The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-12-07

profit over cost of production, because there |
is not an over production. l call special at
tention to the need of the department. for a
new gallery for the reception of the exhibits
returned from the Centennial Exhibition, IN
Guiding the exhibits donated by very many
foreign nations. and to the recommendations
of the Commissioner of Agriculture generally.
District of Columbia.
The report of the District commissions and
the Board of Health are just received, too late
to read them and to make recommendations
thereon, and are herewith submitted.
The Centennial Exposition.
The International Exhibition held in Phila-
delphia this year, in comrnemoration of the
one hundredth anniversary of American inde-
pendence, has proven great success, and will
no doubt be Of enduring advantage to the
country. 1t has shown great progress in the
arts, sciences, and mechanical skill made in q
single century, and demonstrates that we are
but q little behind the older nations in
any one branch, while in some we scarcely
have rival. 1t has served, too not only to
bring people and products of skill and labor
from all parts OF the world together, and in
bringing together people from all sections of
our own country, but must prove great
benefit in the information impaired and pride
of country engendered.
It has been suggested by scientists interested
in and connected with the Smithsonian Instl-
tute, in communication herewith submitted
that the Government exhibit be removed to the
Capital, and a suitable building be erected or
purchased for its accommodation as perma-
nent exhibit. earnestly recommend this, and,
believing that Congress would second this view,
I directed that all the Government exhibits
at the Centennial Exhibition should remain
where they are, eXcect such as might be IN
jured by remaining in building not intended
as protection In inclement weather, or such
as may he wanted by the departments furnish
ing them, until the question of a permanent
exhibition is acted on. Although the moneys
appropriated by Congress to enable the partic-
ipation of the several executive departments In
the international Exhibition of 1876were notsuf
ficient to carry out the undertaking to the full
extent as first contemplated, it gives me pleas
ure to refer to the very efficient and creditable
manner in which the boards appointed from
the several departments to provide an
exhibition on the part of the Government
have discharged their duties with the
funds placed at their command. Without
precedent to guide them in the preparation
OF such display, the success OF their labors
was amply attested by the sustained attention
which the contents of the Government
building attracted during the period of the Ex-
hibition, from both foreign and native people.
I am strongly impressed with the value Of the
collection made by the Government for the
purposes Of the Exhibition, illustrating as it
does the general resources OF the country, the
statistical and practical evidences of our
growth as 8 nation, and the uses of the mer-
camille arts and the application Of sci
ence in the administration of the affairs Of
the Government. Many nations have vOlun-
tariiy contributed their exhibits to the United
States, to increase the interest in any permanent
exhibition that Congress may provide for. For
this act of generosity they should receive the
thanks of the people, and respectfully sug-
gest that a resolution of Congress to that effect
be adopted.
The Electoral System.
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 q Presi-
dent. Under the present system, there seems
to be no provided remedy for contesting the
election in any one State. The remedy is par
italy, no doubt, in the enlightenment Of the
electors. The compulsory support of the free
schools and the Acknowledgement of all who
cannot read or write the English language,
after a fixed probation, would meet my hearty
approval I would not make this apply, how
ever, to those already voters, but l would to
all becoming so after the expiration of the
probation fixed upon. Foreigners coming to
the country to become citizens, who are ed
ucated in their own language, would acquire
the requisite knowledge of ours during the
necessary residence to obtain naturalization.
IF they did not take enough interest in our
language to acquire sufficient knowledge OF 1T
to enable them to study the institutions and
laws of the country intelligently, I would not
confer upon them the right to make such laws
nor to select those who do.
. Defends His Santo Domingo Scheme.
append to this Message, for convenient
reference, synopsis of administrative events,
and of all the recommendations to Congress
made by me during the last seven years.
Time may show some of these recommends
tons not to have been wisely conceived, but
believe the larger part will be no dlscredlt
to the administration. One OF those recon-
mendations met with the united opposition of
one political party in the Senate, and with a
strong opposition from the other, namely, the
treaty for the annexation of Santo Domingo
to the United States, to which shall specially
refer maintaining, as do, that if my views
had been concurred in, the country would
| be in a mere prosperous condition to-day,
both politically and financially. Santo Do
mingo is fertile, and upon it's soil may be
grown just those tropical products OF which
the United States use 80 much, and which
are produced and prepared for the market
now by slave labor almost exclusively name
| ~, sugar, coffee, dyewoods, mahogany, trop-
| ical fruits, tobacco, etc. About Is per cent
of the exports of Cuba are consumed in the
| United States. A large percentage of the ex-
| ports of Brazil also find the same market.
These are paid for almost exclusively IN oo1n.
| legislation, particularly in Cuba being I'M
| favorable to mutual exchange of the products
of each country. Flour shipped from the
Mississippi river to Havana can pass by the
very entrance to the city on its way to a portion
of Spain, then pay duty fixed upon articles to
be re-exported, transferred to aSpanish vessel,
and brought back almost to the point OF start
| ing, paying a second duty, and still leave a
profit over what would be received by direct
shipment. All that is produced in Cuba
could be produced in Santo Domingo.
Being part of the United States,
commerce between the island and the
main land would be free. There would be no
export duties on her shipments, nor import
duties on those coming here. There would be
no import duties upon the supplies, machinery,
| ETC.. going from the States The effect that
would have been produced upon Cuban COM
| merce with these advantages to rival is OBJ
servable at glance The Cuban question
would have been settled long ago in favor of