentation as to the frequency with
which the present Executive has displaced
the incumbent Of an Office and appointed
another in his stead. 1t has been repeatedly
alleged that he has in this particular signaily
departed from the course which has been
pursued under recent administrations of the
government. The facts are as follows: The
whole number of Executive appointments
during the four years Immediately preceding
MI. 0afuelQ acccSSlO.ltO lne presidency was
1855. OF this number 244, or nine per cent,
involved the removal of previous inouIn-
bents. The ratio of removals to the whole
number of appointments was much the same
during each of those four years. In the first
year, with 799 appointments, there were
Beventy-four removals, or S.3 per cent. in
the second, with 917 appointments there were
eighty-five removals, or 8.5 per cent. Onthe
third, with 480 appointments there were
forty eight removals, or ten per cent. on
the fourth, with 4S9 appointments there were
In the four months of President Gar
fields administration there were SO apr ONT
ments and eighty-nine removals, or 22.7
per cent. Precisely the same number Of re-
movals eighty -nine) has taken place in the
fourteen months which have since elapsed;
but they constitute only as per. cent. OF the
whole number Of appointments (1I-S) within
that period and less than 2-6 per cent. of the
entire list Of officials (S, 459) exclusive of the