The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-08
The Presidents Annual Message

our next issue.
The Presidents Annual Message.
To tile Senate and House Of Representa- |
tires In submitting my seventh annual
message to congress, In this centennial
wear of our national existence, as free and |
independent people, it affords me great
pleasure to recur to the advancement that
has been made from the time of the colon
les, one hundred years ago. We were then
a people numbering only three millions ;
now we number more than forty millions ;
then our industries were confined almost
exclusively to the tillage of the soil now
manufactures absorb much of the labor of
the country our liberties remain nnim-
paired, the bondsmen have been freed from
slavery, we have become possessed OF the
respect, if not the friendship, OF all civil
lied nations. Our progress has been great
IN all the arts, in science, agriculture, COM
merce, navigation, mining, mechanics, law,
medicine, etc., and in general education,
the progress is likewise encouraging. Our
thirteen states have become thirty -eight,
including Colorado, which has taken the
initiatory steps to become state, and eight
territories, including the Indian territory
and Alaska, and excluding Colorado, maxi
ing territory extending from the Atlantic
to the Pacific on the south, we have ex-
tended to the Gulf of Mexico and in the
west from the Mississippi to the Pacific
One hundred years ago the cotton gin, the
steamship, the railroad, the telegraph, the
reaping, sewing and modern printing ma
chimes. and numerous other inventions of
scarcely less value to our business and hap
piness, were entirely unknown in 1775,
manufactures scarcely existed even in
name, in all thls5vast territory; in 1870, more
than two millions of persons were en-
ployed in manufactures, producing more
than $2,000,000, 900 worth of pro-
ducts in amount annually, which is
nearly equal to our national debt
from nearly the whole population of 1776
being engaged in the one occupation of ag-
riculture, in 1870 so numerous and diver
sified had become the occupation of our
people that less than six millions out of
more than forty millions were SO engaged.
the extraordinary effect produced in our
country by resort to diversified occupa-
tions has built market for the products of
fertile lands, distant from the seaboard and
the markets of the world. The American
system of locating various and extensive
manufactures next to the pillow and the
pasture and adding connecting railroads
and steamboats, has produced in our dis
tant interior country a result noticeable by
the intelligent parts of all the commercial
nations. The ingenuity and skill of Amer
lean merchants have been demonstrated al
home and abroad in manner most flatter
ing to their1prde and but for the1extraor
binary genius and ability of our mechanics
the achievements of our agriculturists,
manufacturers and trsnsporters through
out the country would have been imposs
BILE ,of attainment. The progress of tht
miner has also been great OF coal, oul
production was small, now many millions
of tons are mined annually. So with iron
which formed scarcely an apprcciable par
of our products half century ago, We
now produce more than the world con
sumed at the beginning of our national ex
istence. Lead, zinc and copper, from
being articles of imports, we may expec
be large exporters of in the near future
The development of gold and silver mine
in the United States and territories has no
only been remarkable but has had larg
influence upon the business ,of all com
mercal nations. Our merchants, in tn
last hundred years, have had success an,
have established a reputation for enterprise
sagacity, progress and integrity ,unsurpasse
by the people of older nationalities. Thi
"good name" is not confined to their home
but goes out upon every sea and into ever
port where commerce enters. With equa
pride all can point to our progress in al
the learned professions. AS we are nov
about to enter upon our second centennial
commencing our manhood as nation, it i
well to look back upon the past, and stud
what will be best to preserve, and advanc
our future greatness. From the fall O
Adam for his transgression to the presen
day no nation has ever been freer fror
threatened danger to it's prosperity an
happiness. We should look to danger
threatening us and remedy them 30 far a
lies in our power. We are a republic where
of one man is as good as another before tn
law. Under such form of government,
is of the greatest importance that all shout
be possessed of education and intelligenc
enough to cast vote with right under
standing of it's meaning. A large associatio
of ignorant men cannot for any consider
able period oppose a successful resistanC
to tyranny and oppression from the edit
Gated few, but will inevitably sin
into acquiescence to the will of intelligence,
whether directed by demsgogue or b
priestcratt hence the education of tt
masses becomes of the first necessity fl
the preservation of our institutions. The
are worth preserving because they have 81
cured the greatest good to the greatest pr,
portion of the population of any form
government yet devised all other form
of government approach it just in propo
ton to the general diffusion of educatio
and independence of thought and action.
A NEW CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
AS the primary steps, therefore, to our a
vancement in all that has marked our pr,
gress in the past century, l suggest ft
your earnest consideration and most earl
>estly recommend it, that a constitution
amendment be submitted to the legisl
lures of the several states for ratification
making it the duty of each OF the sever
states to establish and forever maintain FRI
public schools, adequate to the educatic
of all children in the rudimentary branch
within their respective limits, irrespecti
of sex, color, birth place or religion TO
bidding the teaching in the said schools
religious, atheistic or pagan teIets; al
prohibiting the granting of any scho
funds or school taxes or any part thereo
either by legislative, municipal or 9th
authority, for the benefit or in and, direct
or indirectly, of any religious sect or d
nomination, or in aid or for the benefit
any other object of any nature or XIII
whatever.
TAXATION OF CHURCH PROPERTY.
In connection with this important que
ton would also call your attention to u
importance of correcting an evil that,
permitted TO continue, will probably lea
to great trouble In our land before the clio
of the nineteenth century. II Ia the acc
mutation Of the vast amounts OF untaxt
church property. In 1850, believe, Il
church property of the United States whit
paid no tax, municipal or state, amount'
to about $3.50, 600, 900; in 1860 the amoul
had doubled; in 1875 1t is alb outs 200, 600
900; by 1900, without check, II Is safe
say, the property will reach sum excee
ing $3, 900, 000,0 So vast sum recei
ing all the protection and benefits of go
eminent without bearing its proportion
the burdens and expenses Of the same, wi
not be looked upon acquiescently by tho
who have to pay taxes. In growing cou