The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-12-11
Presidents Message.

Of our country from its infancy to its centen
NAL, and of the nations great success il
progress and civilization; Of its wonderful
| achievements in arts, science and all the con
comitants of advanced betterment of all tn
people. And in this connection he urges tina
all citizens should be educated sufficiently Il
cast q vote with right intelligence of the valu,
OF the elective franchise, which is PROPOSE
ton no reasonable person will question
though 1t was not acted upon in the recon
struction policy of the Presidents own party
The absence OF such educated intelligence is
the President thinks, the primal danger &c
our country s prosperity and the permanence
OF its free institutions, and in such belief he
recommends an amendment to the conslitu
non requiring the several States to establish
and forever maintain free public school.
adequate TO-, at least the rudimentary educa,
ton of all the children, irrespective of color
SEX nationality or religion iorbidding, how.
ever, the teaching in such schools the incul.
cation of pagan or atheistic tenets, or the
bestowal Of school funds to any religious
denomination for educational purposes. He
also objects TO the accumulation of vast
amounts Of untaxed church property, and
says that that class Of property in the United
States in 1876 amounts to 81 200, O00, 900.
de recommends the taxation of all such
property, exempting only cemeteries and
limited edifces for churches
These subjects have always in this country
heretofore been regarded as belonging pecn.
liarly to the State and local governments, and
ut no time have they received more general
and willing attention in the States than at
present.
Stating that our relations with foreign
powers are satisfactory and friendly, the Pres.
ident takes occasion to remark that Congress
should so iegslate as to prohibit citizens OF
the United States from owning slaves in any
other country, and he hopes such consum.
nation may ultimately embrace citizens Of
all nations.
Chill has made reparation in some long
standing cases of outrage ON our commercial
marine. Mention is made of the Hawaiian
reciprocity treaty, and Of the Virginius indem.
nifty, which has been settled by Spain.
In regard to Cuba, the President thinks
there is no evidence of near termination of
the conflict there, and that there still exists
that continuous disregard of laws of civilized
warfare and humanity which has characterized
the internecine strife during the past seven
years. He adverts TO the commercial impor.
lance Of Cuba to the world at large, and
asserts his belief, that the nations have a
right to interfere sufficiently to establish its
government on secure basis, but he consid
ers the recognition of Cuban independence
impracticable at present, and he believes the
United States and all other nations must soon
consider the necessity of mediation and inter.
vention in the premises. A considerable
portion of the message is devoted to this sub.
ject.
He indorses the recommendations made in
the annual report of the Secretary of War,
including system of annuities for families of
deceased officers by funding monthly deduc.
ton from the pay Of those officers while in
service return to the old system of mile
age; an approval Of torpedo experiments, and
apermanent organization of the signal service
corps.
The condition Of the navy is stated as being
satisfactory. II does not contain much iron
cruising power, but it has considerable
number of iron.clads of the monitor class,
which, though not cruisers, are Of excellent
effect for operations on our coast and for safe
defense of our harbors. The navy includes
more than fifty war ships, fifteen Of them being
iron clad.
Interfering to Postoilice Department affairs,
the President recommends the exclusion from
tho mails Of merchandise Of all kinds, and the
limitation of transportable matter therein only
to those articles which should be properly
classed as mailable.
The President says that although govern.
ment efforts to protect the rights OF Indians in
the Black Hills have been successful, the next
year will exhibit large increase of immigra.
ton thither. The condition of the Indian
Territory is practically unchanged, but the
President may hereafter make some sugges.
tons as to legislation for the government Of
that Territory.
The grasshopper plague is supposed to have
diminished the sale of public lands during the
year, there being a decrease in the sales of
2,459,I0l acres as compared with those Of the
previous year. The surveyed area of public
domain is $50, 1858, 094 acres, leaving l,l54,.
All 1862 ceres yet to be surveyed. The man
agement and disposition of this vast farm OF
"Uncle Sam" are recommended to the care
full consideration of Congress.
As to pensioners, the message states that
during the past year IL 1857 names have been
added to the payrolls and 1897 dropped,
showing decrease of l,420. But notwith.
standing this decrease of pensioners, there
has been an increase in pay to the amount of
S44, 1888. Is, which was induced by the greatly
increased average rate Of pensions allowed by
the last Congress. During the last fiscal year
there was paid for account of pensions $780,
esq., There are on the rolls 234, 1921
persons, of whom 2l0,36 are army pension
ers, (of these l05,478 being invalids, and
l0i, 1855 are widows and dependent relatives
The navy pensioners are 9,420, including L..
636 invalids and | ,7S4 widows and dependent
relatives. Of the war Of 1872 there are 81,
038 pensioners, 1886 being survivors and s.,
l43 widows. The amount required for pay.
ment of pensions for the next fiscal year is
estimated at S29, 585, 900.
The President thinks his Indian policy has
been prosecuted with encouraging and salts
factory results as to the improvement of the
race, and he says the same policy will be con.
tinued with such notifications as may be
deemed proper.
As to the centennial exhibition the Presi.
dent thinks that as it is to be an international
affair, to which the United States government
is only voluntary contributor, its contribu-
ton should be large enough to sustain the
dignity OF the United States in such contin.
gency. He says that almost without excep-
ton the powers of Europe, the South Amer.
can States, and even the far-off Eastern
soyereignties have taken steps to be repre-
scented in the centennial exhibition.
The President recommends the formation
of q special tribunal for hearing and deter
mining all claims of aliens against the gov.
eminent of the United States which now exist
or may hereafter arise outside of treaty stipu-
lations.
The question as to monopoly and exorbitant
charges on the Atlantic Geographic cable lines
is given to the earnest consideration of Con-