The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-23

ately and in manner comparing with the
proper dignity of the occasion. is one OF deep
gravity to the American pedple-in double
sense. s.
Fl l. It is in violation, open, direct and fla
grant, OF the primary principle upon which
our government is supposed to rest, viz, that
the control of the government is partici-
pated in by all legally qualified citizens, in
accordance with the plan of popular govern
meflt that majorities must rule in the de-
eision of all questions
2 1t is in violation of the rights and inter-
ests of the states wherein are particularly
centered the great wealth and industries OF
the nation, and which pay an overwhelming
| portion of the national taxes. The immense
aggregation of interests embraced within,
and the enormously greater population OF
these other states of the Union, are subjected
every four years to the dangers OF wholly
| fraudulent show of numerical strength.
Under this system minorities actu ally at
tempt to direct the course OF national affairs,
and, though up to this time success has not
attended their efforts to elect a president,
vet success has been SO perilously imminent
as to encourage a repetition of the effort at I
each quadrennial election, and to subject the
interest of an overwhelming majority of our
people, north and south, to the hazards of
illegal subversioh.
The stereotyped argument in refutation of
these plain truths is that if the Republican
| clement was really in the minority they
could not be deprived of their rights and
privileges by minority; but neither stats
tics of population nor the unavoidable logic
of the situation, can be overridden or es-
capped The ceiored people of the south have
recently emerged from the bondage of their
political oppressors; they have had but few
of the advantages of education which might
enable them TO compete with the whites
As / have heretofore maintained, in order
| to achieve the ideal perfection of popular
| government 1t is absolutely necessary that
| the masses should be educated This prope-
sition applies itself with full force to the col
| ored people Of the south They must have
better educational advantages, and thus be
| enabled to become the intellectual peers Of
| their white brethren, as many of them I'M
| doubleday are liberal school system
should be provided for the rising generation
of the south, and the colored people be
| made as capable of exercising the duties
of electors as the white people. In
the meantime it is the duty of the
national government to go beyond resolu-
| tions and declarations on the subject, and TO
take such action as may lie in its power to
| secure the absolute freedom Of national
| elections everywhere, TO the end that our
| congress may cease to contain members
representing fictitious majorities of their
people, thus misdirecting the popular will
| concerning national legislation, and eepeci
| ally to the end that, in presidential contests,
| the great business and other interests Of the
| country may not be placed in fear and
| trembling lest an INSCRIPTIONS minority
| should succeed in sitting the wishes OF the
| majority.
| In accordance with the spirit of the last
| resolution of the Chicago platform measures
| should be taken at once to remedy this great
| evil
RESTRICTION OF IMMIGRATION.
| Under our liberal institutions the subjects
and citizens of every nation have been wei
coined to a home in our midst and on a com
| pliance with our laws to n cooperation in our
| government. While 1t is the policy OF the
| Republican party to encourage the oppressed
of other nations and offer them facilities
| for becoming useful and intelligent
citizens in the legal definition of
the term, the party has never
contemplated the admission of class OF
| servile people who are not only unable to
| comprehend our institutions, but indiSposed
| to become part of our national family or to
| embrace any higher civilization than their
| own. To admit such immigrants would be
only TO throw a retarding element into the
very path of our progress. Our legislation
| should be amply protective against this
| danger, and if not sufficiently 50 now should
| be made so to the full extent allowed by our
treaties with friendly powers.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The subject Of civil-service administration
| is a problem that has occupied the earnest
| thought of statesmen for a number Of years
| past, and the record will show that toward
| It's solution many results of valuable and
comprehensive character have been attained
| by the Republican party since its accession
| to power. In the partisan warfare made upon
| the latter with tie view of weakening it in
| has
| alleged in connection with the abuse of the
civil service, the party making the indis-
| criminate charges seeming to have entirely
forgotten that It was under full sway of the
| Democratic organization that the motto, "To
the victors belong the spoils" became car
| dinal article in the Democratic creed
| With the determination to elevate oUu
| governmental administration to standard
| of justice, and public morality, the Republi-
| can party has sedulously endeavored to lay
! the foundation of system which shall reach
| the highest perfection under the plastic hand
| of time and accommodating experience. The
| problem is one of far greater intricacy than
| appears upon its superficial consideration,
| and embraces the sub-question of how to
| avoid tho abuses possible to the lodgment of
an immense number of appointments in the
hands of the executive; OF how to give en-
couragement to and provoke emulation in
| the varioils government employees, in order
that they may strive for proficiency and rest
their hopes of advancement upon The attrib-
/ utes of official merit, COED conduct and ex-
| esnplary honesty; and how best TO avoid the
evils of creating a privileged class in the
| government service, who, IN imitation of
| European prototypes, may gradually lose all
| proficiency and value in the belle that they
| possess life-calling only to be taken away
in case of some fragrant abuse.
The thinking, earnest men of the Repub-
| lican party have made no mere wordy
| demonstration upon this subject; but they
have endeavored to quietly perform that
which their opponents are constantly prom
ising without performing Under Repub
/ lcan rule the result has been that without
ENGRAVING any of the objectionable features
| of the European systems upon our own, there
has been steady and even rapid elevation
| of the civil service in all of its departments
| until it can now be stated without fear
| of successful contradiction, that tina
service is more just, more efficient, and purer
/ in all of its features, than ever before since
| the establishment OF our government, ana -
| defects still exist in our system the cUl'
| can safely rely upon the Republican pant,
| the most efficient instrument for then rs
| moval
lam in favor of the highest standard OF
! excellence in the administration Of the civil
service and will lend my best efforts to the
accomplishment of the greatest attainabls
perfection in this branch OF the service.
THE TWIN RELIC"
The Republican party came into existenH-
in crusade against the Democratic institu.
| tons of slavery and pofygamy. The first of
these has been buried beneath the embers of
civil war. The party should continue its
efforts until the remaining iniqufty shall dis
| appear from our civilization under the force
| Of faithfully executed laws
OTHER SUBJECTS.
There are other subjects of Importance
which would gladly touch upon did space
permit l limit myself to saying that, while
there should be the most rigid economy OF
| governmental administration, there should
tie no self-lefeating parsiinony either in our
| domestic or foreign service. Official dishon
| esty should lie promptly and reientlessly pun
| ished. Our obligations to the defenders of
our country should never be forgotten, and
the liberal system of pensions provided by the
| Republican party should not be imperiled by
| adverse legislation. The law establishing a
| labor bureau, through which the interests of
| labor can be placed I'm an ORGANIZED condi-