Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-06


Improve the service should characterize
all public officers. There are many waysin
which the convenience and comfort OF those
who have business with our public officers
may be promoted by thoughtful and ohlg-
Il iag officers, and shall expect those whom
Il may appoint to justify their selection BY
Iconsnicuous efficiency in the discharge OF
their duties.
j Honorable party service viii certainly
not be esteemed by me disqualification
i af public Offices, but it will in no case be
allowed to serve as q shield OF official neg j.
tgence, inculnpetency or delinquency. Il Is
/ creditable tn seek public office by proper
methods and with proper motives, and all
applicants shall be treated with con6idera-
tion, but shall need. and the heads Of de-
partmsnts will need, time for inquiry and
tGeiiberation. Persistent importantly will
not, therefore, be the best support Of an
Iapp,ication for office.
i I he heads OF departments, bureaus and
all other public officers having any duty
connected Herewith will be expected to
ENFORCE THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW
fully and without evasion. Beyond this
obvious duty hope to do something more.
to advance q reform OF the civil service.
The ideal or even my own ideal shall
iprobably not attain. Retrospect will be q
safer basis OF judgment than promises.
We shall not, however, / am sure, be able
to put our civil service upon a non-parti-
san basis until we have secured an incum-
bsncy that fair minded men of the oppo-
sition will approve for impartiality and in
tegrity. As the number Of such in the civil
list is increased, removals from Office will
diminish.
While the treasury surplus is not the
greatest evil, it is a serious evil Our rev.
enue should be ample to the most ordi-
nary annual demands upon the treasury.
with Q sufficient margin for those extraor-
dinary, but scarcely less imperative, de-
mands which arise now and then. Expep-
| ditures should always be made with econ
| omy and equity and upon public necessity.
Profigacy and favoritism in public expen-
Iditures is criminal, but there is nothing in
the condition of our country or our people
to suggest that anything presently neces-
sary to public prosperity or honor should
be unduly postponed.
It will be the duty of Congress wisely to
forecast and estimate these extraordinary
demands, and having added them to our
ordinary expenses, to 80 adjust our revenue
laws that no annual surplus will remain. |
We will fortunately be able to apply to the |
redemption of the public debt any small or
unforeseen excess OF revenues. This is bet |
ter than to reduce our income below our
necessary expenditures with resulting
choice between another change Of our
revenue laws and an increase of public !
debt. It is quite possible to effect that
necessary
REDUCTION In OUR REVENUES
without breaking down our protective |
tariff or seriously injuring any domestic in
dustry.
The construction OF sufficient number |
OF modern war ships and their necessary
armament should progress as rapidly as is
| consistent with care and perfection in the |
plans and workmanship. The spirit, cour- |
age and skill OF our naval officers and sea- |
men have many times in our history given |
to weak ships and inefficient guns rating |
greatly beyond that of the naval list. |
That they will again do so upon occasion |
/ do not doubt, but they ought not by pre-. |
meditation or neglect be lett to the exigen- |
cies of unequal combat.
We should encourage the establishment |
OF American steamships. The exchanges |
commerce demands as stated, reliable, /
rapid means OF communication, and until |
that is provided the development of our
trade with the states lying south OF us is
impossible.
Our pension laws should give more ade- |
quate and discriminating relief to Union |
soldiers and sailors, their widows and Or
phans. Such occasions as this should re.
mind us that we owe everything to their |
valor and sacrifice.
1t is a subject OF congratulation that
there is q near prospect OF admission into |
the Union of Dakota Montana and Wash |
ington territories. This act OF justice has |
been unreasonably delayed in the case of |
some of them. The people who settle these |
territories are intelligent, el terprising |
patriotic, and the accession of the North /
western states will add strength to the |
nation. 1t is due to the settlers in the ter /
ritories who have availed themselves OF the /
Invitations OF our land laws to make homes |
upon the public domain, that their titles |
should be speedily adjusted and their hon
est entries confirmed by patent.
It is very gratifying to observe the gen.
eral interest now being manifested in the
REFORM OF OUR ELECTION LAWS.
Those who have been for years calling at.
tention to the present necessity of throw.
ing about the ballot box and about elec-
tions further safeguards in order that our
elections might not only be free and pure.
but might clearly appear to be 80, will
welcome the accession of any who did not
so soon discover the need of reform. The
national congress has not as yet taken
control OF elections in cases over which the
constitution gives it jurisdiction, but has
accepted the adoption OF election laws by
the several states providing penalties for
their violation. Only inefficient laws or
an unfair of partisan administration OF
them could suggest a departure from this
policy.
1t was clearly, however, in the contem-
plation OF the trainers OF the constitution
that such exigsncy might arise and a pro-
vision was wisely made for it. The free
dom OF the ballot is q coalition Of our
national life, and NO power vested in Con-
gress or in the executive to secure or per-
petuate it should remain unused upon oc-
casion. The people of all Congressional
districts have an equal interest that the
election in each shall truly express the
views and wishes OF majority OF the quail
flied electors residing within it. The re-
suits OF such elections are not local
and the insistence OF electors residing in
other districts that they shall be pure and
free, does not savor at all OF impertinence.
If in any OF the states public security is
thought to be threatened by ignorance
among our electors, the obvious remedy is
education. The sympathy and help OF our
people will not be withheld from any COM
munity struggling with special embarrass-
ments or difficulties connected with the
suffrage if the remedies proposed proceed
upon lawful lines and are promoted by
just and honorable methods. How shall
THOSE WHO PRACTICE ELECTION FRAUDS
recover that respect for the sanctity OF the
ballot which is the first condition and oh.
legation OF good citizenship? The man who
has corae to regard the ballot box as a Jug
gler's hat has renounced his allegiance.
Let us exalt patriotism and moderate our
party contentious. Let those who would
die for the flag on the field OF battle give q
better proof Of their patriotism and a
higher glory to their country by promoting
fraternity and iustice. PARTY success