Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-05

| HdN0 IlSut, L Iuluk, 10 luSlSJ lQaL L0OS6
who volunteer or are invited to give aG-
vice as to appointments shall exercise
consideration and fidelity. A high sense
OF duty and ambition to improve the
service should characterize all public of
ficers.
There are many ways in which he 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
appoint to justify their selection by con-
spicuous efficiency in the discharge of
their duties. Honorable party service
will certainly not be esteemed by me as
a disqualification for public office, but it
will in no case be allowed to serve as a
shield of official negligence, incompe-
tency or delinquency. 1t is entirely
creditable to seek public Office by proper
motives, and all applicants will be
treated with consideration. But
shall need and the heads of depart
ments will need, time for inquiry and
deliberation. Persistent importantly
will not therefore, be the best sup
port of application for Office. Heads of
departments, bureaus and all other pub
lie officers having any duty connected
Herewith, will be expected to enforce
the Civil Service law, fully and without
evasion. Beyond this obvious duty, l
hope to do something mora to advance
the reform of the civil service. An idea,
or even my ideal, l shall probably not
attain. Retrospect will be a safer basis
of judgment than promises. We shall
not, however, l an sure, be able to put
our civil service upon a non-partisan
basis until we have secured an incum-
bency that fair-minded men of the op-
position will approve for impartiality
and integrity. As the number of such in
the civil service list is increased, remov-
ais from office will diminish.
THE TROUBLE SOME SURPLUS.
While the treasury surplus is not the
| greatest evil, it is a serious evil. Our
revenue should be ample to meet the Or
dinary annual demands upon our treas
ury, with sufficient margin for those ex.
traordinary, but scarcely less imperative
demands which arise now and then. Ex-
lpenditures should always be made with
economy and only upon public necessity.
Foolishness, prefgacy and favoritism in
public expenditures is criminal, but there
is nothing in the condition of our country
or our people to suggest that anything,
presently necessary to public prosperity,
security or honor, should be unduly post
poned. 1t will be the duty of Congress
wisely to forecast and estimate these
extraordinary demands. And, having
added them to our ordinary expendi-
tures, to 80 adjust our revenue laws that
no considerable annual surplus will re-
main. We will fortunately be able to
apply to the redemption of the public
debt any small or unforeseen excess of
revenue. This is better than to reduce
our income below our necessary expen-
ditures, with the resulting choice be-
tween another change of the revenue laws
and an increase of the public debt. 1t is
quite possible. | am sure, to effect that
necessary reduction in our revenue with
out breaking down our protective tariff
or seriously iDjuring any domestic indus
try.
| OUR NAVAL NEEDS.
The construction of sufficient mum mber
of modern war-ships and 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 ourhistory
given to weak ships and inefficient guns
a rating greatly beyond that on the naval
list. That they WILL again do so upon
occasion, l do not doubt. But they
ought not, by premeditation or neglect,
be left to the risks and exigencies of un-
equal combat. We should encourage the
establishment of American steam
ship lines, exchanges of commerce among
States, reliable and rapid means of COM
munication and until these are provided,
the development of our trade with the
States lying south of US is impossible.
CARING EoR VETERANS.
Our pension laws should give more
adequate and discriminating relief to
Union soldiers and sailors, their widows
and orphans. Such occasions as this
should remind us that we owe everything
to their valor and sacrifice.
| THE NEW STATES.
there is near prospect OF the admission
Washington Territories. This act OF
Justice has been unreasonably delayed in
the case of them. The people who set
enterprising and patriotic, and the ac-
SCoolou VI bhOSO hOW DGdtoS WILL duu
strength to the nation. 1t is due to set
tiers in the Territories 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 honest
entries confirmed by patent.
NEED OF ELECTION REFORMS.
1t is very gratifying to observe the
general interest now being manifested in
the reform of our election laws. Those
who have been for years calling attention
to the pressing necessity of throwing
about the ballot box and about the
elector, further safeguards, in order that
our elections might not only be free and
pure, but might clearly appear to be so,
will welcome the accession Of any who
did not 80 soon discover the need of re-
form. The National Congress has not,
as yet, taken control of elections in cases
over which the Constitution gives it juria-
diction, but has accepted and adopted
the election laws of the several States,
the penalties for their violation and the
method of their supervision. Only the
inefficiency of the State laws, or unfair
or partisan administration of them,
could suggest departure from this
policy.
1t was clearly, however, in contempla-
ton of the trainers of the Constitution
that such exigency might arise, and pro-
vision was wisely made for it. Freedom
| of the ballot is the condition of our