The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-07-24

civil officer except in four instances. and ther
for non political REASONS which were INST lntly
conclusive with the appointing power The
officers Of the district, appointed by Mr. Lin
predecessor, served as rule, Until denth OF
resignation. adopted at the beginning OF m
service the test Of competitive examination for
appointments to West Point, and maintaii,ed
1T so long rs had the right by law to noinin,tt
cadet. In the case of many officers found
that the present law which arbitrarily limits
the term of the commission offered a a., +.
slant temptation to changes for mere political
reasons. have publicly expressed the belief
that the essential modification OF that law
would be in many respects ad advantageous.
My observation in the Department of State
! confirmed the conclusions of my legislative ex'
perience, and impressed me with the conylc-
ton that the rule of impartial appointment
might with advantage be carried beyond any
existing provision of the civil-service law. II
should be applied to appointments in the con-
sular service. Consuls should be commercial
Notwithstanding the globe with watehful-
ness fOr their c0untryS interests. Their intel
ligence and competency become therefore mat
tiers of great public concern. No man should be
appointed to an American consulate who is not
not well instructed in the history and
resources his of own country, and in
the requirements and language of COM
merce in the country to which he is sent.
The same rule should be applied even more
rigidly to secretaries of legation in our diplo-
matte service. The people have the right to
public business, and the appointing power
should regard this as the prior and Interior
consideration.
THE MORMON QUEST ION.
Religious liberty is the right of every citizen
of the republic. Congress is forbidden by the
constitution to make any law Prospecting the
establishment of religion prohibiting the
free exercise thereof" For century, under this
guarantee, Protestant and Catholic, Jew and
GENTLE, have worshipped God according to the
dictates OF conscience. But religious liberty
must st not be perverted to the Justification
of offenses against the law religious sect,
strongly in trenched in one of the Territories OF
the Unto n. and spreading rapidly into four
other Territories, claims the right, to destroy
the great safeguard and imminent of social
order, and to practice as q religious privilege
that which is crime punished with severe
sacredness and unity of the family must be
preserved as the foundation of all wise govern
ment, as the source of orderly administration,
as the surest guarantee OF moral purity
The claim of the Mormons that they are d.
vinely authorized t practice polygamy should
no more be admitted than the claim of certain
heathen tribes, if they should come among us
to continue the rite OF human sacrifice. The
law does not interfere with what q man be-
lieves; 1t takes cognizance only of what he
does. AS citizens, the Mormons are entitled to
the same civil rights as others and to these they
must be confined. Polygamy never re-
ceive national sanction or federation by admit
ting the community that upholds it as State
in tine 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, have never seriously con-
temp lated the recognition of any other money
than gold and siIver-and currency directly
convertible into them. They have not done so
they will not do So under any necessity less pres
sing than that of des perate war. The one special
requisite for the completion of our monetary
system is the fixing of the relative values 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
the world, gives the weightest reasons for an
international agreement i'll the premises. Our
government should not cease to urge this
measure until IL common standard OF value
shall be reached and establshet-a standard
that shall enable the United states to use the
silver from its mines as an auxiliary to gold in
settling the balances of commercial exchange.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The strength of the republic is Increased by
the multiplication of landhoiders. Our laws
should look to the judicious encouragement of
actual settlers on the public domain, which
should he nceforth be held as sacred trust for
the benefit of those seeking homes. The ten
dency to consolidate large tracts of land in the
ownership of individuals or corporations
should, w 18th proper regard to vested rights be
discouraged. One hundred Thousand acres of
land in the hands of one man is far less profita-
BILE to tn e nation in every way than when its
ownersh lip is divided among one thousand
men. The evil of permitting large tracts of the
national domain TO be consolidated and con-
trolled by the few against the many is EN-
HANGED when the persons controlling it are
aliens. 1t is but fair that the public land should
who are citizens of the republic, or willing to
become So
OUR SHIPPING INTERESTS.
Among our national interests, one languishes
the foreign carrying trade. 1t was very seri-
ously crippled in our civil war, and another
blow was given TO it in the general substitution
of steam for sail in ocean traffic. With o 'front.'
age on the two great oceans, with freightage
larger than that of any other nation, we have
every inducement to restore our navigation.
Yet the government has hitherto refused its
help. A small share of the encouragement
given by the government to railways and to
manufactures, and small share of the capital
and the zeal given by our citizens to those en-
terprises would have carried our ships to every
sea and to every port A law just enacted re-
moves some Of the burdens upon our naviga-
ton and inspires hope that this great interest
may at last receive its due share of attention.
All efforts in this direction should receive en-
enlargement.
SACREDNESSS OF THE BALLOT.
This survey OF our condition as a nation re-
minds us that material prosperity is but q
moekery if 1t does not tend to preserve the lib
erty of The people. free ballot is the safe
gurd of republic an Institutions, without which
no national wei fare is assured. A popular cleo
ton, honestly conducted, embodies the very
majesty of true government. Ten millions of
voters desire to take part in the pending con-
test. The safety of the republic rests upon the
suffrage to the citizen. To deposit n fraudulent
vote is no worse a crime against constitutional
liberty than to obStruct the deposit of an hon
est vote. He who corrupts suffrage strikes at
the ve.y root Of free government. He is the
arch-enemy of the republic. He forgets that in
tramplng upon the rights of others he fatally
imperils his own rights ut is a good land which
maintain our heritage only by guarding with
vigilance the source of popular power. am,
with great respect. your obedient servant,
ny JAMES G. BLAINE"
Augusta. July Is 1881
u