Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-12-14

INt LDIIlNl q III|NIN" ~ NA.'|
clerks of each class, this rating p be regard
ed as a test Of merit in making promotions
/ have also suggested 70 the foHtmastef-
General that he adopt some plan by which no
can. upon the basis of the reports 10 the de-
partment, and Of frequent inspections. inQl.
cate the relative merit OF postmastera ot eacn
In the Official register and report Of the de-
partment That great stimulus would tnus
be given to the whole service 90 not !, doubt.
and such q record would be the best defense
against removals from office.
PUBLIC EDUCATION
The interest Of the General GOvernment IN
the education of the people found an early
expression, not only In the thoughtful and
sometimes warning utterances Of our abiest
statesmen, but In liberal appropriations
from the common resources Tor tue suppots
deny that It Is of the greatest National con-
cern that those who hold the ultimate con-
troll of all public affairs should have tho
necessary Intelligence wisely TO uirect
and determine them. National aid
to education has heretofore taken
the form Of land grants and in that form tho
the education of the people Is not serious
ly questioned. do not think 1t can be sac
cessfully questioned when the form -
changed to that Of direct grant Of money
from the public treasury. Such aid should
be, as it always has been, suggested by some
exceptional conditions The sudden elnan-
cipatlon of the slaves, the bestowal OF the
suffrage which soon followed, and the
| impairment of the ability OF the states
where these new citizens were chieily found
to adequately provide educational facilities
| presented not only exceptional but unexam-
pied conditions. That the situation has been
much ameliorated there is no doubt Tho
| ability and interest of the States have hap
| PLY ipcreased but great work remains 20
| be done, and think the General Govern
ment should lend It's aid.
THE CoLoRED PEOPLE.
The colored people did not intrude them
| selves upon us; they were brought here In
| chains and held in the communities where
they are now chiefly found by cruel
/ slave code. Happily for both races they
are now free. They have, from standpoint
of ignorance and poverty, which was our
| shame, not theirs, made remarkable ad-
Vances in education and in the acquisition
of property. They have, as a people, shown
themselves to be friendly and faithful to-
wards the white race under temptations OF
tremendous strength. They have their reps
resentatives in the National cemeteries,
/ where grateful Government has gathered
the ashes OF those who died in It's defenses
They have furnished to our regular
army regiments that have won high
praise from their commanding officers for
courage and soldierly qualities and for
| fidelity to the enlistment oath. In civil
life they are the tolers of their communities
making their full contribution to the widen
ing streams of prosperity which the cQms
munities are receiving. Their sudden with
drawal would stop production and brt2g
disorder In the household generally. They
do not desire to quit their homes, and their
employers resent the interference
to stimulate such desire; but,
Notwithstanding all this, in many parts
OF our country where the colored population
is large the people Of that race are, by va
rious devices, deprived of any effective ex-
ercise of their political rights, and OF many
of their civil rights. The wrong does not ex.
pend itself upon those whose votes are sup
pressed. Every constituency IN the Union
Is wronged. 1t has been the hope of every
patriot that a sense of justice and Of respect
for the law would work a gradual cure OF
these fragrant evils. Surely, no one suppOses
that the present can .be accepted as
permanent condition II 1t is said
that these communities must work
out this problem for themselves, we have
right to ask whether they are at work upon
it. Do they suggest any solutionY When and
under what conditions Is the black man to
have free ballot? When Is he, in fact, to
. have those full civil rights which have so
long been bis in laws When IS that equality,
of influence, which our Government was in
tended to secure to the electors, to be re-.
stored? This generation should couiagously
face these grave questions and not leave
them as heritage OF woe to the next The
consummation should proceed with can
dor, calmness and great. patience up
( on the lines Of justice and hu:
cruelty. No question in eur country can
be at rest except upon the firm base of justice
and of the law. l earnestly invoke the at
tenton of Congress 10 the conslderatlon OF
such measures within its well defined con-
stitutiOnal powers as Will secure TO all our
people free exercise Of the right Of m suffrage
2 |
stitution and laws of the United States.
OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
There is nothing more justly humiliating
to the National pride and nothing more
hurtful to the National prosperity than the
+ inferiority of our merchant marlne COM
pared with that of other nations whose gem
eral resources, wealth and sea coast lines do
not suggest any reason for their supremacy
Z on the seas. 1t was not always so, and
our people are agreed / think
Z that It shall not coptlnue to he so, i s not
/ possible in this communication TO diseas4
the causes of the decay Of our shipping in-
terests or the differing methods by Which li
5 Is proposed to restore them. The stateme Of
1 of a few well authenticated facts and some
0 general suggestions as e. the LEGISLATION
4 Is all that is practicable, Vhat the
I great steamship lines sailing under
I the flags of England, France, Germany,
e Spain and Italy, and engaged In foreign COM
. merce were promoted and have SINCE been
( and now are liberally aided by grants OF
t public money, in one form or another,i Is gem
1 orally known. That the American lines OF
= steamships have been abandoned by US to
/, an unequal test with the aided lines Of other
e nations until they have been withdrawn, OF
in the few cases where they are still maln'
tanned are subject to serious disadYant-
ages, is matter of knowledge: The presen,
situation is such that travellers and mer-
chandise find Liverpool often neces-
! sary intermediate port between New York
= and some of the South American capitals.
: The fact that some of the delegates from
y South American states TO the conference oi
"a American nations, now in session at Wash
ington, reached our shores by reversing that
line of travel, is very conclusive of the need
o of such a conference, and very suggestive rs
o TO the first and most necessary step In the
7, direction of fuller and more beneficial inter'
n course with nations that are now our neigh
0 bors upon the lines of latitude, but not upon
e the lines of established commercial inter-
: course.
G recommend that such appropriations be
e made for ocean mail service in American
IS steamships between our ports and those 0i
# Central and South America, China, japan
It and the important islands in both of the
- great oceans, as will be liberally
y Temuneratve for the service rendered
y as will encourage the establishment, and IN
n some fair degree equalize the chances oil
J. American steamship lines 10 the compete
o tions which they must meet, That the
Is American States lying south of as viii cor
. daily cooperate in establishing and main,
d tanning such lines of steamships to theil
} principal ports, do not doubG
g NAVAL RESERVE.
s' We should also make provision for nava
reserve to consist of such merchant ships o.
o American construction and OF a specified
It tonnage and speed as the owners Will con
Il sent to place at the use of the Government II
;. case Of need as armed cruisers. England has
o adopted this policy, and as q result
d can now, upon necessity, at oncl
g place upon her naval list some of the tastes
= steamships in the world. A proper super
it vision of the construction OF such vessels
l. would make their conversion into efectiv,
u ships Of war very easy 1 am an ad'
l. vocate of economy In our National ex
h the term to make this word describe polio,
r that withholds an expenditure for the pur
y, pose of extending our foreign commerce
It The enlargement and Improvement o
'e our merchant marine, the develop
70 ment of sufficient body OF traineg
g rapid and regular mail communication
% between the ports of other countries and oul
e own, and the adaptation Of large and swift
% American merchant steamships to nava
10 uses in time of war, are public purposes o
" the highest concern. The enlarged partioi
e patton Of our people in the carry
N ing trade, the new and increased
N markets that will be opened fol
IN the products of our farms and factories, thl
d. fuller and better employment OF our me
le chanics which will result from liberal pro.