The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-07-23

Republican party to encourage the oppressed
OF other nations and offer them facilities for
becoming useful and intelligent citizens in the
legal definition OF the term, the party has new
or contemplated the admission OF a class Of
servile people who are not only unable to COM
prehend our institutions but indisposed to be-
come part of our national family or to en-
brace any higher civilization than their own.
TO admit such immigrants would be only to
throw retarding element into the very path
OF our progress. Our legislation should be am
ply protective against this danger, and II not
sufficiently so now should be made so to the
Iuil extent allowed by our treaties with friend
ly powers.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The subject of civil service administration IL
problem that has occupied the earnest
thought Of statesmen for a number of years
past, and the record will show that toward its
solution many results OF valuable and COM
prehensive character have been attained by
the Republican party since its accession to
power. In the partizan warfare made upon
the latter with the view of weakening it in
public confidence great deal has been alleged
in connection with the abuse Of the civil SER
vice, the party making the indiscrminate
charges seeming to have entirely forgotten
that 1t was under the full sway of the Demo-
cratic organization that the motto "To the vic
tors belong the spoils" became cardinal art-
cl in the Democratic creed.
With the determination TO elevate our GOV
ornamental administration to a standard of JUS
tice, excellence, and public morality, the Re-
publican party has sedulously endeavored to
lay the foundation of a system which shall
reach the highest perfection under the plastic
Rand of time and accommodating experience.
The problem is one OF far greater intFicacy
than appears upon its superficial consideration,
and embraces the sub-questions Of how to avoid
the abuses possible to the Judgment OF an i'm
mense number OF appointments in the hands OF
the Executive; OF how to give encouragement
to and provoke emulation in the various Gov
eminent 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 thu Government service
who, in imitation of European prototypes, may
gradually lose all proficiency and value in the
belief that they possess life-callng only to be
taken away in case of some fragrant abuse.
The thinking, earnest men Of the Republican
party have made no mere wordy demonstra-
ton upon this subject; but they have endeav-
ored to quietly perform that which their op
ponents are constantly promising without
performing. Under Republican rule the result
has been that, without ENGRAVING any of the
Objectionable features of the European sys-
TENS upon our Owl, there has been steady and
even rapid elevation OF the civil service in all
of its departments, until it can now be stated
the service is more just, more efficient and
purer in all OF its features than ever before
since the establishment of our Government;
and II defects still exist in our system, the
country can safely rely upon the Republican
party as the most efficient instrument for their
removal.
L am in favor of the highest standard of ex-
cellence in the administration of the civil
service, and will lend my best efforts to the &C
complishment of the greatest attainable per-
in no hNan nah saf
THE REMAINING TWIN RELIC OF BARBARlsM.
The Republican party came into existence
in a crusade against the Democratic institu-
tions of slavery and polygamv. The first OF
these has been buried beneath the embers of
civil war. The party should continue its
efforts until the remaining iniquity shall dis
appear from our civilization under the force of
faithfully executed laws
There are other subjects of Importance which
| would gladly touch upon did space permit
L limit myself to saying that while there
should be the most rigid economy of govern
mental administration, there should be no self
defeating parsimony either in our domestic or
foreign service. Official dishonesty should be
promptly and relentlessy punished. Our
obligations to the defenders of our country
should never be forgotten, and the liberal sys-
tenn OF pensions provided by the Republican
party should not be imperiled by adverse legis-
lation. The law establishing labor bereau,
through which the interests of labor can be
placed 10 an organized condition, regard as a
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 coast lines, our commerce,
and to give us a force in foreign waters which
shall be a respectable and proper representa-
tive of q country like our own. The public
lands belong to the people, and should not be
alienated from them, but reserved for free
homes for all desiring to possess them; and,
finally, our present Indian policy should be
continued and improved upon as our expert.
ence in its administration may from time to
time suggest.
have the honor to subscribe myself, Sir,
Your obedient sc rvant,
JOHN A. LOGAN.
To the Hon. John B. Henderson,
Chairman of the Committee.