Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-07-24

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since the close of the war, three bushels
at home to one they have sold abroad,
and that in the case of corn, the only
other cereal which we export TO any ex-
tent, 100 bushels has been used
at home to three and half bushels
exported. In some years the disparity
has been so great that for, every peck |
of corn exported 100 bushels have been |
consumed in the home market. The |
farmers see that in the increasing COM
petition from the grain fields of Russia |
from the distant plains of India. the
growth of the homo market becomes |
daily of greater concern to them and
that its impairment would depreciate
the value Of every acre of tillable land
in the union.
OWL SERVICE.
His policy concerning the civil service
is briefly outlined as follows:
''The general character of the civil
administrations has been honorable. In
the one supreme test-the collection
and disbursement of revenue-the
record Of fidelity has never been sur
passed by any nation. With the almost
fabulous sums which were received and
paid during the late war, scrupulous
integrity was the prevailing rule. In
deed, throughout that trying period, it
can be SAID to the honor of the Amer
lean name that unfaitbfulness and DIS
honesty among civil officers were as
rare as misconduct and cowardice on
the field of battle.
"The growth of the country has con-
tinually and necessarily enlarged the
civil service, until now it includes a
vast body of officers. Rules and meth
DDS 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 mas; 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
he based on faithful discharge of duty,
are the two ends to be accomplished.
The public business will be aided by
separating the legislative branch of the
government from all control of appoint
ments, and the executive department
will be relieved by subjecting appoint
ments to fixed rules and thus removing
them from the caprice of favoritism.
But there should be rigid observance 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.
81 entered congress in 1868, and in
somewhat prolonged service / never
found it expedient to request or recon-
mend the removal of civil officer ex-
cept in four instances, and then for nom
political reasons which were instantly
conclusive with the appointing power.
The officers in the district, appointed by
Mr.. Lincoln 10 1861, upon the recon-.
mendation of my predecessor, served as
u rule until death or resignation.
adopted at the beginning of my service
the test of competitive examination for
appointment to West Point and
maintained it so long as had the right
by law 10 nominate cadet. In the
case of many officers | found that the
present law which arbitrsrily limits the
terri of the commission offered con-
slant temptation to changes for mere
political reasons. have publicly ex-
pressed the belief that the essential
mobilization 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 conviction that the rule of
impartial appointment might with adj
vantage be carried. beyond any existing
provision of the civil service law. 1t
should be applied to appointments in
the consular service. Consuls should
be commercial sentinels-- encircling the
globe with watchfulness for their coun-
try's interests. Their intelligence and
competency become, therefore. matters
of great public concern. No man
should be appointed to an American
consulate, whe is not well instructed in
the history and resources of his 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 10
the most efficient agents in the discharge
of public business and the appointing
power should regard this as the prior
and Interior consideration.
OUR CURRENCY.
1.-The people of the United States,
though often urged and tempted, have
never seriously contemplated the recog-
milton of any other money than gold
and silver-dnd currency directly con-
vertible into them. They have not done
so, they will not do so, under any ne
cessity less pressing than that of des-
perate war; The one special requisite
for the completion of our monetary
system is the fixing of the relative val
ues of silver and gold. The large use
of silver as the money of account among
Asiatic nations, taken in connection
with the increasing commerce Of an in
ternational agreement in the premises.
Our government should not cease to
urge this measure until common
standard of value shall be reached and
established-a standard that shall en-
able the United States to use the silver
from its mines as an auxiliary to gold
in settling the balances of commercial
exchange.
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Wages are uDjustly reduced when an
industrious man is not able by his earn
ings to live in comfort, educate his chill
dren, and lay by a sufficient amount
for the necessities of age. The reduc-
ton of wages inevitably consequent
upon throwing our homo markets
open to the world, would de-
prive them of power to do this. 1T
would prove q great calamity to our
t.