There are several planks in the Democratic platform that should have been omitted. I refer especially to the one aiming against civil service reform, although it is held to be a hidden attack against the life tenure of the members of the Supreme Court. Whatever may be said of Cleve-Iand's administrations, they have done much to restore confidence in the public service, which, under the abominable spoils system, was putrid to the core. Our Diplomatic and Consular service abroad has grown more dignified, and Tam sure that I only echo the desire of our residents in China and Japan, when expressing the hope that such men as 'T, R. Jernigan of your city, and N. H. Meivor of Yokohama may be continued in office. Mr. Jernigan's oficial reports to the State Department have been more than valuable; they have been utterly fearless in his advocacy of bimetallism, and he deserves the more credit as he knew the narrow-minded feeling of the administration upon this subject.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.