Daily Republican., 1882-12-05

| Cu6lOn.
A national bankrupt law is recon
mended and also the regulation ofinter-
State commerce by Congress; and ad-
ditional legislation for the preservation
of forestS on the public domain, espe-
cially in the extreme Western States
and Territories.
Civil service reform claimed a con-
siderable share of the Presidents atten-
ton and he says
trust that before the close of the
present session some decisive action
may be ia ken for the correction OF the
evils which inhere in the present meth
DDS of appointment, and assure you of
my hearty cooperation In any meas.
ures which are likely to oonduce to that
end. AS to the most appropriate term
and tenure of the official life OF the
subordinate employees of the Govern
ment it seems to be generally agreed
that whatever their extent or charac-
ter the one should be definite aud the
other stable,a and that. neither should be
regulated by zeal in the service of party
or fidelity to the fortuneC of the iudi-
viduals
1t matters little TO the people at large
what competent person is at the head of
this department or that bureau If they
feel assured that the removal of one and
the accession OF another will not in
volve The retirement Of honest and
faithful subordinates whose duties are
purely administrative, and have no
legitimate connection with the triumph
of any political principles or the sue
cess of any political party or faction.
1t is to this latter class of officers that
the Senate bill to which have already
referred exclusively applies.
Evidently not relishing the criticisms
Of the pnblic press in relation to re-
movals from Office without cause the
President feels bound to defend him
self, and says: l feel bound to correct
misapprehension 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 signally departed
from the course which has been puI-
sued under recent administrations Of
the Government. The facts are as fol-
lows The whole number of Executive
appointments during the four years
Immediately preceding Mr. Garfield 3
accession to the Presidency was 1856
of this number PA or 9 per cent. in
Yolved the removal Of previous incum-
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 100 appointments
there we're "A removals, or o 8 per cent. ;
iu the second, with 917 appointments,
there were 50 removals, or 8 per cent. !;
in the third, with 4SO appointments,
! there were AZ removals, or 10 per cent. {;
In the fourth, with 426 appointments,
| there were 81 removals, or SO per cent
In the four months Of President Gar.
feds administration there were 800
appointments and 80 removals, or 22.7
per cent. Precisely the saue mum ber
Of removals (89) has taken place in the
fourteen months which have since
elapsed, but they constitute only rs
per cent. of the whole number of ap-
pointments (1118) within that period
and leGs than 26 of the entire list of
officials (3469 exclusive of the army
and navy which is filled by Presiden-
tial appointment.
JAY HUBBELL SNUBBED.
Referring to political assessments the
President says : In July last, | author
lied q public announcement that en-
plOyes of the Government should re-
gard themselves as at liberty to exer-
else their pleasure in making or refus-
ing to make political contributions and
| that their action in that regard would
in no manner affect their official status.
In this announcement l acted upon the
view that had always maintained,
and still maintain, that public officer
should lie as absolutely free as any 9TH
er citizen to give or to withhold con-
tribution 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 superiors and by other modes such
contributions have at times been OBJ
tained from persons whose only motive
for giving has been the fear of what
might befall them if they refused. 1t
goes without saying that such contribu-
tioRs 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.
The President hopes that Congress
will agree upon system of ascertain
ing the vote for Presiden tial electors
and the extent of the Constitution in
its provisions for devolving executive
functions upon the Vice President
when the President suffers from ina
bility to discharge the powers and du-
ties of his office and trusts that no en-
barrassments may result from failure
| to determine these questions before
another National election.
The message closes with review of
the blessings of the year for which he
\ says:
We owe to the giver of all good cur
reverent acknowledgements. For the
uninterrupted harmony of our foreign
relations for tie decay of sectional
animosities for the exuberance of our
barvests and the tri umphs of our min.
ing 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-fo these and count ess other
blessings-we should rejoice and be
glad. trust that, under the iuspira.
| tion of this great prosperity, our cOun
| sells 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
the Executive may heartily unite.
New Officers
Tho iua nalr A ucaua hi n alantad tha