Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-05

poses entirely consistent with the most
friendly disposition toward all other powers,
our consent will be necessary to any modl-
fication or impairment of the concession.
JUSTICE ALONE DEMANDED.
We shall neither fail to respect the flag of
any friendly nation nor the just rights of its
citizens, nor to exact the like treatment for
our own. Calmness, justice and considera-
tion characterize our diplomacy. The Off
ces ofan intelligent diplomacy or of friendly
arbitration in proper cases should be ade-
guare to the peaceful adjustment of all in
ternational difficulties. By such methods
we will make our contribution to the world s
peace, which no nation values more highly,
and avoid the opprobrium which must fall
upon the nation that ruthlessly breaks it.
The duty devolved by law upon the
President to nominate and, by and with the
advice 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
burdensome, and its wise and efficient dis
charge full of difficulty. The civil list is SO
large that a personal knowledge of any
large number of the applicants is impossi-
BILE. The President must rely upon the
representations of others, and these are
often made inconsiderately and without any
just sense of responsibility.
have a right, think, toi insist that
those who volunteer or are invited to give
advice as to appointments shall exercise
consideration and fidelity. A high sense of
duty and an ambition to approve the service
should characterize all public officers.
There are many ways in which the conyen-
fence and comfort of those who have busi-
ness with our public offices may be promoted
by thoughtful and ob!iging officer, and
shall expect those whom 1 may appoint to
justify their selection by conspicuous
efficiency in the discharge of their duties.
THE REWARD OF PARTIsANIsM.
Honorable party service will certainly
not be esteemed by me disqualification for
public office, but it will in no case be al
lowed 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 con-
sideration, but 1 shall need, and the heads
of departments will need, time for inquiry
and deliberation. Persistent importantly
will not, therefore, be the best support of an
application for Office. Heads of depart
ments, 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 I hope to do
something more to advance the reform of
the civil service. The ideal, or even my
own ideal, I shall probably not attain.
Retrospect will be safer basis of Judgment
than promises. We shall not, however, I
am sure, be able to- put our civil service
upon a non-partisan basis until we have
Xlo& fo,- III
men of the opposition will approve for i'm
partiality and integrity. As the number of
such in the civil list is increased, removals
from office will diminish.
While a Treasury surplus is not the
greatest evil, it is serious evil Our reve-
nue. should be ample to meet the ordinary
annual demands upon our Treasury with
sufficient margin for those extraordinary
but scarcely less imperative demands which
arise now and then. Expenditure should
always be made with economy and only
upon public necessity. Wastefulness,
profigacy and favoritism in public expen-
ditures is criminal.
NO EXCUSE FOR DELAY.
But there is nothing in the condition of
our country or our people to suggest that
anything presently necessary to the public
prosperity, security or honor should be un-
duly postponed. 1t will be the duty of Con-
gress wisely to forecast and estimate these
extraordinary demands, and, having added
them to our ordinary expenditures, to SO ad-
Just our revenue laws that no considerable
annual surplus will remain. We will, for
tunately, be able to apply to the redemp-
tion of the public debt any small or unfore-
seen excess of revenue. This is better than
to reduce our income below our necessary
expenditures with the resulting choice be-
tween another change of our revenue laws
and an increase of the public debt 1t is
quite possible, am sure, to effect the neces-
sary reduction in our revenues without
breaking down our protective tariff or seri-
ously injuring any domestic industry.
The construction of a sufficient number
of modern war ships, and of their necessary
armament, should progress as rapidly as
is 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 q weak ships and inefficient guns
a rating greatly beyond that of the naval
list. That they will again do SO upon occa-
sion 1 do not doubt, but they ought not, by
premeditation or neglect, to be left to the
risks and exigencies of an unequal combat.
We should encourage the establishment of
American steamship lines. The exchanges
of commerce demand 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
impossible.
THE REWARD OF vALoR.
Our pension laws should give more ade-
quate and discriminating relief to the Union
soldiers and sailors, and to their widows
and orphans. Such occasions as this should
remind us that we owe everything to their
yalor and sacrifice
1t is a subject of congratulation that
there is near prospect of the admission
into the Union of the Dakotas and Montana
and Washington Territories. This act of
Justice has been unreasonably DELAYED In
the case of some of them. The people who
have settled these Territories are inteIli-
gent, enterprising and patriotic, and the ac-
cession of these new States will add strength
to the nation. It is due to the settlers in
the Territories, who have availed them
selves of the invitations of our land laws to
make homes upon the public domain, that
their titles should be speedily adjusted and j
their honest entries confirmed by patent.
1t is very gratifying tosobserve the gen.
eral interest now being t1hnifested in the
reform of our election laws Those who
1. r. NJ.