Year: 1877

shall make to accomplish this purpose
ask the cordial cooperation of all who
cherish an interest in the welfare of
country-trusting that party ties and
the prejudice of race will be freely
surrendered in behalf Of the great
purpose to be accomplished.


In the important work of restora.
tlon of the South it is not the DO
lltlcal situation alone that merits at
Centlon. The material DEVELOPMENT
OF that section of the country has been
arrested by the social and political
revolution through which it has pass
ed and now needs and deserves the
conslderate care of the government
within the just limits prescribed by
the constitution and wise public econo.
my. But at the basis of all prosperity
tor that as we'll as for every other part
OF the country lies Improvement of
the intellectual and moral condition of
the people. Universal suffrage should
rest upon universal education. To
this end liberal and permanent provi.
sion should be made by the State gov
ernments and, if need be supplement-
ed by legitimate aid from the national
authority.
Let me assure my countrymen of
the Southern States that it is my earn


est desire to regard and promote their


truest interests the interests Of the


white and colored people, both and


equally-and to put forth my best ef-
forts in behalf of a civil policy which


Will forever wipe out in our political
affairs the color line and the distinc-
tlon between North and South, to the
end that we may have, not merely a
united North or a united South, but


united country.


| l ask the attention of the public to
the paramount necessity of reform in
! our civil service-a reform, not mere
~ to ascertain the abuses and prac-


tlces of so-called official patronage,


which have come to have the sanction
Of usage IN the several departments of
our government, but change Of sys-


tenn OF appointments itself-a reform,


that shall be thorough, radical and


complete-a return to the principles
and practices of the founders of the
government. They neither expected


nor desired from public officers any


partisan service. They meant that pub


lie officers should owe their whole SER


vice to government and to the people.


They meant that the officer should be


secure in his tenure as long as his per-


sonal character remained untarnished


and the performance of his duties sat-


isfactory. They held that appoint.
ments to office were not to be made
nor expected merely as rewards for
partisan service nor merely on the
nomination of members of Congress,
as being entitled in any respect to the
control Of such appointments. The
fact that both political parties of the
country, in declaring their principles
prior to election, gave prominent place
to the subject of reform of our civil
service, recognizing and strongly urg-
ing its necessity in terms almost
identical in their specific import with
those [ have here employed, must be
accepted as a conclusive argument in
behalf of these measures. It must be
regarded as an expression of the un-
tied voice and will of the whole coun-
try upon this su ubject and both politi-
cal parties are virtually pledged to
Civ 9 it their unreserved support.


The president Of the United States
Of necessity owes his election to office
to the suffrages and jealous labors of a
political party, the members of which
cherish with ardor, and regard as of
essential Importance the principles Of
their party organization, but he should
strive to be always mindful of the fact
that he serves his party best who
serves his country best. In further
ance Of the reform we seek and in
other important respects, as change
Of great Importance, l recommend an
amendment to the constitution pre-
scribing a term of six years for the
Presidential Office and forbidding re.
elections.


With respect to the financial condi-
tion of the country shall not attempt
an extended history of the embarrass-
ment and prostration which we have
suffered during the past three years.
The depression in all our varied COM
mercial and manufacturing interests
throughout the country, which began
in September, 1873, still continues. 1t
is very gratifying, however, to be able
to say that there are indications all
around us Of a coming change to pros
porous times.


Upon the currency question, init
mately connected, as it is with this
topic, l may be permitted to repeat the
statement made in my letter of accept.
ance: In my judgment the feeling of
uncer' ainty inseparable from ire
deemable paper currency with it's fuc-
tuations of value is one of the greatest
obstacles to a return to prosperous
times. The only safe paper currency
is one which rests upon a coin basis
and is at all times and promptly con-
vertible into coin.


I adhere to the views heretofore ex-
pressed by me in favor of Congression-
al legislation in behalf of an early re-
sumption Of specie payment, and I am
satisfied not only that this is wise, but
that the interests as we'll as the public
sentiment of the country imperative.
ly demand it.


Passing from these remarks upon
the condition of our own country to
consider our relations with other
lands, we are reminded, by interna.