The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-05


principle needs no apology, and that III It's
fearless and faithful application is 10 be
found The surest guaranty of good govern
.!ent.
Eut the best results in the operation of i
government wherein every citizen has a
snare largely depends upon the, proper lmi-
tntIon t purely partisan Zaai ANA effort, ana
correct apprt cation Of the time when the
heat OF the PARTISAN should be- merged into
he patriotism of the cit zen. To-day tin
exc, ht9ve branch of tine government is trans
ter1rl to nav keeping. But this Is still Il
government Of all the people, and it should
"a Zone the re ; an object OF their affection
Jtp -,,liciuIIr AZ this hour the animosites
# Political strife the bitterness OF partisan
'-!cat nud the eXuitatiOa of partisan trI-
ariph Sho"l lac suppanted by ungrudging
acJulasI ence IN the popular will aud SOBER,
conscientious concern for the general
veal; moreover. if from this hour Nc
cherrfniiy and honestly abandon all
sectional prejudice and distrust, and de
rermue with manly confidence in one
another to work out tremendously the
achievemants Of cur national destiny. we
shall deserve to realize all tine benefits which
our happy form of government can beStow.
On this auSpicious occasion We may we'll re-
new the pledge of our devotion to the con
stitution, which, launched by the founders of
the republic and C nsecI ated by their prayers
tury borne the hopes and aspirations of n
great people through prosperity and PEACE
and through the SnociI OF foreign conflict
and the perilS of domestic strife and vlclssl-
tudes. BY the father of his country our
constitution was commended for adoption as
"the result of a spirit of amity and mutual
concession" In tnat same spirit it should be
administered in order to promote the vel
fare of the country and TO secure the full
measure of its priceless benefits to us and to
those who will succeed to the blessings Of our
national life
The large variety of diverse and compel
ing interests subject to federal control per
sistently eeeking the recognition of their
claims need give Us no fear that the great
est good to the greatest number will fail to
be accomplished il, in the halls Of national
legi 'latiun that spirit of amjty and mutual
| concession shall prevail in which the consti-
tuition had its bHth Ii this involves the
surrender or pOStpouenleut of private inter-
est5 and the Abandonment of local advant-
| p ges, compensation will I've found III the as
-urance that thus the common interest
IS subservei and the general welfare ad-
vanced.
In the discharge of my official duty shall
| endcavor to be guided 10y just and I'M
| strained construction of the constitution a
careful Observance of the distinction be
| tween the powers granted to the federal
| government and those reserved to the states
or to tho people, and by cautious
| appreciation OF those functions which,
| by the constitution and laws have
| Teen especially assigned 10 the eX-
| ecutivo branch of the government. But he
who takes the oath to-day to preserve, pro
! tect, and defend the constitution Of the
| United States only assumes the solemn obi
| cation which every patriotic citizen on the
| farm the workshop. in the busy marts of
| trade, and everywhere, should share with
| hmm. The constitution to which prescrlbes his
| oatH, my coUntrymon, Is yours; the govern
| mant You have chosen him to administer for
a time is yours; the suffrage which executes
the VIII OF free men is yours; the laws and
! the entire scheme o. our civil rule from the
| town-meeting to the state capital and the
national capitol is yours. Every voter as
| surely as your chief magistrate, under the
| same high sanction, though i'll different
| sphere, exercises II public trust Nor is this
| all Every citizen owes to the country
| yigi!lnt watch and n close scrutiny of its
| public servants and fair and reasonable
| estimate Of their fidelity and usefulness.
| Thus is the peoples will Impressed upon tho
| whole framework of our civil pOlcy-mU
| nicipal, state. and federal-and this is the
| price of our liberty and the inspiration of
our faith in the republic.
| 1t j, the duty Of those serving the people
in public places to closely limit public ex-
| pe1ditursS to the actual needs of the govern
| meEt, economically administered, because
it bounds the right of government to exact
| tribute from the earnings of labor or the
| property of citizens, and because public eX-
| travagance begets extravaganza among the
| people We should never he asha AIMED of the
| simplicity and prudential economics which
| are best suited to the operation of repub-
| lican form OF government and most com.
IL -.
| peOI,s. Thoso who are selected for a linn
itei time to manage public affairs are still
| Of the people, and may do much by their
| example 70 encourage, consistently with
| the dignity Of their Official functions,
| that plain way of life which, among
their fellnw citizens. aids and promotes
| thrift and prosperity. The genius of our
| institutions, the needs of our people in their
| huma life, and the attention which is de
Iuandel for the settlement and development
! of the resources of our vast territory, die
tate The scrupulous avoidance of any de
| parture from that foreign policy, com
| inpndel by the history, tho tradition and
| the prosperity Of our republic. 1t is the
| policy OF indep sndence, favored by our po-
| ,ition and defended by our known love O.
| Justice and bv our power. 1t is the policy OF
| peace. suitable to our interests. II Is tie
policy Of neutrality, rejecting any share il
| foreign hrois and ambitions upon other con
| tinentS and rcpellin2 their intrusion here.
1t IS the policy If Monroe, and Washington
| AMI Jefferson peace in commerce and
hone-t friendship with all nations; entang
ling alliances with none.
A due reg lri for the interests and pro-
perity of ali people demand that our finance
shall he established upon such n sound and
sensible basis as shall secure the safety and
| contilen"e Of business interests, and max,
the wage IF labor sure and steady and thai
orr system OF revenue shall ho 50 adjusted
as to relieve tine people from unnecessary
taxation, having due regard to the inter
| ests of capital invested and wOrkmen EN-
ployed in American industries. and prevent
| ing the accumulation OF a surplus in tht
| treasury to tempt extNvagance and waste
| Caro- for the property Of the nation and fol
| the needs OF future settlers require the pub
| lie domain should be protected from pur
Joining schemes and unlawful occupation
The conscience Of the people demands tina
the Indians within our boundaries shall hj
| fairly and honestly treated as wards Of the
| government, and their education and civil
| cation promoted with view to their uiti
mate citizenship; and that polygamy IL 7A'
| Observation-Disclosures # inc family rcla
| ton and offensive to the moral sense of the
CIVILIZED worid-shaIl he repressel. Tn,
laws should he rigidly enforced which FRO
hiEit1 tie immigration of Servile class K
compete with American labor, with no i'll
taution of acquiring citizenship and bring
, ing with them and retaining habits aud Gus
| toms repugnant to our civilization.
The people demand reform in the admin
iStration of the government and the applca
+ ton OF business principles to public affairs
As n means to this end civil service reform
! should be in good faith enforced Our cit
zeGs have the right to protection from the IN
! competency of public employees who hold
their places solely as the reward of partisan
service and from the corrupting inluene,
Of those who promise and the variou
4 methods Of those who expect such re
wards, aud those who wcFthily seek pub
lie employment have the right to insist tina
, merit and competency shall be recognized
instead of party subserviency or the sur
render of honest political belief in the ad
ministration IF government pledged to d.
equal and exact justice to all men, Their
b should be no pretext for anxiety touching
/ the protection of the freedmen in theil
rights or their security in the enjoyment Of
their privileges under the constitution anC
} its amendments. All discussion as to thei