Year: 1878

redemption that peopeof limited means may, if they
DESIRE invest thelr surplus earnings in government
securities It's impossible to overestimate the value
OF system which shall furnish to all citizens con-
venient opportunity deposit even small savings
with assurance OF absolute safety and increase,
Independent OF the incidental advantages of dis
trlbutng further portion of our public indebted
ness among our own people.


PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.


During the year just closed republican institutions
and the permanency OF cur government were sub
Jected TO new and unexpected trials For the first
time in our history, the question 10 who le-
gay elected president left in great uncertainty
The political campaign had been one OF unexampled
activity and enthusiasm and it should occasion no
surprise that men form opinions and were govern
ed more by prejudice than reason. The experiences
of other nations under somewhat similar circum-
stances were well calculated inspire grave concern
IN te nlhds oil al rejecting men. 1t was therefore
not without reasonthat the action of congress in or
gauizng the electoral commission was hailed BY the
great majority of the patriotic citizens as beuei-
deliyerauce from great peril They felt that if
was vastly important that settlement should he
had under the form of law which all good citizens
conid accept and recognize conclusive decision
was rendered andit became the duty oevery citizen to
accept 1t andz abide thereby. Any attempt, there
fore, TO throw dScredit upon the deciscon made or
70 lHpugn the motives integrity of any of the
eminent gentlemen composing that tribunal tends to
weaken the public respect for law, and should be un-
reSerYediy diScountenanced


No little uneasiness is felt in regard to the possi-
bility of recurrence of circumstances similar TO
those which necessitated the appointment of the
electoral commission, and doubt you will agree
with ME in the expression of the opinion that it is
the imperative duty of congress to provide SUCH
methods of procedure for conducting future pr siden-
la elections will allow the will of the people to
be both freely and fairly expressed at the bal OF box
and thus expressed ascerained with ce tainty and
without suspicion of fear, favor, or hope of re-
ward


CONCLUSION


/ should be doing myself inju tce to close this
communication without an expression of my earnest
conviction that the president of the United States
with the purest and highest motives, is striving
execute the high committed to him in the in
terest OF the whole people, and that in the efforts
he has made for the pacifcaton of the south, the
correction of abuses in the civil vice. and return
to stable currency, he is peculiarly entitled to the
generous and discriminating confidence of his fellow
citizens.


Yielding to no in devotion to the party of nv
choice nevertheless most heartily subscribe TO the
maxim that he serves his party best who serves his
country best Guided by the spirit of this maxim,
which is only less applicable i'll state than in notiona
affairs, your labor here, legislators, canno be
otherwise than pleasant to yourselves aud satisfactory
to your constituents. Guided by it. my constant
purpose will be to coop ratio with you to advance
and protect all the varied interests of Wisconsin and
her people NILLIAM E. SMITH


MADISON, January 10, 1873.