The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-12-17

TEIB
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

H. The q ma g and House Of Representatives!
In submitting my seventh annual message
TO coi grcss in this ccnton' iul year of our ni.
1ionul existence ns II free aud indcl cndcnt
people, il affords me great plCHsul" TO 4, cur
10 the adNn' cement that hus been made from
the time of the colonies one hundred Nculs
ago. We were then people numbering oily
3ONO eco; now We number more than forty
million Then indust les we're confined a!-
most exclusively to the tilngc of the soil;
nov manufactures absorb much OF the labor
of th" country. our llNclllcs r. mann unln-
ppirCd, the hOndsmCn have been freed frum
slavery. we have hCC' me possessed of the
respect, ir not the friendship, ofHll civilized
nations. our progress has been great in all
the arts, the ci"ncc~.ngrtcultur", commerce.,
navigation, mining, mechanics, law, mrdi-
Gin, and in general cuucttiOn the progress
is likewise encouraging Ourthirtccn stht"s
hnvr brcour thirty ypight-iucluling Colorn-
do. which hats trkcnth ini' n, ury steps to be-
come u stHtC-and eight territories, inclu'iing
the indian territory and Alaska, and eXclud
ing toorado, making {, rlitorN extending
fium the Atlantic to the puCiiic. On the
south we have extended TO the gulf ot MrNi-
the Pacific, one hundred years ago Ia" cnt-
ton gin. the steamship. III" railroad the telc-
graph, the rcupinE lnachinr, ana numerous
Otl rr inventions of scarcely less value TO our
business and happiness, were entirely un.
known, In l776. manufactures SC rccly eN-
i-tcd. even in name, mall TINS vast territory.
In lS7b more than two milliO OF nersonS
were employed ON manufactures, producing
more than 81 90 90 o of product in amount
unhuullN, cilOol 10 our llut tlOldl h'ol'
DI, ERslFIED INDUSTRIES.
From rly the whole of the popclation of
l776 h' ing engaged III the one occupation OF
agriculture. in 1870 so numerous and uINcrsl-
fled had hCcom" the occup puiOns of our peo-
pie That less than six millions out OF more
than forty millions were 50 engaged. The eN-
rdinnry pilrct produced in our country
bya resort to diversified occupations has
built market for products for foreign lands
distant from the SCuhoul'i and til. markets of
the world. The american system OF locating
various manufactures nest to the pow ana
pasture, and adding connecting railroads
and steam boa, :, has produced in our distant
interior country II result noticeable by the
intelligent part of all commercial nations.
The ingenuity and skin of American indus
try have been demonstrated ut home and
abroad in manner muSt 1lutttring to their
pride. But tor the extraordinary genius ana
skin of our merchants, the achievements OF
our ugrIcuturiSts, mlnuiuct urCrS and trans
portCrs Throughout the country would have
been impossible of attainment. The progress
of the miner has also been great. OF coal
our production was small; now III llions of
tons are mined annually. so with iron, which
formed scarcely an npp'cciablc put OF our
prOdu, Is hulfa century ago; we now produce
more than the world consumed at the begin
ming of our national existence, Lead, zinc
and copper from being articles OF import, we
may CNI Get to be large CXnOrtCrs Ot in the
near iuturc. The Development of gold and
silver mines in the western states Hnd terri
tories has not unl' b1cn lclnnrkahlc, but has
had large mhncncc upon the usness ofSll
commercial nat lions. our merchants i'll the
last one hundred years have had success, and
have established IL rCputal on tor enterprise.
progress and integrity unsurpassed by pco-
pies of other natl n tllticS. This good name
is not confined to thcir homes, but Suc- out
upon every SEA and To every port where
commerce enters. with equal p'iuc We point
to our progress i'll all of the learned profess
IONS
OUR SECOND CENTENNIAL.
As we are now about to enter upon our sec.
oud centennial, commencing our manhood as
II nation, it Is well to look back upon III" pas:
ana study what will lie best to advance our
future greatness. From the fall of Nd I'M tor
his tinngrcssion I" the present Gay, no nation
has been ircc fl ON thi eatc cned danger TO its
prosptI tIity and happiness. We -hnu ii look
10 the dui gers threat rnng us and 1. member
them so far ns lies in our power "" are II
republic Whereof one Is as good a. another
before the law. UnIrr such form of Govern
mrnt il j. of the greatest impoit ttnce that all
should he possessed of cducnr ion ana intClli-
gcncc enough to cast n wore with the right
understanding o it, meaning. arS" aNro-
cation ot ignorant men cannot for any con
sldcrhbl" period oppose succ ssiul II sisi-
ancc to tyrlnny ana oppression troh tnc cuu'
Gated few, but will inevitably sink into
ucQuicscCmcc 10 the will of i.trlliEcncc,
whether directed by the dcmag"guc or by
priest craft. Hence the educator the
masses becomes of The first necessity for the
preservation of our institutions The are
worth preserving brcausc they have secured
the greatest good to tia greatest proportion
of the populati m of any form of government
yet devised. All other forms of government
approach il Just in prOpO tlon 10 the general
diffusion of cducntion and independence OF
tho pht and action rs primary steps. There
fore. to our advancement i'll all that has
marked our PROCESS in the INST century,
suggest fer your co.. aSidclation, ana most
carurslly yrecomm nj that ~ constitution i
amendment he submitted to the lc@isltt ures
Of the several states tOl ratification, making
ii tive duty OF each of the HeN cral states to cS-
tahli~h. and torcibly maintain, free pubilc
schools II 'cquntt to the education oi all me
children in rHdimcnnry branches within
their respective limits. irrespective of sex,
color. hiIth.plarc o. religion, fOrhiddingt q
tpurIiun said schools ut rel RlOus, III lltlS-
tic or pagan teuctS, and prohibiting The
grant of any school funds or school taxes,
or any pa / thereof, eth by legislative
municipal or other authority, Tor the be .ht
or in aid directly ol indirectly of amy relig'
iOuS sect or dCuuminnt ion, or in ald or FOR the
bcncttt of any other object OF any nature or
kind whatever In connect ON vii this i'm
pOrtant question l would also call lur at
irntion 10 the importance OF correcting an
rVil that. il permitt,d Il to continue, Will prob
ably lead to sr, AT trouble in our land before
th'clO-c ot the nineteenth century. 1t Is th5
accumulation Of vast amounts OF untdAeu
church property. In ., / believe, inc
church p opcrty of the United states which
paid no tax. municipal or state, amounted 70
about $40 OUt, in 1860 the amount had doup-
led; in ls75 it is ~ out $lOO,tOhuh; ~ 1900,
without check, it j. safe 10 s4y TINS property
will reach II sum exceeding ~ W' OiuO". so
vast II sum receiving all the pro'cclloh anu
benefits of the gov rninent Nlthout gearing
"a portion of the burden AN cXlcm cs nt the
same will not b" looked upon cepulhly by
those " ho have to pay The taxes. In Il grow
ing country, where rra! estate expands so
IaIidiY wi(h time rs in the United states,
there il scarcely II limit to the wealth. mat
.Luy he acquired by corporations, re iSlous
oI otherwise. if ALLOW ed 10 retain real estate
without taxation Joni icmplation OF 50 vast
II property as here Hllidcd 10 without TAXA
tiOn, my last 10 svQut stralion ilhou con.
stitutiuI,al authority, ami through blood.
would sugl cst the taxation all property
equally, whether church or corpolauoi' tA'
cmpting only the last resting place OF the
dead, and possibly, with proper restrictions,
church Udltlccs,
OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS.
Our relations with most for ign powers
continuc on IL satisfactory and tricndl. foot
ing. lmcrrmsNn lmtA ICnursv, the GAtGnslnn OF