The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-07-25
love of peace, prosperity ard harmony.

OlNiL sBhNICE.
The general character of the civil ssrvics
Of the United States under all administra-
lions has been honorable In the one supreme
collection and tributiou and dis.
bursemsnt of revenue. The record of idel-
~ has never been surpassed la any nation.
With the almost fabulous sums which were
received aud paid during The late war
scrupulous integrity was the prevailing rule,
Indeed, throughout that trying period, II can
be said In honor of the American name, that
unfaithfulness and dishonesty among civil
officers were as rare rs misconduct aud cow
ardice was on the field Of battle. The growth
Of the country has continually and nscessa-
rily enlarged the civil service until II in
cludes . vast body Of officers. The rules and
methods OF appointment which prevailed
when the number was smaller have been
found Insufficient and impracticable, and
earnest efforts have been made to separate
the great mass of ministerial officers from
partisan influence and personal control. I'm.
Partially in the mode Of appointment, to be
based on qualification, and security Of tenure
to be based on faithful discharge Of duty are
the two ends t. be accomplished. The pub
lie business will be aided by separating the
legislative branch Of the government from all
control of appointments by fixed rules, and
thus removing them from the caprice Of IA
voritism. But there should be rigid observ-
ances of the law which gives In all cases of
equal competency the preference to the SOL
diers who risked their lives In defense of the
Union. I entered Congress In 1868, and In
q somewhat prolonged service never found
1t expedient to request or recommed the re-
movsl of a civil officer except IN four in
stances, and this for non.political reasons
which were instantly conclusive with the
appointing powsr The officers In the dis
tricts appointed by Mr.. Lincoln in 1861 upon
the recommendation Of my predecessor,
served, as rule, until death or resignation.
l adopted at the beginning of my service the
test Of competitive examination for appoint
ments TO West Point and maintained 1t so
long as I had the right py law to nominate a
cadet. In the case Of many officers found
that the present law which arbitrarily limits
the term of commission, offered q constant
| temptation to changes fer mere political rea-
sons. l have publicly expressed the belief
that the essential modification of that law
would be In many respects advantageous.
My observation In the Department Of State
confirmed the conclusions of my legislative
experience and impressed me with the con.
viction that the rule of impartial appoint
ment might with advantage be carried be-
yond any existing provision of the civil SER
vice law. 1t should be applied to appoint
ments in the consular service. Consuls
should be commercial sentinels encircling
| the globe with watchfulness for their coun-
trys interests, and their intelligence and
competency become matters of great
public concern. No man should be appoint
ed to an American consulate who Is not we'll
| instructed In the history aud resources ofhis
own country and the requirements aud Ian
guage Of and commerce of the country TO
| which he Is sent. The same rule should be
| applied even more rigidly to Secretaries Of
Legations. In eur diplomatic service the
people have the right to the most efficient
agents in the discharge Of public business,
and the appointing power should regard this
As the prior and ulterior consideration.
| e.. THE MORMON QUESTION.
Religious liberty Is the right Of every citi-
zen in the Republic. Congress Is forbidden
by the Constitution to make any law 70.
| specting the establishment Of religion or pro-
hibiting the free exercise thereof For q
| century under this guarantee Protestant,
Catholic, Jew and GENTLE have worshipped
God according to the dictates of conscience.
But religious liberty must not be perverted
| to justification Of offenses against the law.
A religious sect Is strongly ensrenched in one
Of the Territories Of the Union and spreading
rapidly into four other Territories. 1t claims
the right to destroy the great safeguard and
monument of social order, and TO practice as
religious privilege that which Is crime
punished with severe penalty In every State
Of the Union. The sacredness and unity Of
the family must be preserved as the founda-
| ton of all civil governments, as the source
Of orderly administration, and as the surest
guarantee Of moral purity. The claim Of
the Mormons that they are divinely author
lied to practice polygamy should no more be
admitted than the claim of certain heather
tribes, II they should come among us, to con-
tinue the right OF human sacrifice. The law
| does not interfere with what q man believes;
n takes cognizance Of what he does as a citi-
zen. The Mormons are entitled to the same
| civil rights as others, and to these they must
be confined. Polygamy can never receive
national sanction or liberation by admitting
the community that upholds 1t as q State
into the Union. Like others, the Mormons
must learn that the liberties of the individu-
al ceases where the rights Of society begin.
GOLD AND SILVER.
The people of the United States, though
| often urged and tempted, have nsver ser-
| ously contemplated the recognition of any
| other money than gold and silver, and cur:
| rency directly convertible into them. They
have not done so, and they will not do so
under any necessity less pressing than that
petion OF our monetary system Is the fixing
Of the relative values Of gold and silver.
The large use Of silver as the money of &C.
count among Asistic nations, taken In con-
nection with the increasing commerce of the
United States, gives the welghtiest reasons
Tor an International agreement in the prem
ises. Our government should not cease TO
urge this matter until q common standard Of
value shall be reached and established-a
standard that shall enable the United States
to use the silver from Its mines rs an auxil-
larry to gold In settling the balances of COM
commercial exchange.
THE LAND QUESTION.
The strength Of the republic Is increased
by the multiplication Of its land owners.
Our laws should look to the judicious en-
enlargement of actual settlers on the public
domain, while IL should henceforth be used
as sacred trust for the benefit OF those seek
Ing homes. The tendency to consolidate
large tracts Of land In the ownership of In
dividuals or corporations should, with proper
regard to vested rights, be discouraged. One
hundred thousand acres of land In the hands
Of one man is far less profitable to the nation
In avery way than when Its ownership Ia
divided among a Thousand men. The evil
OF permitting large tracts Of the national
domain to DO consolidated and controlled by
tuo lew against tho many Is enhanced when
the persons controlling 1t are aliens. IL is
but fair that the public land should be dis
posed Of only to actual settlers and to those
who are citizens Of the republic or willing
to become so.
OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS.
Among our national Interests one lam
guishes-the foreign carrying trade. 1t was
seriously crippled In our civil war, and an
other blow was given TO 1t In the general
substitution Of steam for sail In ocean traffic.
With frontage on the two great oceans;
with freightage larger than that of any
other nation, We have every inducement to
restore our navigation. Yet the government
has hitherto refused Its help. A small share
Of The encouragement given by the govern
ment TO railways and to manufacturers, and
. small share of the capital and the zeal
given by our citizens to those enterprises,
would have carried our ships to every sea
and to every port. A law just enacted re-
moves some Of the burdens upon our navi-
CATION and inspires hope that this great In
tercst may at last receive It's due share of
attention. All In this direction should re-
ceive encouragement.
sAcsEDNRss OF THE BALLOT.