The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-05

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: absorb any of our weaker neighbors, Blu
t rather aid than discourage them to estab
: fish free and stable government restin,
upon the consent of the people. -
We have the clear right to expect, there
. fore, that no European government vii
seek to establish colonial dependency upoI
| the territory of these independent Ameri
, can states.
| That which a sense of justice Restraints u!
from seeking, they may be reasonably ex
pected willingly to forego. 1t must not bt
assumed, however, that our interests are
so exclusively American, our entire unat
tention to any events that may transpirt
elsewhere, can be taken elsewhere.
Our citizens, domiciled for purposes OF
trade in all countries and in many of the
islands of the sea, demand and will have oul
adequate care in their personal and com
mercial rights.
VERY BROAD HINT.
The necessities of our navy require con
venlent coaling stations and dock and har-
Dor privileges. These and other trading
privileges we will feel free to obtain only by
means that do not in any degree partake OF
coercion, however feeble the government
from which we ask such concessions. But,
having fairly obtained them by methods and
for purposes entirely consistent with most
friendly disposition toward all other pow
modification or impairment of concessions.
We will neither fail to respect the flag of
any friendly nation or the just rights of
its citizens, nor to exact like treatment for
our own. CalmnesS, justice and consider
alton should characterize our diplomacy.
Offices of intelligent diplomacy or friendly
! arbitration in proper cases should be ade-
quate to peaceful adjustment of ell inter
notiOnal difficulties. BY such methods we
viii make our contributions to the worlds
peace, which no nation values more highly:
and avoid the opprObium which must fall
upon the nation that ruthlessly breaks it.
A BURDENsOME DUTY.
The duty deYolved by law upon the pres
| ident to nominate, and by and with the ad-
| vice and consent of the senate, to appoint
all public officers whose appointment is not
otherwise provided for in the constitution
| or by act of congress, has become very bur-
densome, and its wise and efficient discharge
full of difficulty. The civil list is so large
that personal knowledge of any large num-
| Der of applicants is impossible.
The president must fully rely upon rep
reservations of others, and these are often
made incOnsiderately and without any just
sense OF responsibility.
CIVIL SERVICE.
I have the right, l think, to insist that
those who volunteer or are invited to give
advice to appointments shall exercise con
sideration and fidelity. High sense of
duty and habitation and ambition to i'm
prove the service should characterize all
public officers.
There are many ways in which the con-
venience and comfort of those who have
business with our public offices may be
promoted by thoughtful, Obliging officers,
and l shall expect those whom l may APP
point to justify their selection by cOnspcu-
Gus efficiency in the discharge of their
duties.
Honorable party service will certainly
not be esteemed by me disqualification
for public Offices, but it will in no case be
allowed to serve as shield of official negli-
gence, incompetency, or delinquency.
1t is entirely creditable to seek public
Office by proper methods and with proper
motives and all applicants will be treated
with consideration, but l shall need and the
heads of departments will need time for in
quiry and elaboration.
APPLICANTS MUST BE MODEST.
Persistent importantly will not, there
fore, be the best support of application for
Office. The heads of departments and
bureaus, and all other public officers hay-
ing any duty connected Herewith, will be
expected to enforce civil service law fully
and without evasion.
Beyond this obvious duty, hope to do
something more to advance the reform of
civil service. An ideal, or even my own
IDEAL shall probably not attain.
Retrospect will be safer basis of judg-
ment than promises. We shall not, how
ever, am sure, be able to put our civil
service upon a non-partisan basis until we
have secured an incumbency that fair
minded men of the opposition will approve
for impartiality and integrity. AS the num-
Der of such in the civil list is increased, re-
mOvals from office will diminish.
THB SURPLUS Is AN EVIL.
While the treasury surplus is not the
greatest evil, it is a serious evil. Our
revenue should be ample to the most Ordi-
nary annual demands upon our treasury,
with sufficient margin for those extra
ordinary but scarcely less imperative de-
mands which arise now and then.
Expenditure should always be made with |
economy and only upon public necessity. |
Fullness, prOfigacy and favoritism in
public expenditures is criminal, but there |
is nothing in the condition of our country |
or our people to suggest that anything pre-
sently necessary to public prosperity, Sc
curity or honor, should be unduly post |
poned.
A DUTY OF CONGRESS-.
1t will be the duty of congress wisely to !
forecast and estimate these extraordinary |
demands, and having added them to our
ordinary expenditures, to so adjust our
revenue laws that no considerable annual |
surplus will remain.
We will fortunately be able to apply to |
the reduction of of the public debt any |
small or unforeseen excess of revenue. This |
is better than to reduce our income below |
our necessary expenditures with result |
ing choice between another change of our
revenue laws and an increase of public |
debt. 1t is quite possible to effect that |
necessary reduction in our revenues with !
out breaking down our protective tariff or |
seriously iniuring any domestic industry.
OUR FIGHTING QUALITIES.
The construction of a sufficient number |
of modern war ships and their necessary |
should progress as rapidly as |
consistent with care and perfection in plans |
and workmanship. The spirit, courage and |
skill of our naval officers and seamen have |
many times in our history, given to weak |
ships and insufficient guns a rating greatly |
beyond that of the naval list
That they will again do so upon occasion, |
I do not doubt, but they ought not, by pre- |
meditation or neglect, be left to the exigen-
cies of unequal combat.
WHAT WE NEED.
We should encourage the establishment |
of American steamship exchanges of COM
merce, demands for stated, reliable and |
rapid means of communication; and until |
these are provided the development of our
trade with the states lying south of US is |
Our pension laws should give more ade- |
quate and discriminating reliefs to union |
soldiers and sailors and their widows and |