Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-08-01

such immigrants would be only 10
throw a retarding element into the
very path Of our progress. Our
Legislation should be amply prOtec-
tive against this danger, and if not
sufficiently SO now should be made
so to the full extent allowed by our
treaties with friendly powers.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The subject of civil service ad-
ministration is a problem that has
occupied the earnest thought of
statesmen for a number Of years
past, and the record will show that
toward it's solution many results OF
a valuable and comprehensive
character have been attained by
the Republican party since its ac-
cession to power. In the partizan
warfare made upon the latter with
the view of weakening it in the
public confidence a great deal has
been alleged in connection with the
abuse of the civil service, the par
ty making the indiscriminate
charges seeming to have entirely
forgotten that it was under the full
sway of the Democratic Organiza-
ton that the motto "To the victOrs
belong the spoils" became a cardi-
nal article in the Democratic creed.
With the determination to ele-
vate our governmental administra-
ton to a standard of justice, eX-
cellence, and public morality, the
Republican party has seduously
endeavored to lay the foundation
of system which shall reach the
highest perfection under the plas-
tic hand of time and accumulating
experience. The problem is one of
far greater intricacy than appears
upon its superficial consideration,
and embraces the sub-QuestiOns Of
how to avoid the abuses possible to
the lOdgment of an immense num-
Der of appointments in the hands
Of the Executive; Of how to give
encouragement to and provoke
emulation in the various Govern
ment employees, in order that they
may strive for proficiency and rest
their hopes of advancement upon
the attributes of official merit, good
conduct, and exemplary honesty;
and how best to avoid the evils Of
creating a privileged class in the
Government service, who, in imi-
tation of European prototypes,
may gradually lose all proficiency
and value in the belief that they
possess a life calling only to be
taken away in case of some fla
grant abuse.
The thinking, earnest men of the
Republican party have made no
mere wordy demonstration upon
this subject; but they have en-
deavored to quietly perform that
which their opponents are cons.
stantly promising without perform,
ing. Under Republican rule the
result has been that, without
engrafting any Of the objection
able features of the European sys-
TENS upon our own, there has been
a steady and even rapid elevation
of the civil service in all of its
departments, until it can now be
stated, without fear Of successful
contradiction, that the service is
more just, more efficient, andpurer
in allOf its features than ever before
since the establishment of our
Government; and if defects still
exist in our system, the country
can safely rely upon the Republican
party as the most efficient inStru-
ment for their removal.
am in favor of the highest stan
dard of excellence in the admins
tratiOn of the civil service and will
lend my best efforts to the accom-
plishment Of the greatest attainable
perfection in this branch of our
service.
THE REMAINING TWIN RELIC or
BARBARIsM.
The Republican party came into
existence in a crusade against the
Democratic institutions of slavery
and pOlygamy. The first Of these
has been buried beneath the embers
of civil war. The party should
continue its efforts until the re.
naming iniquity shall disappear
from our civilization under the force
of faithfully executed laws.
There are other subjects of i'm
portance which would gladly touch
upon did space permit. | limit
myself to saying that, while there
should be the most rigid economy
of governmental administration,
there should be no self defeating
parSimony either in our domestic
or foreign service. Official dis
honesty should be promptly and
relentlessly punished. Our oblig-
ations to the defenders ofour cOun-
try should never be forgotten, and
the liberal system of pensions pro-
vided by the Republican party
should not be imperiled by adverse
legislation. The law establishing
a Labor Bureau, through which
the interests of labor can be placed
in an organized condition, | re-
gard as salutary measure, The
eight-hour law should be enforced
as rigidly as any other. We should
increase our Navy to a degree
enabling us to amply protect our
cost lines, our commerce, and to
give us force in foreign waters
which shall be a respectable and
proper representative of a coun-
try like our own. The public lands
belong to the people, and should
not be alienated from them, but
reserved for free homes for all de-
string to possess them; and finally
cur present Indian policy should
be continued and improved upon