West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-12-12

/ tuTes nelther am detcrred bN that fact from
recommending that Congress grant pension
| To such honorahly discharged soldiers and
| sailors Of the civil war aS having rendered
| substantial service during the war are now
| dependent upon their own labor for = main
| tcnancc and by disease or casualty are inca
pacitated from eSrning IL. Many OF the men
| who would he included in this form OF relief
| are now dependent upon public aid, and IL
| does not in my Judgment consist
| with the national honor that they shall
continue to sihSist upon tho local relief
given indiscriminately tc paupcrs instead of
| upon the special and generous provision OF
| the nation they served 50 gallantly and un-
selhshly. Our people viii, ann sure, very
| generally approve such legislation And
am equally sure that the survivors of the
| Union army and navy will feal a grateful
sense of relief when this worthy aud suffer-
| ing class OF their comrades is fairly cared
for.
There are some manifest inequalities in tho
| existing law that should be rcmedied To
some uf these the Secretary OF the Interior
has called attention
PROTECTION ron RAILROAD MES.
The attention of the Interstate Commerce
| Commission has been called 20 the urgent
need OF Congressional legislation for the bet
ter protection OF the lives and limbs Of those
engaged m operating tho great Interstate
| freight lines of the country, and especially of
| the yardmen and brakemen A petition
| signed 10y nearly ten thousand railway
| brakemcn was presented 10 the commission.
! asking that steps might loo taken 10 bring
| about the Use uf automatic brakes and couI,s
lei's ON freight cars
During the year ending on juno 70,
lSSS, over two thousand railroad en-
| ployes were killed in service and more than
twenty thousand injured. IL is competent, |
think for Congress to require uniformity in
| the construction of cars used i'm Interstate
commerce. and the use Ok improved safety
| appliances upon such trains limo will la
| necessary TO make the needed changes, but
| an earnest and Intelligent beginning should
be made Mt once. 1t is a reproach 10 our
| civilization that any class OF American
worlmen should, in the pursuit OF neces-
| sary and useful vocation, be subjected 90
peril of life and limb as great as that OF a solA
dier in time OF war.
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURR
The creation Of an executive department.
TO be known as the Department OF Agricul.
| ture 10y the act OF February last was a
| wise and timely response TO u request which
had long been respectfully urged by the
farmers Of the country. But much remains
| to be done 60 perfect the organization OF the
| department so that &c may fairly realize the
| expectations which its creation excited In
this connection attention is called 90 the sug.
gcstions contained In the report OF the Sec.
retary, which is herewith submitted.
THE WORLDS FAIR
| The proposition 20 observe the 400th an
| niVersary of the discovery Of America 10y the
| opening of n worlds fair or exposition i'm
some ono OF our great cities will be presented
| Tor the consideration OF Congress. The value
| and interest of such an exposition may well
claim the promotion of the General Govern
! ment.
THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
The purpose Of the Civil Service law was
| absolutely 10 exclude any other consideration
| In connection with appointments under IL
than that Of merit as tested by the examinn-
| tions. The business proceeds upon tho theory
| that both the examining boards aud the ap-
| pointing officers are absolutely ignorant as 10
| the political views aud associations OF all Der-
| sons ON the civil service lists. IL is not too
| much 10 say, however, that some recent Con-
| gresslonai Investigations have somewhat
shaken public confidence in the impartiality
OF the selections for appointment.
| The reform OF the civil service will make
| no safe or satisfactory advance until the
| present law and its equal administration are
we'll established i'm the confidence of the
| people. III will be my pleasure, az 10 is my
| duty, 20 see that the law is executed with
| hrmness and impartiality. III some of its
| provisions have been fraudulently evaded
| by appointing officers, our resentment should
| not suggest the repeal of the law, but reform
IN its administration. We should have one
| view OF the matter, and hold IL with sin.
certify that is not affected by the considera-
| tlon that the party 10 which we belong is for
the time in power.
The duty OF appointment Is dovolved by
she Constitution or jy the law. and the an
| pointing officers are properly held 10 a high
| responsibility in its exercise. The growth Of
the country and the consequent increase o,
| the civil list hav0 magni6ed this function
or the executive disproportionally II can
| not be denied however that the labor con.
| nected With this necessary work is increased
| often 10 the point Of actual distress. by the
| sudden and excessive demands that are
made upon an incoming administration for
| removals and appointments. But, on the
| other hand, 10 is not true that inc!imbencv h,
J conclusive argument for continuance i'm
/ once lmpartnlity, moderation, fidelity 10
| pubic duty and good attainment la the
discharge Of II must be added before the
| argument Is complete. When those holding
administrative offices so conduct themselves
as 10 convince just political opponents that
no party consideration or bias affects in any
way the discharge of their public duties. we
can more easily stay tho demand for re-
| InOyals.
am satisfied that both I'm and out OF the
classified service great benefit would accrue
from the adoption of some system by which
the officer would receive the distinction and
benefit that, In all private employments
comes from exceptional fathfulness and eff
cheney In the performance of duty
| have suggested ~ the heads Of the execti-
tive departments that they consider whether
| arecOrd might not be kept i'm each bureau Of
all those elements that arc covered by the
| terms Ialthiulness' and efficiency" aud n
rating made showing the relative merits of
the clerks Of each class, this rating to be re-
garded as a test Of merit I'm making promo
! tious.
have also suggested TO the Postmaster
| General that he adopt some plan by which
! be can, upon the basis of the reports 10 tho
! department and Of frequent inspections i'm
| dicate the relative merit OF postmasters Of
each class They will bc appropriately indi-
cated pm the Official register and in the re-
port Of the department. That n great stirn-
| illus would thus De given 90 tho whole ser-
vice do not doubt, and such a record would
Dc the best defense against inconddcrato re-
/ mOvals from office
THE EDUCATION or OUR PEOPLE
National aid to education has heretofore
taken tho form of land grants. and in that
| form the constitutional power Of Congress 10
| promote the education Of tho people g not
| seriously questioned. 4 DO not think it can
| bo successfully questioned when tho. form iq
/ changed ~ that Of q direct grant of money
| from the public treasury
Such aid should De. 81 DO always has been
| suggested by some exceptional conditions
| The sudden emancipation Of the slaves III
| tho South. the bestowai Of the euffrage
1 which soon followed and the Impairment ok
| tho ability Of the States where these new
I citizens wero chiefly found 10 alternately
| provide educational facilities. presented not
/ only exceptional but unoxamplod conditions
| That the situation has been much aneIio-
/ rated there s NO doubt The ability and iu-
&C. . HH."H IA. 80