Huntsville gazette., 1882-12-09

without resort to such radical measures as
in some quarters have been thought indispen-
sable for success
AGRICULTURE
The condition Of the forests of the coun,
try and the wasteful manner In which their
destruction i taking place give cause for
serious apprehension. Their action in pro-
tecdnS the earth's surface in modifying
the extremes of climate and in regulating . and
sustaining the flow of springs and streams is
not we'll understood and their Importance in
relation to the growth and prosperity OF the
country can not be safely disregarded. They
are fast disappearing before destructive fires
and the legitimate requirements of our in
creasing population, and their total extinc-
ton can not be long delayed unless better
methods than now prevail shall be adopted
for their protection and cultivation. The at
tention of Congress is invited to the necessity
of additional legislation to secure the preser-
walton of the valuable forests still remaining
on the pub hcdomain.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
The communication which made to Con.
gress at its first session In December last con-
tains somewhat full statement of my senti-
ments in relation to the principles and rules
which ought to govern the appointments to
public service. Referring to the various
plans which had Heretofore been the subject
OF discussion in the National Legislature,
plans which in the main were modelled upon
the system which obtains in Great Britain,
but which lacked certain of the prominent
| features whereby that system is distin-
guished, felt bound to intimate my doubts
whether they or any of them would afford
adequate remedy for the evils which they
aimed to correct. l declared nevertheless
tn at II the proposed measures should provo
acceptable TO Congress they would receive
the unhesitating support OF the Executive.
Since the suggestions were submitted for
your consideration there has been no legis-
lation upon the subject to which they relate.
But there has meanwhile been an in
crease crease in the public interest on
Of the. country, apparently without
distinction of party, have in various ways and
upon frequent occasions given expression to
their earnest wish for prompt and definite &C.
ton. In my judgment such action should no
longer be postponed. may add that my
own sense OF its pressing Importance has
| been quickened by observation, in a practical
! phase of the latter, to which attention has
more than once been called by my predeces4' i
| sors. The civil list now comprises about l00,- :
| O00personS, the larger part of whom must,
under the terms of the Constitution be Sc
! lected by the President either directly or
through his own appointees.
In the early years of the administration of
! Government the personal direction OF ap-f
pointments to the civil service may not have
| been an irksome task for the Executive but
| now that the burden has increased fully ai
hundred fold it has become greater than he
| should bear, and 1t necessarily diverts his
! time and attention from the proper discharge
of other duties no less responsible and which
in the very nature of things can not be dele-l
gated 10 other hands. In the Judgment of
not few who have given study and refiec-.
ton to this matter the nation has outgrown
the provisions which the Constitution has es-
! tablished for dliing the minor offices in the
| public service. But whatever maybe 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
ments, but to Senators and Representatives
| in Congress, by discreet legislation. They
! would be protected in a great measure by the
bin now pending before the Senate, or by any
other which should embody its importans
! features from the labor of examining conflict.
ing claims and pretensioRs of candidates. I
trust that before the close of the present
session some decisive action may be taken
for the correction OF the evils which are In the
present methods of appointment and assure
yOu of my hearty co operation in any meas
ures which are likely to conduct to that end.
REMOVALS FROM OFFICE.
1t has been repeatedly alleged that he has
in this particular sgnally 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 Mr.. Garflelds access
sion to the Presidency was 1886. OF this num-
b-r 25i, or nine per cent, involved the removal
of previous incumbents. The rates of remOv-
ais to the whole number of appointments was
much the same during each of these four
years. In the first year, with 100 appoint
ments there were "a removals, or 9.3 per cent;
in the second, with 9I7 appointments, there
were g removals, or s.5 per cent; in the third.
with 45O appointments, there were +8 remov-
ais, or 10 per cent; in the fourth, with 400
appointments there were 81 removals,
SO per cent; In the four months
of President Gartield's administration
there were $50 appointments and 80 removals,
or p. per cent. Precisely the same number OF
removals, SO, has taken place in the fourteen
months which have since elapsed, but they
constitute only "a per cent of the whole num-
Der of appointments IL within that period
and less than 2-6 of the entire list of officials,
3,459 exclusive of the Army and Navy, which
IN. 81 a
clare my approval Of such legislation as may
be found necessary for experimenting the ex-
isting provision of law in relation to
POLITICAL ASSESSMENTS.
In July last authorized public announce
ment that employees of the Government
should regard themselves a. at liberty to ex
ercise their pleasure in making or refusing to
make political contributions, and that their
action in that regard would in no manner af-
feet their official status. In this announce
ment I acted upon che view which had al
waysmaintained ,andstill maintain, that apub-
lie officer should be as absolutely free as any
other citizen to give or to withhold contri-
button for the aid Of the political party of his
choice. 1t has, however, been urged and
doubtless not without foundation in fact that
by the solicitation OF supeI1ors and by other
modes, such contributions have at times been
obtained from persons whose nlyrnotiyes for
giving has been fear Of what might befall
them if they refused. 1t goes without saying
that such contributions are not voluntary,
and in my jud ginent their collection should
be prohibited bV law. a Dill WD1cl Will eHecb-
ualy suppress them will receive my cordial
approval
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
hope that, however numerous and urgent
NAV be the demands upon your attention, the
interests of this district win not be forgotten.
The denial to its residents of the great right
of suffrage in all its relations to national
states and municipal action imposes on Con-
press the duty of affording them the best ad
ministration which its wisdom can devise.
The report of the District Commissioners in
dicate certain measures whose adoption
would seem To be verv desirable instance
in particular those which relate to arrears Of
taxes to spare railroads and to assessments of
real property.
Among the questions which have been the
topic of recent debate in the halls of Congress,
none are of greater gravity than those relat-
ing to the ascertainment OF
THE VOTE FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS
and the intendment of the Constitution in
the provisions for devolving executive func-
tions upon the Vice President when the
President suffers from inability to discharge
the powers and duties of his office. trust
that no embarrassment may result from the
failure TO determine the questions before
another national election.
The closing year has been replete with
blessings for which we owe to the Giycr OF
all good our reyerent Acknowledgements. For
the uninterrupted harmony of our foreign re-
lations; for the decay of sectional animosties;
for the exuberance Of our harvests and the
trjunnDhs of our mining and manufacturing