Year: 1877

cial and political revolution through I which it has passed, and now needs and deserves the considerate care of the Na- tional government within the just limits prescr; bed b3 the Constitution and awise l publix: economy But at the basis of all prospenty,, for thatasi well as for every other part of the country, lies the im- provement of the intellectual and moral condition of the people. nUniyersal. sui frage should restsa iupdn universal education, i,To this end liberal and per- manent provision should be made for the support of free schools by the State Gov ernments, and, if need be, supplemented by legitamate aid from national aHthori- ty. Let me assure my countrymen of the Southern States that it is my earnest desire to regard and promote their truest interests-the interests of the white and of the colored people, both and equally-and to put forth my best efforts in behalf of civil policy which will forever wipe out in our political af- fairs the color line and the distinction be- tween North and South, to the end that we may not have merely united North or a united South, but united country.

 REFORM IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.

 ask the attention of the public to the paramount necessity of reform in the civ il service-a reform not merely as to cer- tain abuses and practices of so called off, cial patronage which have come to have the sanction of usage in the several de- partments of our government, but change in thersystem of appointment itself-a re- form that shall be thorough, radical and complete-a return to the principles and practices of the founders of the Govern ment. They neither expected nor desired from public officers any partisan service. They meant that the public officer should be secure in his tenure as long as his per- sonal character remained untarnlshed and the performance of his duties satisfac. tory. They held that appointments to office were not to be made nor expected merely as rewards for partisan services, nor merely on the nomination of mem- bers of Congress as being entitled in any respect to the control of such appoint ments. The fact that both the great po- litical parties of the country in declaring their principles prior to the election, gave a prominent place to the subject of re- form Of our civil servlce, recognizing and strongly urging its necessity in terms al- most identical in their specific import with those have here employed, must be accepted as conclusive argument in be- half of these measures. It must be re- garded as the expression of tue united voice and will of the whole country upon this subject. and both political parties are virtually pledged to give it their unre- served support.

 PRESIDENTIAL TERM OF SIX YEARS.

 The President of the United States, of necessity, owes his election to office to the suffrage and zealous labors of po- litical party, the members of which cher ish 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 the country best. In furtherance of the reform we seek and in other important respects a change of great importance, recommend an amendment to the Constitution pre- scribing term of six years for the Pres idential office and forbidding a re-e1ec-