Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-02-21
AN IDEAL PRESIDENT.
How lie Would Improve on Present ~


AN IDEAL PRESIDENT
How lie Would Improve on Present Prao.
tiCcs
Ex Attorney General Wayne Mac
| Neagh contributes to the March C5Hturu a
striking paper on Tho Next Presidency" ;"
| in which he says In part There is at
| this time great and noble work awaiting
| a president able and willing To do it. It
goes without saying that he must bs abso
| lutely untrammeled when he takes his
| solemn oath to defend the constitution
and to execute the laws. He must not
have sought the nomination, nor must he
have shown after his nomination what
| President Woolsey SO aptly called q
most uncommon anxiety for his election,
| for he must be without friends to reward
and without enemies to punish. In the
present state OF affairs At Washington, he
must not only be an honest man, but he
must bs q cause Of honesty ia Others lie
must really hate every form Of thievsry,
aud mast be able TO dedicate himself to
the solemn work of reforming not only the
administrative service Of the national gov
erDment, but the very atmosphere itself
of the national capital.
-Four years OF administration of the
| national government by such man would
transform the public life of America. uo
would recognize the Just limitations of
true civil service reform, aud know that
all political officers in tho executive de-
partment, oil such otflcer representing in
any degree the political action of the
government, ought to be in harmony with
II, and that his oabinet-his official house
hold-ought to be composed of men pos.
sessed Of his entire political and personal
confidence, and in earnest sympathy with
htFfht IN riua. ha 90
plish.
His secretary Of state would take care
not to vex foreign nations with requests
! which he knew ought not 10 be granted
aud which, ii made TO us under precisely
similar circumstances, would be indig-
| pGntly repclled but while avoiding such
| requests he would keep vigilant watch
| over the rights Of every American citizen
| In the world, and maintain not only the
dignity and honor, but the interests OF
| the country, in every quarter Of the globe.
Our foreign missions would be regarded as
| political Offices but they would bs filled
50 as 20 reflect only credit upon the coun
try while our cOusuls would be regarded
as commercial officers only, and be rejected
not because of their friendship with
| politicians, or with the president himself,
| but because of their knowledge of the
OF their ability to advance the interests of
| American commerce.
| " His secretary of the treasury would be-
| able to devote all his time to the great
| fiscal problems which concern that depart.
ment, and would rot be obliged to waste it
upon senators and congressman, or depu-
| tations Of local political maspates, in lis.
tenng to their appeals for the appointment
| of pensiOner upon the treasury. In giving
| to his subordinates the assurance of a
permanent tenure while they discharged
their duties effectively, he would inspire
them with new zeal for the public service
and secure larger measure of fidelity Ia
the interests committed TO their charge.
| His secretary of war would be able to
| secure punishment for the men who are
| now in such numbers furnishing the faii
| name of their noble service, and thus bring
the army back to it's earlier and better
state, when conduct becoming an officer
and gentleman was not supposed to
include what, in the language of the
| capital, is by delicate euphemism called
duplication of accounts, but elsewhere IL
called swindling.
" His secretary of the navy would
cleanse that department of its rottenness
in contracts and in navy yards as we'll q,
in ships, and the country would gladly
accord him whatever moneys were neces
sary TO place the American navy upon a
footing creditable alike to the gallant anC
illustrious service 1t represents and the
great country whose flag it carries In the
waters OF the world.
Ellis secretary of the interior would st
administer that vast department as /,
cleanse 1t Of the agents Of the Indian ring
the pension ring, and the land ring and II
would then be possible only for homes
contractors to furnish the Indian supplies
honest agents to represent claimants for
pension, and honest settlers to obtain titlei
to public lands. Congress would possibly
no longer hesitate to vote the money
necessary for the proper treatment OF tn,
Indians, as the wards Of rich, civilized
and Christiantnation.
His postmaster general would place
the entire postal service upon basis o
absolute honesty and economy. Default
ing postmasters would not only be dis
missed, but punished and men convicted
by the country Of robbing tho department
would not be allowed to secure new con
tracts while they were being prosecuted
for fraud in old ones,
"His attorney general would be able tC
secure the selection Of judges, marshals
and commissioners upon the ground o
their fitness by character and ability tC
represent the administration Of justice l.
their several communities and the coun-
try would no longer be soandalizec
by the prosecution Of unworthy official
who ought never TO have been appointed
to the places they have dishonored
OF course, IL is not intended to sugges
that many of the incumbents Of thes,
offices have not illustrated the qualities
mentioned, but only that such president
/ laI D.. .,h hisanN T.
able to do more TO purify and elevate tn,
public service in term of four years thar
can possibly be done in any other way IL
the lifetime Of a generation"
rive Years imprisonmenl