Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-05


discharge of other duties no less delicate |
md responsible, and which in the very ma
ure of things cannot be delegated to other
,ands. In the Judgment Of not few who
nave given study and reflection to this mat
er the nation has outgrown the provisions |
which the Constitution has established for |
iIling minor offices in the public service.
But whatever may be thought of the Wis /
lom or expediency of changing the funda-
mental law in this regard, it is certain that |
much relief may be afforded, not only to
he President and to the heads of the de- |
oartnents, but to Senators and Represent
.tives in Congress. By discreet legislation
,hey would be protected in great measure |
oy the bill now pending before the Senate
,r by any other which should embody lts |
features from the pressure of
PERSONAL IMPORTANTLY
And from the labor of examining conf citing |
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 !
arise In the present methods of appoint |
ment and assure you OF my hearty CO.
operation in any measures which are likely
to conduce to that end. as to the most APP
time and tenure of the official
i fe of the subordinate employees OF the
It seems to be generally
agreed that whatever their extent or char
acter the one shall be definite and the
other sta BILE, and that neither should be
by zeal in the service OF hdeilty
of party or fidelity to the fortunes OF an IN
It matters little to the people at
large what competent person Is at the mead
of this department or OF that bureau II they
feel assured that the removal OF one and
the accession of another will not involve
the retirement of honest and faithful subor-
dinates, whose duties are purely admins
trative and have no legitimate connection
with the triumph of any political prlnci-
pies or the success of any political party
or faction. 1t is to this latter class of Of
fcers 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 servic 9,
concerns the higher grade of Of
fcials who are appointed by
the President, and confirmed by the Senate.
feel bound to correct a prevalent mis-
as to the frequency with
which the present Executive has displaced
the incumbent of an Office and appointed
another in his stead. It has been repeated
ly alleged that he has, in this particular,
signally departed from the course which has
been pursued under recent administrations
of the government. The facts are as fol-
lows: ''The whole number of Executive ap-
pointments during the four years immedi-
ately preceding Mr.. Garfeld's accession to
the Presidency, was 1895. OF this num-
Der pa, or 9 per cent, involved the removal
of previous incumbents.
THE RATIO OF REMOVALS
To the whole number of appointments, was
much the same during each of these four
years. In the first year, with $50 appoint
ments, there were "a removals, or 8 $40 per
cent. In the second, with GIT appoint
ments, there we're IS removals, or 8 $40
per cent. In the third, with 480
appointments, there were AZ
removals, or 10 per cent. In the
fourth, with 429 appointments, there were
81 removals, or SO. 10 per cent; in the four
months of President Garfelds administra-
ton there were 800 appointments and SO
removals or 22.7-l0 per cent. Precisely
the same number of removals (89) has taken
place in the fourteen months which have
since elapsed, but they constitute only
1910 per cent. of the whole number of
appointments, 1,118, within that period,
and less than CLIO of the entire list of
navy, which is filled by Presidential ap-
pointm6nt.
declare my approval of such legislation
as may be found necessary for supplement
ing the existing provisions of law IN rela-
ton to
POLITICAL ASSESSMENT.
In July last authorized public announce
ment that employees of the government
should regard themselves as at liberty to
exercise their pleasure in making or refus-
ing to maze political contributions, and
that their action in that regard would in no
manner affect their official. standing. In
this announcement / acted upon
the view which I had always
maintained and still maintain that public
officer should be as absolutely free as any
other citizen to give or withhold contribu
tons for the aid of the political party of
his choice. 1t has, however, been urged,
and doubtless not without foundation in
fact, that by solicitation of official superb
ors and by other modes, such contributions
have at times been obtained from persons
whose only motive for giving has been the
fear of what might befall them if they re-
fused. 1t goes without saying that such
CONTRIBUTIONS
are not voluntary, and in my Judgment
their collection should be prohibited by
| law. A bill which will effectually suppress
| them, will receive my cordial approval.
| hope that, however numerous and urgent
| may be the demands upon your atteL ton,
| the interests of this District will not be for
| gotten. The denial to its residents of the
great rights of suffrage, in all its relations
to national, state and municipal action,
imposes upon Congress the duty of afford
ing them the best administration which its
wisdom can devise.
The report of the District commissioners
| indicate certain measures whose adoption
would seem to be very desirable. I in
stance, in particular, those which relate to
| arrears of taxes, to steam 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 relating to the ascertainment of the
vote for Presidential elections and the in
tention of the constitution in its provisions
for devolving executive functions upon the
Vice. President when the President suffers
from inability to discharge the powers and
duties of his Office. 1 trust that no en-
barrassments may result from failure to
determine these questions before another
national election.
The closing year has been replete with
blessings, for which we owe to the Oliver of
all Good our reverential acknowledgement
for the uninterrupted harmony of our for
eign relations, for the decay of sectional
animosities, for the exuberance of our har-
vests and the triumphs of our mining and
manufacturing industries, for the prevalence
of health, the spread of intelligence
and the conservation of the public
credit, for the growth of the country in all
the elements of national greatness for these
and countless other blessings, we should re-
joice and be glad. trust that under the
inspiration of this great prosperity our
counsels may be harmonious and that the
dictates of prudence, patriotism, justice
and economy may lead to the adoption of
measures in which the Congress and E1ecu-
tive may heartily unite.
CSigned1 CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
q n Ga g - az