The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-08-01

test OF compeuuve examination Tor appoint.
ments to West Point and maintained it SO
long as l had the right by law to nominate a
cadet. In the case of many officers / found
that the present law which arbitrarily limits
the term OF the commission offered q con
stant temptation to changes for mere po-
ntical reasons I have publicly expressed
the belief that the essential modification of
that law would be in many respects advan-
tageous.
confirmed the conclusions Iof my legislative
experience, and impressed me with the COLI
viction that the rule OF impartial appoint
ment might with advantage be carried be-
yond any existing. provision of the civil SER
vice law. II should be applied to appoint
ments in the consular service, Gonsuls
should be commercial Notwithstanding
the globe with watchfulness for their coun-
try's interests, Their intelligence and COM
petency become, therefore, matters of great
public concern. No man should be appointed
TO an American consulate who Is not well in
structed in the history and resources of his
own country, and in the requirements and
language OF commerce in the country to which
no is sent The same rule shodld be applied
even moro rigidl- to secretaries of legation
In our diplomatic service. The people have
the right to the most efficient agents in the
discharge of public business and the appoint
ing power should regard this as the prior and
Interior consideration.
h MORMON QUESTION.
Religious liberty lis the right of every citi-
ZEN OF the republic. Congress is forbidden
BY the constitution to make any law 4re-
specting the establishment Of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof For a
century. under this guarantee, Protestant
sha eash SaS a jew and g Semitic ,Ss , haye wo :,
conscience. But religious liberty must not
be perverted to the justification of offenses
against the law. A religious sect, strongly
in of the territories of the
Union, and spreading rapidly in four other
territories, claims the right to destroy the
great safeguard and imminent of social
order, and to practice as a religious privil-
ege that which is punished with severe pen
atty In every state of the Union The sacred
ness and unity of the family must be pre-
ment, as the source of orderly administra-
zion, as the surestguarantee o fmoral purity.
The claim of the Mormons that they are
divinely authorized to practice polygamy
should no more be admitted than the claim
OF certain heather tribes, if they should
among us, to continue the rite Of
human sacrifice. The law does not interfere
with what o man believes; it takes cogni-
zance only of what he does. AS citizens the
Mormons are entitled to the same civil rights
as others, and to these they must be con-
lined ~Polygamy can never receive national
sanction or federation by admitting the COM
munity that uphoids it as a state in the
Union. Like others, the Mormons must learn
That the liberty of the individual ceases
where the rights of society begin.
ouR CURRENCY.
The people of the United States, though
often urged and tempted, nave never seri-
ously contemplated the recognition of any
other money than gold and ~silver-and cur
Iency directly convertible into them. They
nave not done so, they will not do so, under
any necessity less pressing than that of des-
perate war. III one special requisite for the
completion of our monetary system is the
liking Of the relative values of silver and
gold The large use of silver as the O
OF account among Asiatic nations, taken in
connection with the increasing of
the world, gives the weightiest reasons for
an international agreement in the premises
government should not cease to urge
This measure until a common STANDARD of
value shall be reached and estabIished-a
standard that shall enable the United States
to use the silver from its mines as an auxil-
larry to gold In settling the balances of COM
mercial exchange.
THE PUBLIC AND
The strength of the republic isincreased by
the multiplication of ~lundholders Our laws
look to the judicions encouragement
OF actual settlers on the public domain, which
henceforth be held as a sacred trust
Tor the benefit of those seeking homes The
tendency to consolidate large tracts Of land
In the ownership Of individuals OF corpora
lions should, with proper regard to vested
rights, be discouraged One hundred thou
acres of land in the hands of one man
is far less profitable to the nation in every
among 1000 men TIL evil Of permitting
tracts of the national domain to be con-
and controlled by the few against
the many s enhanced when the persons con-
trolling it are aliens. It is but fair that the
public land should be disposed of only to
actual settlers and to those who are Cit
OF the republic, or willing to become SO.
OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS.
Among our national interests one Ian
guishes-the foreign carrying trade. 1t was
another blow was given to it in the general
of steam for sail in ocean traffic
With a frontage on the two great oceans,
q freiehJage larger than that of any
other nation, we have every .inducement to
restore our navigation. Yet the government
hitherto refused its help. A small share
Of the encouragement given by the govern
.ent to railways and to manufactures, and
o small share of the capital and the zeal
given by our citizens to those enterprises
would have carried our ships to every sea
to every port. A law Just enacted re-
CATION, and inspires hope that this great in
may at last receive It's due share of
All efforts in this direction should
receive encouragement
OF I'll BALLOT.
This survey of our condition as a nation
us that material prosperity is but a
mockery il it does not tend to preserve the
liberty of the people, A free ballot is the
safeguard of republican institutions, without
which no national welfare is assured. A pop
ular election, honestly conducted, embodies
the very majesty of true government. Ten
of voters desire to take part in the
pending contest. The safely of the repub-
lie rests upon the integrity of the ballot,
upon the security of suffrage to the citizen.
To deposit a fraudulent vote is no worse a
crime against constitutional liberty than to
obstruct the deposit of an honest vote. He
who corrupts suffrage strikes at the very
of free government. He is the arch
enemy of the republic. He forgets that in
trampling upon the rights of others he fatally
imperils his own rights. ut is a good land
which the Lord our God doth give us, " but
we can maintain our heritage only by guard
with vigilance the source Of popular
power. I am with great respect, your obedi-
servant, JAMES G. BLAINE