Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1885-03-10
reeds .of our peopIe.inl their.home re

needs of our people.in their home life
and the attention which is demanded
for the settlement and developmentof
the resources of our vast territory
dictate the scrupulous avoidance of
any departure from that foreign pol
icy commended by the history, the
traditions and the prosperity of our
Republic. 1t is the policy of indie
pendence, favored by our position
and defended by our known love of
jnstice and by our power. 1t is the
policy of peace suitable to our inter
ests- 1t is the policytof neutrality,
rejecting any share in foreign broiIs
and ambitions upon other continents
and repelling their intrusion here
1t is the policy of Monroe and of
Washington and Jefferson-ss peace.
commerce and honest friendship with
all nations; entangling alliances with
none. -
A due regard for the interests and
prosperity of all the people demand
that our finances shall be established
upon such a sound and sensible basis
as shall secure the safety and conf
dence of business interests and make
the wage of labor sure and steady {;
and that our system of revenue shall
be so adjusted as to relieve the peo-
pie from unnecessary taxation, hav-
ing due regard to the interest of
capital invested and workingmen en-
ployed in American industries, and
preventing the accumulation of a sur
plus in the Treasury to tempt extray-
agance and waste. Care for the
property of the nation, and for the
needs of future settlers, require that
the public domain should be protect
ed from purioining schemes and un-
lawful occupation.
The conscience of the people de-
mands that the Indians within our
boundaries shall be fairly and hon.
estly treated as wards of the Govern
ment, and their education and civili-
cation promoted, with n view to their
ultimate citizenship; and that polyg-
amy in the Territories, destructive of
the family relation and offensive to
the moral sense of the civilized world,
shall be repressed. The laws should
be rigidlY enforced which prohibit the
immigration of servile class to COM
pete with American labor, with no in
tention of acquiring citizenship and
bringing with them and retaining
habits and customs repugnant to our
civilization.
The people demand reform in the
administration of the Government
and the application of business prin-
ciples to public affairs. As a means
to this end civil service reform should
be in good faith enforced. Our citi-
zens have the right to protection from
the incompetency of public employees
who hold their places solely as the
reward of partisan service and from
the corrupting influence of those who
promise, and the vicious methods of
those who expect such rewards.
And those who worthily seek public
employment have the right to insist
that merit and competency shall be
recognized instead of party subser-
viency or the surrender of honest DO
litical belief.
In the administration of Govern
ment pledged to do equal and exact
justice to all men, there should be no
preteXt for anxiety touching the pro-
lection of the freedmen in their rights,
or their security in the enjoyment of
their privileges under the Constitu-
ton and its amendments. All dis
cussion as to their fitness for the
place accorded to them as American
citizens is idle and Improbable, ex-
cept as it suggests the necessity for
their Improvement. The fact that
they are citizens entities them to all
the rights due to that relation and
charges them with all it's duties, OBJ
legations and responsibilities.
These topics, and the constant and
ever varying wants of an active and
enterprislng population, may we'll re-
ceive the attention and the patriotic
endeavor of all who make and exc
cute the Federal law. Our duties are
practical, and call for industrious ap-
plication, and intelligent perception
of the claims of public office, and
above all, firm determination, by
united action, to secure to all the peo-
pie of the land the full benefits of
the best form of government ever
youchsafed to man. And let us not
trust to human effort alone, but hum
bly, acknowledging the power and
goodness of Almighty God, who pre-
sides over the destiny of nations, and
who has at all times been revealed in
our country's history, let us invoke
His aid and His blessing upon our
labors.
Mr.. w. w. Corcoran has given
81, 900 to aid the jackson Memorial