The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-12-07


have discharged their duties with the
funds placed at their command. With
out precedent to guide them in the
preparation ofsuch display, the success
Of their labors was amply attested by the
sustained attention which the contents Of
our Government building attracted dur
ing the period of the exhibition, from
both foreign and native visitors. | am
strongly impressed with the value of the
collection made by the Government for
the purposes of the exhibition, illustra-
ting, as it does, the mineral resources of
the country, the statistical and practical
evidences of our growth as q nation, and
the uses of the mechanical arts and the
applications of applied science in the ad-
ministration of the affairs of Governmen.
Many nations have voluntarily contribu-
ted their exhibits to the United States to
increase the interest in any permanent
exhibition Congress may provide. For
this act of generosity they should receive
the thanks of the people, and / respect-
fully suggest that resolution be passed
by Congress to that effect.
CHANGE IN METHOD OF RLECTINa PRESIDENT.
The attention of Congress cannot be
too earnestly called to the necessity Of
throwing some greater safeguard over
the method of choosing and declaring
the election of President. Under the
present system there seems to be no pro-
vided remedy for contesting the election
in any one State. The remedy is par
TALLY, no doubt, in the enlightenment of
the electors. The compulsory support of
the free schools, and the disfranchise-
meni of all who cannot read and write
the English language after fixed proba-
tion, would meet my hearty APPROVAL
Would not make this apply, however, to
those already voters, bat would to all
becoming so after the expiration of the
probation fixed upon. Foreigners COM
ing to this country to become citizens,
who are educated in their own language,
would acquire the requisite knowledge
of ours during the necessary residence to
obtain naturalization. If they do not
take enough interest in our language to
acquire sufficient knowledge of it to ena-
BILE them to study the institutions and
laws of the country intelligently, would
not confer upon them the right to make
such laws nor to select those who do.
PAST RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONGRESS.
append to this message for convent
ert reference synopsis of administra-
tive events, and of all recommendations
to Congress made by me the past seven
years. Time may show some of these
recommendations not to have been wise
ly conceived, but l believe the larger
part will do no discredit to the admins
tration. One of these recommendations
met with the united opposition of one
political party in the Senate, and with
strong opposition from the other, name
ly-the treaty fer the annexation of San
Domingo to the United States, to which
| will specially refer, maintaining as
do, that if my views had been concurred
in, the country would be in more pros
porous condition to-day, both politically
and financially. San Domingo is fertile,
and upon its soil may be grown just those
tropical products of which the United
States uses so much, and which are pro-
duced or prepared for market by slave
labor almost entirely, namely: sugar, Cof.
fee, dye woods, mahogony, tropical fruits
tobacco, etc. About 75 per cent of the
exports of Cuba are consumed in the
United States; large per cent of the ex-
ports Of Brazil also find the same market
These are paid for almost exclusively in
coin, legislation, particularly in Cuba,
being unfavorable to mutual exchange
of the products of each country. Flour
shipped from the Mississippi river to
Havanna can pass by the very entrance
to the city on its way to port in Spain,
then pays a duty fixed upon articles to
be re-exported transferred to Spanish
vessel and brought back almost to the
point of starting, paying second duty,
still leave profit over what would be
received by direct shipment. All that is
produced in Cuba could be produced in
San Domingo. Being part of the Uni
ted States, commerce between the island
and the main land would be free; there
would be no export duties on her ship
ments, nor import duties on those COM
ing here. There would be no import du-
ties upon the supplies of machinery, etc.,
going from the States. The effect thus
produced upon Cuban commerce with
these advantages to rival is obsel vable
at a glance. The Cuban question would
have been settled long ago in favor Of
free Cuba hundreds of American vessels
would now be used advantageously in
transporting the valuable woods and
other products of the soil Of the island to
a market, and in carrying supplies and
emigrants to it. The island is but sparse
ly settled, while it has an area sufficient
for the profitable employment of several
millions of people. The soil would soon
have fallen into the hands of United
States capitalists. The products are 30
valuable in commerce that emigration
there would have been encouraged, the
enancipated race of the South would
have found there a congenial home, in
which their civil rights would not be dis
puted, and where their labor would be 80
much sought for that the poorest among
them could have found the means to go.
Thus, in cases of great oppression and
cruelty, such as has been practiced upon
them in many places withiL the last
eleven years, whole communities would
have sought refuge in San Domingo.
do not suppose the whole race would
have gone, nor is it desirable that they
should go. Their labor is desirable, in
dispensable almost, where they now are,
but the possession of this territory would
have left the negro master of the situa.
ton, by enabling him to demand his
rights at home on pain Of finding them
elsewhere. / do not present these views
now as a recommendation for renewal
of the subject of annexation, but do re-
fer to it to vindicate my previous action
in regsrd to it.
FAREWELL. Z "a ..
With the present Congress my official
life terminates. 1t is not probable that
public affairs will ever again receive at
tention from me, further than as a citi-
zen of the republic, always taking a deep
interest in the integrity and prosperity
of the whole land.
N la. ga. US GRANT.
Executive Mansion, Dec. 5, 1875,