River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-07-24
preston, upon our resources or specie.

LUIIIN
successfully made with every nation of North
and South America. While the great powers
of Europe are steadily enlarging their colo
NAL domination IN Asia and Africa 1t is the
especial province of this country to improve
and EXPAND its trade with the nations of
America No field promises so much No
field has been cultivated so little Our for
eign policy should be an American policy in
its broadcast and most comprehensive sense
a policy of peace of friendship, OF CONNER
cial enlargement
The name of american which belongs to
us in our national capacity must always ex-
alt the Just pride of patriotism Citizenship
of the republic must be the panoply and
safeguard of him who wears it. The Amerl-
can citizen, rich or poor, native or natural
lied, white or colored, must everywhere
walk secure in his personal and civil rights.
The republic should never accept lesser
duty il can never assume nobler one, than
the protection of the humblest man who
owes it loyalty protection al nome, and
protection which shall follow him abroad
into whatever lands he may go upon a law
full errand
THE SOUTHERN STATES.
recognize, not without regret, the neces-
sity for speaking OF two sections of our com
mon country. But the regret diminishes
when | see that the elements which separ-
ated them are fast disappearing. Prejudices
have yielded and are yielding, while a grow
ing cordiality warns the Southern and the
Northern heart alike. Can any one doubt
that between the sections confidence and
esteem are to-day more marked than at any
period in the sixty years preceding the cleo
ton of President Lincons This Is the result
in part of time and in part of Republican
principles applied under the favorable con-
ditions of uniformity Ii would be a great
calamity to change these Influences under
which Southern commemorative are learning
to vindicate civil rights, and adapting them
selves to the conditions of political tranquil
lily and industrial progress, If there be &C
casional and violent outbreaks III the South
against this peaceful progress, the public
opinion OF the country regards them as ex
ceptional and hopefully trusts that each will
prove the last
The South needs capital and occupation,
not controversy. As much as any part of
the North the South needs the full protec-
ton of the revenue laws which the Repub-
lican party offers Some of the Southern
states have already entered upon a career of
Industrial development and prosperity.
These, at least, should not lend their cleo
toral votes to destroy their own future
ANY effort to unite the Southern states
upon issues that grow out of the memories
of the war, will summon the Northern states
to combine in the assertion of that national
ity which was their inspiration in the civil
struggle. And thus great energies which
should be united in a common industrial de
velopment will be wasted in hurtful strife.
The Democratic party shows itself foe to
Southern prosperity by always invoking and
urging Southern political consolidation.
Such policy quenches the rising instinct
of patriotism i'll the heart of the Southern
youth; it revives and stimulates prejudice;
it substitutes the spirit of barbaric ven
geance for the love of peace, progress and
harmony.
The general character of the civil service
of the United States under all administra-
tions has been honorable. In the one SUI
preme tesr-the collection and disbursement
of reyenue-the record of fidelity has never
been surpassed in any nation. With the
almost fabulous sums which were received
and paid during the late war, scrupulous in
tegrity was the prevailing rule. Indeed
throughout that trying period it can be said
TO the honor of the American name, that I'M
faithfulness and dishonesty among civil Off
GERS We're as rare as misconduct or cowardice
ON the field of battle.
The growth of the country has continually
and necessarily enlarged the civil service,
until now il includes q vast body OF officers.
Rules and methods of appointment which
prevailed when the number was smaller
have been found insufficient and impractical
BILE, and earnest efforts have been made TO
separate the great mass of ministerial officers
from partisan influence and personal control
Impartiality 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 to be accomplished.
The public business will be aided by separ-
ating the legislative branch of the govern
ment from all control of appointments, and
the executive department will be relieved by
subiecting appointments to fixed rules and
thus removing them from the caprice of
favoritism But there should be rigid OBJ
servance of the law which gives In all easel
of equal competency the preference to The
soldiers who risked their lives in defense Ct
the Union
entered congress in 1868, and in some.
what prolonged service | never found it eX-
pedient to request or recommend the re
moval of a civil officer except in four in
stances, and then for nOn-politiCal reasons
which were instantly conclusive with the
appointing power The officers in the dis
trict appointed by Mr. Lincoln in 1861 upon
the recommendation of my predecessor,
served, as a rule. until death or resignation
/ adopted at the beginning of my service the
test of competitive examination for appoint
ments to West Point and maintained 1t so
long as 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 con
slant temptation to changes for mere po-
litical reasons. / have publicly expressed
the belief that the essential modification OF
that law would be in many respects advan'
tageous.
My observation in the department. of state
confirmed the conclusions Iof 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. II should be applied to appoint
ments in the consular service Consuls
should be commercial Notwithstanding
the globe with watchfulness for their coun-
try's interests. Their intelligence and com
potency become. therefore, matters of great
public concern. No man should be appointed
to an American consulate who is not well in
Tod ~ ieA1 md Of
own country, and in the requirements and
language of commerce in the country to which
he is sent The same rule should be applied
even more rigidly 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.
THE MORMON QUESTION
Religious liberty is the right of every citi-
zen of the republic Congress is forbidden
by the constitution to make any law re
specting the establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof" For
century, under this guarantee, Protestant
and Catholic, jew and GENTLE, have wor-
shipped God according to the dictates of
conscience But religious liberty must not
be perverted to the justification of otfenses
against the law. a religious sect, strongly
intre nchcd in enc 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-
served as the foundation of all civil govern
ment, as the source of orderly administra-
ton, as the surest guarantee Of moral 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, il they should
come among us, to continue the rite of
human sacrifice. The law does not interfere
with what a 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-
fined. Polygamy can never receive national
sanction or liberation by admitting the com
munity that upholds it as a state in the
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, have never seri-
ously contemplated the recognition of any
other money than gold and silver-and curl
rency directly convertible into them. They
have not done so, they viii not do so, under
any necessity less pressing than that of desI
perate war. The 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 money
OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS.
Among our national interests one Ian
yuishes-the foreign carving trade. 1t was
very seriously crippled in our civil war, and
another blow was given TO it in the general
substitution of steam for sail in ocean traffic.
With a frontage on the two great oceans,
with a freip htage larger than that of any