Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-05

The poiiryof neutrality, rejecting any
share IN foreign broils and ambitions
upon other continents and rcpcllmg their
intrusion here. II rs the policy Of
Monroe and Of Washington, and JefFer-
son--" Peace. commerce. and honest
friendship with all nations; entangling
alliances with none.''
OUR FINANCES.
A due regard for the interests and
prosperity OF all the people demands
that our finances shall be established
upon such sound and sensible basis
a. shall secure the safety and conf
dcnce Of business interests and make
the wages Of labor sure and steady.
and that our system Of revenue shall
be so adjusted rs to relieve the people
from unnecessary taxation, having a
due regard TO the interests Of capital
invested and workingmen employed in
American industries, and preventing
the accumulation of surplus in the
Treasury TO tempt extravaganza and
waste. Care for the property of the
nation and for the needs Of future set
tiers require that the public domain
should be protected from purloining
schemes and unlawful occupation.
THE INDIANS.
The conscience Of the people demands
that the Indians within our boundaries
shall be fairly and honestly treated as
wards Of the Government, and their
education and civilization promoted
with view to their ultimate citizen
ship; and that polygamy in the Terri
tories-destructive of the family rela-
ton and offensive to the moral sense of
the civilized world-shall be repressed.
The laws should be rigidly enforced
which prohibit the immigration OF
seryile class to compete with American
labor, with no intention of acquiring
citizenship, and bringing with them and
retaining habits repngnant to our civil
ization.
ADMINISTRATION REFORM.
The people demand reform in the adj
ministration Of the Government and
the application of business principles to
public affairs. As means to this end
civil-Seryice reform should be in good
faith enforced. Our citizens have the
right to protection from the incompe-
tency of public employees who hold their
places solely as the reward of partisan
service and from the corrupting inhu-
encc 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
subServiency or the surrender of honest
political belief
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
In the administration of government
pledged to do equal and exact justice
to all men there should be no prctext
for anxiety touching the protection Of
the freedmen in their rights or their
security in the enjoyment of their priyi-
leges under the Constitution and its
amendments. All discussion as to their
fitness for the place accorded to them
as American citizens is idle and unpro-
fitable. except as it suggests the neces-
sity for their improvement. The fact
that they are citizens entities them to
all the rights due to that relation, and
charges them with all its duties, obli-
cations, and responsibilities.
DEMANDING ATTENTION.
These topics and the constant and
eyer-yarying efforts Of an active aud
enterprising population may well re-
ceiye the attention and the patriotic
endeayor of all who make and exc
cute the Federal law. Our duties
are practical, and call for an in-
dustrious application and an intelli-
gent perception of the claims of
public office. and above all firm de-
termination by united action to secure
to all the people of the land the full
benefits of the best form of govern
ment ever youchsafed to man. And let
us not trust to human effort alone, but
humbly 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.