The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-12-16

concerning the tariff seems to be clear, il
has not settled the controversy between
the revenue reformers and the protec
tiouists as TO where the President stands.
Of two things there can be no doubt
~. lie favors reduction of the
revenue, and (2) he thinks that the
reduction should be made in the
revenue derived from tax on the i'm
ported necess aries of life" In close
connection with his recommendations
on this subject, though it may be acct
dental, We find the following:
OF the entire amount of the duties collect
ed seventy per cent was collected from the
following articles Of import
Percentage
Sugar and lnolssses........... .......... p
ool and us IS
oils and its manufacture.
Iron and steel and their manuactures....-....-...
Cotton manufactures.
Flax, hemp and jute and their manufactures.,.,..
The President makes strong showing
in favor of suspending tie coinage of
silver. The arguments he uses are not
new and not unanswerable, but they are
presented in a new dress and in forcible
style. The first and best answer to all
his predictions of evil to flow from the
continued coinage of silver, is that SINH
lar predictions were made in 1878, have
been made constantly since, and have
not as yet been verified. The President
does not ask that silver coinage be sus-
pended in order to repair damage already
done, but to avert what he conceives to
be a threatened and impending financial
disaster. As evidence that the pro
phesies of the anti-siver men have not
been fulfilled, we quote the following
language from the report of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, one of the ablest
documents we have ever read:
Stopping the coinage now is perfect
remedy for the evil which the business
classes have measured, judged and desire
to see averted. They do not wish its re-
currence in a varied form. Increasing
the weight of silver in the dollar as
sumes the present dollars to be incapable
of continued equivalence with the none
'ary unit, when in fact, by stopping
further coinage they can be held in our
domestic exchanges to that equivalence.
As we understand it, these are the
views of the President also.
The recommendations concerning the
policy to be pursued towards the In
dians will receive the sympathy of
philanthropists and, it is to be hoped,
will be productive OF good results.
Both the President and Secretary La.
MAR pay deserved tribute to the
Christian men and women who have
labored as missionaries among these
savages, and both refer whatever pro
gres hes been made towards their civil
cation, to the effect of religious educa.
cation.
The Mormon system, being a vul-
gar excrescence on the body polite,
receives the condemnation it deserves.
in terms whose eloquence win charm the
hearts of all who value the chastity
of the domesti c circle.
The views of the President on the
civil service have undergone no change
He believes in the system Of competitive
examinations and gives good and sub
stantial reasons for his belief. Many
who disagree with him, generally, on this
subject will endorse the following ex-
pressions: "While partisanship continues
bitter and pronounced and supplies so
much of motive to sentiment and action,
it is not fair TO hold public officials in
charge of important trusts responsible |
for the best results in the performance
of their duties, and yet insist that they
shall rely, in confidential and important
places, upon the work of those not only |
opposed to them in political affiliation,
but so stepped in partisan prejudice and |
rancor that they have no loyalty to
their chiefs and no desire for heir sue
cess. Civil Service reform does not |
exact this, nor does ii require that those
for subordinate positions who fail In |
welding their best service or WHO are
incompetent should be retained simply |
because they are in place"
The message Of the President, q
whole, from whatever point i may Be |
considered, Is an admirable document,
and il and the reports Of the members Of
IL cabinet vim 50 far towards assuring