It can hardly be wise statesmanship in a Government which represents a country with over 5,000 miles of coast line on both oceans, exclusive of Alaska, and containing 40,000,000 progressive people, with relations of every nature with almost every foreign country, to rest with such inadequate means of enforcing any foreign policy, either of protection or redress.  Separated by the ocean from the nations of the Eastern Continent, our Navy is our only means of direct protection to our citizens abroad or for the enforcement of any foreign policy.

The accompanying report of the Postmaster-General shows a most satisfactory working of that Department.  With the adoption of the recommendations contained therein, particularly those relating to a reform in the franking privilege and the adoption of the “correspondence cards,” a self-sustaining postal system may speedily be looked for, and at no distant day a further reduction of the rate of postage be attained.

I recommend authorization by Congress to the Postmaster-General and Attorney-General to issue all commissions to officials appointed through their respective Departments.  At present these commissions, where appointments are Presidential, are issued by the State Department.  The law in all the Departments of Government, except those of the Post-Office and of Justice, authorizes each to issue its own commissions.

Always favoring practical reforms, I respectfully call your attention to one abuse of long standing which I would like to see remedied by this Congress.  It is a reform in the civil service of the country.  I would have it go beyond the mere fixing of the tenure of office of clerks and employees who do not require “the advice and consent of the Senate” to make their appointments complete.  I would have it govern, not the tenure, but the manner of making all appointments.  There is no duty which so much embarrasses the Executive and heads of Departments as that of appointments, nor is there any such arduous and thankless labor imposed on Senators and Representatives as that of finding places for constituents.  The present system does not secure the best men, and often not even fit men, for public place.  The elevation and purification of the civil service of the Government will be hailed with approval by the whole people of the United States.

Reform in the management of Indian affairs has received the special attention of the Administration from its inauguration to the present day.  The experiment of making it a missionary work was tried with a few agencies given to the denomination of Friends, and has been found to work most advantageously.  All agencies and superintendencies not so disposed of were given to officers of the Army.  The act of Congress reducing the Army renders army officers ineligible for civil positions.  Indian agencies being civil offices, I determined to give all the agencies to such religious denominations as had heretofore established