Year: 1877

t Of enabling the government 10 paY its obi


cations in coin OF less value Than that con
f tempiated by the parties when the bonds
, were issued. ANY attempt "a pay the q
l uonal Indebtedness in q coinage of less com


merc'ai value than the money of the world
! ! would involve yiolstion Of the public faith
l ana WORK IrfeparaDie iuluI 10 she public
! credit 1t was the great merit of the act CI


March, 1869, in strengthening public credit


that lt removed ali doubt as 70 the purpose


OF the United States TO pay their bonded
deot IN com. That act was accepted as a
: pledge OF public faith. The government has


derived great benefit from it in the progress


mus lar made In refunding the public debt
AT low rate OF interest adherence 10 the wise


ana Just policy of an exact observance O!
the public faith. will enable the government
/ rapidly 10 reduce the burden of interest on
the national debt to an amount exceeding
S2OOOJ,OO0 per snnum. and enact an agg-e
I gate saving to the United States of mo-


than 5 UOOCO,O0O before the bonds can De


tuIly paid. In adapting the new silver coin


age TO the ordinary uses Of currency in the


everyday transaction Of life and preserving


the quality Of the legal tender to be assigned


% it, a consideration Of the Hrst importance


should be so to adJ lust the ratio between the
| silver and gold coinage, which now consti-


tutes our specie currency as 10 accomplish
| the desired end of maintaining the circuIa-
] ton OF We two Fuetailie .enrseneies,and keep
i ing up the volume of the two Dreniofss
=
! question for scientific reasoning and histo>
rical experience to determine how far and
/ by what methods q practicable equilibrium
can be maintained which viii keep both
( metals IN circulation in their appropriate
I spheres OF common use. An absolute
/ equality of commercial value, free from dis
! turbing fluctuations, is hardly attainable,
and without it unlimited legal tender for
| private transactions assigned to botn metals
| would tend TO drive out OF circulation the
dearest coinage, and disappoint the .Princi-
/ pal object propo@ed br the legislation in
! view, 1 apprehend, therefore, that
/ the conditions OF near approach
| TO equality of commercial value
I between the gold and silver coinage of the
| same denomination and Of a limitation Of
amounts for which the silver coinage is to
be a legal tender, are essential to maintain
ing both IN circulation. II these conditions
can be successfully observed, the issue from
the mint OF silver dollars would afford mate
rial assistance TO the community in the
transition TO the redeemable papeFmonev. !
and would facilitate the resumption Of specie
payment and its permanent establishment. /
Without these conditions ! fear that only
mischief and misfortune would follow from
a coinage of silver dollars with the creation
OF unlimited legal tender. Even in private
transactions any expectation OF temporary !
ease from an issue OF silver coinage to pass as
"A legal tender at q rate materially above its
commercial value is, am persuaded, deIu- /
sion, nor can think that there is any SUD- /
stsntial distinction between an original issue
OF silver dollars al nominal value materially |
above their commercial value and the resto- /
ration Of the silver dollar at IA rate which |
once was, but has ceased to be, its commercial /
value. Certainly the >sue of our gold coin /
age at reduced weight materially below It's /
legal tender value would be Huy the less a /
debaseLA Aent of the coinage by reason of It's /
equalling or even exceeding in weight a good /
colneg4sThich, at some past time, had been /
commercially equal 10 the legal tender value /
assigned to the new issue. In recommending |
that tie regulation Of any silver coinage /.
which may be authorized by congress should /
observe these conditions Of commercial value I
and limited legal tender. / am governed by /
the feeling that every possible increase shOuli /
be gwen TO the volume of metallic money /
which can be kept in circulation, aud thereby /
every possible aid Afforded 10 the people in /
the process of resuming specie payments. Il /
Is because Of nv conviction that q disregard /
of these conditions would frustrate the good /
results which are desired from the proposed /
coinage, and embarraSs with new elements
OF confusion and uncertainty the business Of
the country, that urge upon You attention
to these considerations.


respectfully recommend to congress that
IN any legislation providing for silver coin
age and lmpsrting 10 it the quality of legal
tender, there be impressed on the measure a
firm provision exempting the public debt
therefore, issued and now outstanding from
the payment either OF principal or interest in
any coinage of less value than the present
gold coinage Of the country.


The organization OF the civil service ofthe
country has for number OF years attracted


more and more OF public attention. So gen.
eral has become The opinion that the method


OF admission 10 it and the conditions Of


remaining in it are unsound, that both the


great political parties have agreed in "a most
explicit declaration OF the necessity of reform
u nAZf .faff do 4. /


have fully considered the declarations and
demands to be the expressions OF the sincere
conviction of the intelligent masses of the
people upon the subject, and that they
should be recognized and followed by earnest
anu pEoSpt action on the part OF the legis>


lative and executive departments of the


goyernment in pursuance of the purpose
indicated. Before my accession to Office,
endeavored 10 have my views distinctly
understood, and upon my Inauguration, my
accord with the public opinion was stated in
terms believed 10 be plain and unambiguOus.
My experience in the executive duties has
strongly confirmed my belief in the great
advantage the country would find in Observ-
ing strictly the plan oil the constitution, which
iulpOses upon the executive the sole duty
and responsibility of the selection of those
Federal officers who, by law. are appointed,
not elected. In like manner was assigned to
the senate the complete right to advise and
consent TO, or TO reject, the nominations so





stands IS the public censor OF the performance
of official duties, with the prerogative OF
investigation, and providing in all cases Of
derelictions, the blemishes and imperfections
in the civil service may. as | think, be traced !
in most cases to a practical confusion of the /
duties assigned to the several departments Of |
the government. My purpose in this respect |
has been to return to the system established |
by the fundamental law, and to do this with |
the heartiest cooperation and most cordial /
understanding with the senate and house OF |
representatives. The practical difficulties in |
the selection OF the numerous officers for the |
posts of widely-varylng responsibilities and |
duties, are acknowledged to be very great. |
No system can be expected to secure absO-
Lutte freedom from mistakes, and the |
beginning of an attempted change of custom
is quite likely TO be more embarrassed in this
respect than at any subsequent period. 1t is
here that the constitution gives to us the
most positive proof OF its claims to the great
wisdom accorded to il. 1t gives TO the
executive the assistance OF the knowledge
and experience OF the senate, which, when
acting upon nominations, as to which they
may be disinterested and impartial Judges,
secures as strong guarantee from freedom


of errors of Importance, as is possible In


human affairs. In addition to this, / recog-
nize the public advantage of making all
nominations, as nearly as possible, personal
in the sense of being free from mere caprice
or favor in these directions and to those
Ofnces IN Wnlcn speclal training Is OF greatly
increased value. | claim that such a rule as
to the tenure of Office should obtain such in
ducements as may induce men of proper
qualifications to apply themselves indus
triously TO the task of becoming proficient


Bearing these things ia mind, / have |
endeavored to reduce the number of changes |
in subordinate places, usually made up on


the change OF general administration and |
shall most certainly cooperate with congress
in better system by such modes and rules


OF admission as the public service and pro-
motion within 1t as may promise to be most |
successful in making thorough competency, |
efficiency and character the decisive tests in |
these matters. l ask the renewed attention |
of congress to what has already been done |
by the civil service commission, appointed in |
pursuance of an act of congress by my prede- |
cessor, to prepare and revise the civil service |
rules.


In regard to much of the departmental |
service, especially at Washington, it NAV be |
difficult to organize a better system than that |
which has thus been provided, aud it is now
being used to a considerable extent under |
my direction. The commission has still |
legal existence, although for several years
no appropriation has been made for defrayiug
its expenses. Believing that this commission
has rendered valuable agency in improving
the administration of the civil service, it is
my purpose TO transmit to congress as early