Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-12-10


civilization among the Indians.n
q The question, whether q Change /
Y the control of the Indian service shou
l be made, was, at the last session of Co
= gress, referred toa committee for inou
I ~ and report. Without desiring to al
: ticipate that report, venture to expre
. the hope that the decision of 90 iIrpo
tant question, the views expresse
above may not be lost sight of, and tn,
the decision, whatever It may be. wi
arrest further agitation of this subiec
such agitation being apt to produce
disturbing effect upon the service as we
as on the Indians themselves:
In the enrolment of the bill maxim
appropriations for sundry civil expense
at the last session of Congress, that Dol
ton which provided for the continue
tion. of the Hot Springs Commissio
: was omitted. As the commission ha
completed the work of taking testimon
on the many conflicting claims, the su.
pension of their labors, before determir
ing the rights of claimants, Threatened
for time to embarrass the interests
not only of the Government, but also {
a large number of the citizens of He
Springs, who were waiting for final &C
tiOn on their claims before beginnin
contemplated improvements. In orde
to prevent serious difficulties, whicl
were apprehended, and at the solicita
tion.of many leading citizens of Ho
Springs, and others interested in tn
welfare Of the town, the Secretary of tn
Interior was authorized to request tn,
late commissioners to take charge of tn
records of the proceedings, and to per
form such as could properly be done BY
them under such circumstances, to IA
cilitate the future adjudication of tn,
claims until their rights should be final
ly determined. The la.e commissioner
complied with that request, and repor
that the testimony, in all tie cases, has
been written out, examined, briefed
and SO arranged as to facilitate an early
settlement when authorized by law
1t is recommended that the requisite
authority be given at as early q day in
the session as possible, and that fair
compensation be allowed the late COM
missfoners for the expense incurred and
the labor performed by them since the
25th of June last.
invite the attention Of Congress to
the recommendations made BY the Sec
retary of the Interior with regard to the
preserv alton Of the timber on the public
lands Of the United States. The pro-
lection of the public property is one of
the first duties of the Government. The
Department of the Interior should there
fore, be enabled by sufficient appropria-
tlons, to enforce the laws in that respect
But this matter appears still more i'm
portant as aquestion Of public economy
The rapid destruction of our forests is
an evil fraught with the gravest conse-
quences, especially in the mountain dis
tricts, where the rocky slopes, once de-
nuded OF their trees will remain so for
ever: There the injury, once done, can
not be repaired. I fully concur with
the Secretary of the Interior in the
opinion that, for this reason, legislation
touching the public timber in the noun
famous States and Territories of the
West, should be especially we'll consid-
cred, and that existing laws, in which
the destruction of the forests is not suf
ficiently guarded against, should be
speedily modified. A general law con-
cerning this important subject, appears
to me to be matter of urgent public
necessity.
From the organization of the Govern
ment, the importance of encouraging,
by all possible means. the increase Of
our agricultural productions has been
acknowledged and urged upon the at
tention of Congress and the people as
the surest and readiest means of increas-
ing our substantial and enduring pros
perity.
The words of Washington are as ap-
plicable to-day as when, in the eighth
annual message, he said cit is not to
be doubted that with reference either to
individual or national welfare, agricul-
ture is of primary importance. In pro-
portion as nations advance in popula-
tion and other circumstances of maturi-
ty, this truth becomes more apparent,
and renders the cultivation of the soil
more and more an object of public pat
ronage. Institutions for promoting it
grow up, supported by the public purse
and to what object can it be dedicated
with greater propriety? Among the
means which have been employed to
this end, none have been attended with
greater success than the establishment
of boards composed of proper characters,
charged with collecting and diffusing
information, and enabled, by premiums
and small pecuniary aids, to encourage
and assist the spirit of discovery and
improvement, this species of establish
ment contributing doubly to the increase
Improvement by stimulating to enter
prise and experiment, and by drawing
to common centre the results every
where of individual skill and observa-
ton, and spreading them thence over
the whole nation. Experience accord
ingly hath shown that they are very
cheap instruments. of immense national
benefit"
The great preponderance of the agri-
s,,k Z I,
United States, entities it to all the con-
ton. About one-half of the population
of the United States is engaged in agri-
culture. The value Of the agricultural
products of the United States for the
year 1878, is estimated at three
thousand millions of dollars. The ex-
ports of agricultural products for the
year 1877, as appears from the report of
the Bureau of Statistics, we've five hun
dred and twenty four millions of dollars
The great extent of our country, with
diversity of soil and climate, enables us
to produce within our borders, and by
our own labor, not only the necessaries
but most of the luxuries that are con-
sumed in civilized countries. Yet. not
withstanding our advantages of soil,
climate, and Accommodation it ap-
pears from the statistical statements in
the report of the Commissioner of Ag-
riculture, that we import annually from
foregn lands many millions of dollars
worth of agricultural products which
could be raised in our country.
Numerous questions arise in the prac-
tice of advanced agriculture which can
only be answered by experiments, often
costly and sometimes fruitless, which
are beyond the means of private indi-
viduals, and are just and proper charge
on the wholesnation for the benefit of
the nation. 1t is good policy, especially
in times of depression and uncertainty
in other business pursuits, with vast
area of uncultivated, and hence uupro-
ductive territory, wisely opened to
homestead settlement, to encourage, by
every proper and legitimate means, the
occupation and tillage of the soil. The
efforts of the Department of Agriculture
to stimulate old and introduce new agri-
cultural industries, to improve the
quality and increase the quantity of our
products, to determine the value of old
or establish the importance of new
methods of culture, are worthy of your
"a ref,II and favorable consideration and