Year: 1879

| polygamy, demands the attention
of every department of the gov
ernment. This Territory has q
population sufficient to entitle il
| to admission as State, and the gen
eral interests of the nation, as well as
| the welfare Of the citizens of the Terri
tory, require its advance from the ter
ritorial form of government to the re-
sponsibilities and privileges of State,
| This important change will not, how
ever, be approved by the country while
| the citizens of Utah, in very considera-
bic number, uphold q practice which is
condemned as crime by the laws Of all
civilized communities throughout the
world. The law for the suppression of
this offence was enacted with great una
nimity by Congress more than seven
teen years ago, but has remained until
recently dead letter in the Territory OF
Utah, because of the peculiar difficult
ties attending its enforcement. The
opinion widely prevailed among the
citizens of Utah that the law was in
contravention of the constitutional
guarantee ofreligious freedom. This OBJ
lection is now removed. The supreme
court of the United States has decided
the law to be within the legislative
power of Congress, and binding, as q
rule of action, tor all who resided within
the Territories. There is.no- longer any
reason for delay or hesitation in its en-
forcement. 1t should be firmly and eff
fectively executed. If not sufficiently
stringent in its provisions, it should be
amended, and, in aid of the purpose in
view, recommend that more compre-
hensive and more searching methods for
preventing, as well Us furnishing, this
crime be provided. If necessary to Sc
cure obedience to the law, the enjoy
ment and exercise of the rights and
privileges of citizenship in the Territor-
les of the United States may be withheld
or withdrawn from those who violate
or oppose the enforcement of the law on
this subject. A5


The elections of the past year, though
occupied only with State offices, have
not failed to elicit, in the political dis
iussions which attended them all over
the country, new and decisive evidence
of the deep interest which the great
body of citizens take in the progress OF
the country toward a more general and
complete establishment, at whatever
cost, of universal security and freedom
in the exercise of the elective franchise.
While many topics of political concern
demand great attention from our people,
both in the sphere of national and S ate
authority, l find no reason to qualify the
opinion | expressed in my last annual
message, that no temporary or admins
trative interests of government, how
ever urgent or weighty. will ever dis
play the zeal of our people in defence of
the primary rights of citizenship, and
that the power OF public opinion will
override all political prejudices and all
sectional ard State attachments, in de-
manding that all over our wide territory
the name and character of citizen of the
United States shall mean one and the
same thing, and carry with them un-
challenged security and respect. | ear
nestly appeal to the intelligence and
patriotism of all good citizens, OF every
part of the country, however much
they may be divided in opinions on
other political subjects, to unite in COM
pelling obedience to existing laws aimed
at the protection Of the right of suf-
frage. I respectfully urge upon Con-
laws which experience has shown, and
which it is within its power to remedy.
| again invoke the cooperation of the
EACCublF . ttllO IOS ttbblfO 46QtAO1lblCO Va
The States in this great purpose. I am
fully convinced that if the public mind
can be set at rest on this paramount
question of popular rights, no serious
object will thwart or delay the complete
pacification of the country, or retard the
general diffusion of prosperity.


REFORMING THE cryn. SERVICE.


In former message invited the at
tention of Congress to the subject of the
reformation of the civil service of the
government, and expressed the intention
of transmitting to Congress, as early as
practicable, a report upon this subject by
the chairman of the civil service COM
mission. In view of the facts that dur
ing considerable period the govern
ment of Great Britain has been dealing
with administrative problems and
abuses, in various particulars analogous
to those presented in this country, and
that, in recent years, the measures
adopted were understood to have been
effective and in every respect highly
satisfactory, | thought it desirable to
have fuller information upon the sub
ject. and accordingly requested the
chairman of the civil service commission
to make thorough investigation tor
this purpose. The result has been an
elaborate and comprehensive report


The report sets forth the history of
the partisan spoils system in Great
Britain and of the rise and fall
of the parliamentary patronage, and of
official interference with the freedom of
elections. Itshows that after long trials
Of various kinds of examinations, those
which are competitive and open on equal
terms to all, and which are carried on
under the superintendent of single
commission, have with great advantage
been established as conditions of admis-
sion to almost every official place in the
subordinate administration of that ceun-
try and of British India. The compile
ton of the report, owing to the extent
of the labor involved in its preparation
and the omission of Congress to make
any provision either for Instrumentation
or the expenses of the commission, has
been postponed until tire present time


1t is herewith transmitted to Con-
gress. While the reform measures Of
another government are of no authority
for US, they are entitled to influence to
the extent to which their intrinsic wis
dom and their adaptation to our institu-
tions and social life may commend them
to our consideration.


The views have heretofore expressed
concerning the defects and abuses In our
civil administration remain unchanged
except in so far as an enlarged expert
ence has opened nv sense of the DUTY