The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-12-09

referred to. began in March, 1873, ana has beel
continued as required by the act. The averag
rate per month to the Present tme has beel
} se,e tirst Of kov.mber s last va. aa,sa7.SsS ~ 8
this amount 81, ,os4, ,45o remain in the treasury
people. A constant effort has been made t,
keep this currency in circulation, and consider
able expense has been necessarily incurred 10
this purpose, but its return to the treasury Il
prompt and sure. Contrary TO the conAden
the time OF its adoption, tie valve of the Slvea
dollar, containing 412h grains Of silver, has no
increased During the year prior to the passage
OF the ball authorizing Ii coinage, the market
value Of the silver which 1t conAined was from
ninety to ninety-twe cents, as compared with
the average MARKET value of the silver dollar
has been eighty Eight and q half cents.
Congress in regard to silver, so far as it wa.
based On an anticipated rise in the value Of sill
produoe the eeet sna enen predctea h The ionses
the law remains in force, recurring as it does
the coinage of nominal dollar, which, in
reality, is It q dollar, the greater becomes tae
danger that this country Will be forced to ao-
cept a single metal the soie legal standard OF
value in circulation, and thisa standard of less
value than it purports to be worth in the recog-
nizei haonev of the world.
The Constitution of the United States, sound
financial pyint iples ana our best interests. all
require that tie country should have. az
coin. Of an Intrinsic % vsie oA ss billion eauiva
lent TO that which, upon lis face, it purports to
pssse g The Constitution; in express terms.
| recognizes both gold and silver IS the only true
| leGal-tender money. TO Danish either of these
metals from our cnrrercy is to narrow aud limit
| the circulating medium of exc 2ange to the dis
| arrangement OF important interests. The United
States produce! more silver than any osher
| ing 1t as one OF the two pr, cious metes which
| furnish the coinage OF the world. It Will. in
gre.. win rspeal 30 much n Of S existing iegisia
| ton as rs4ufr 3 the soinage Of silver dollars
containing only 4l21a grains of silver. and in its
| ury to coin silver dollars OF eqaivasnt value 40
bullion. with gold dollars. THIS viii dsfla aud
no msn, and will be in accordance with familiar
precedents Congr1 IS, several occasions,
has altered tie alto of value between gold and
accordance with the ratio of value between the
| tive metals.
In financial legislation every measure in the
direction Of greater fidelity in the disc 1arge Of
pee lniary obligations, has been foand By ex-
perience to diminish the roles OF interest which
debtors are le Iuired to pay, and to increas tho
| facility with which money can be obtainrd for
every legitimate purpose. Our own recent
comes abundant whenever confidence In the
exact performance Of moneyed obligations is
The Secretary of War reports that the
RsndisnIes Of the a1 DEPARTMENT 81. tor =. tie ~
The appropriations for this department, Tor the
current hscal year, amount to $I,ot3.6.o.4o.
With respect to the army. the secretery in
limited by statute tsectiod 1,11s, Revised Stat
utes) 10 not more than 5000 enlisted men. but
have @itsd expendis%res to pRe of
but zo,OOl 1t is believed the full legal strength
is the least possible force at which the present
organization can be main. aimed. having In view
efficiency, discipline, and economy While the
enlistment OF this force would ada somewhat to
ing mr. de In other respects would be more than
an equivalent for this additional outlay, and
the efficiency of the army would be largely in
creased.
The rapid extension of the railroad system
west Of the Mississippi River, and the great tide
of settlers which has flowed in upon new ter
ritory, imrose on the military an entire change
Of policy. The maintenance Of small posts
along wagon and stage routes OF travel Is no
longer necessary. Permanent quarters at points
selected, of a more substantial character than
those heretofore constructed, will be required.
Under existing laws permanent buildings can
not be erected without the sanction of Congress,
aud when sales of military sites and buildings
have been authorized, the moneys received
have reverted to the Treasury, and could only
become available through a new appropriation.
1t is recommended that provision be made,
by general statute, for the sale of such aban-
doned military posts and buildings as are
other POSTS While many Of the present posts
owing to the changed condition of the country,
their Occupation is continued at great expense
and they afford the only
The absence of q large number of officers Of
the hne in active duty, from their regiments, 10
serious detriment to the maintenance OF the
service. The cons tant demand for small de- |
tachments, each of which should be command
ed by commissioned officer, and the various |
details of officers for necessary service away |
from their commands, occasions scarcity In |
the number required for company duties With |
. view to lesscning this drain to some extent, it
Is recommended that the law authorizing the |
detail Of officers f1om the active list profess
Ors of tactics and military science at certain /
colleges and universities. be so amended as to
provide that all such details be made from the
retired list of the army.
Attention is asked to the necessity of provid-
Ing by legislation for organizing, armtng. and
d tne @Gt.ts missa m ot J1e
thff behalf. The repc rts of the Adjutant Gem
eral of the Army and the Chief Of Ordnance
touching this subject fully set forth its impOr-
lance.
The report of the officer in charge Of educa-
ton in the army shows that there are seventy
eight schools now IL operation in the army,
with an aggregate attendance OF 2.305 enlisted
The enlistment of one hundred and flfty school
masters, with the rank and pay OF commissary-
An appropriation Is needed to sup
ply the judge advocates of the army with suita-
Die libraries, and the Secretary recommends
hat tine corps of judge advocates be placed
he other staff corr 8 of the army. Under exist
ng laws, the Bureau of Military Justice con-
md the corps Of judge advocates, Of eight Of
tcers of equal rank rank, ,majorsl with a pro-
lslon ISL 5nae nmit OF Sne corps shaii remain at
% that number. The consolidation Of the Bu- !
eau of Military Justice and the corps OF judge
advocates upon the same basis VITA the other | {
taft corps of the army would remove an un- ,
ust discrimination again deserving officers and
the best interests of the service.
Especial attention is asked to the report of l
he Chief OF Engineers upon the condition OF :
ur national defenses From personal inspec- {
ion of many Of the Notifications referred to, .
he Secl etary is able to emphasize the recon- I
nendations made, and to state that their in
table to the country While other nations have
een increasing their means for CARRYING on Of a
ensive warfare and attacking maritime cities, v
'e have been dormant in preparation for de- $
ense: nothing of import ,nce Las been done 4
owards strengthen1ns and hn1shing our case u
mated works since our late civil war, during <
,hieh the great guns of modern warfare and e
he heavy armor of modern Notifications and I
hips came into use. among the nations, and our b
arthworks left, by sudden failure Of appro- 9
ria tions some years since, in all stages Of in
ompletioR, are now being rapidly destroyed !,
y the elements 49,. n
The two great rivers of the North Amali lean y
ointment, the Mis- :issippi and the Columbia, Fl
ave their nayigablc wa.eiS wholly within the | e
mits of the United States, and are of vast 9
Importance t, our internal and foreign COM Il
lerce. The p rnancy of the import: nj work n
n the South Pass of the Mi .sissippi River o
GEMS now to be assured. The e has been no s.
channel during the 81 months ended ii
ug. 9. last: This expert n n has opencd a II
upon the permanent success Of N
hich ctnsratulatlonsi may be exchanged
none People abroad ard at home, and especi. {:
y among the coInlnuri les Of tie Mississippi u
alley, whose commercial clanges tCat in an - -
not struc ed channel safely TO and from the s.
A comprehensive improve ncut of the, ,Missis- | 81
Phi andi tributaries is'a matter OF transcen IL
mt lmi Ortance. There great Waterways | Al
'lnl rise 3 system of inland II nsport ton 81
read like ne work over lIrse. ;, :tiOn OF the W
nited States, and N i,igable to the extclt of -
any thousands of miles. Producers and col- pl
m.rs alike have co.nnon interest in such =
lequailed faclities for cheap Trans. Ortaton. | Il,
comm Really, ana oil 1catiy di
ey are the strongest tie between tie various flu
ct:ons OF the country. .Thcs, channels Of COM til
unication and interchange are tac proDelty | ST
the nation. lis jnr's fiction is paramount al
er their vat rs, nd tIepl n.st pri ciples Of ~ u.
:. =, - =; i..';.L - -. -. 4. - 'iiA CO
It or, inn rovemcIt, and the enhancement of -
cir usefulness. II,
The C ian lei of the Columbia River, for a ds- ha
nee of about one hnndrcd miles from its dc
outh, is oLs5ructed by Succession of bars, TIC
,if, nf,.. . ON sa,inus tclays in n,.ir.rinn
d heavy exp nsa for Ii :ht rage ana tJwage ~. N
iepth of at lie twenty feet at low tide should -.
secured ard IN inttined to me-, t the require av
nts of the eNteEs We and growing inland and fo1
can comns rec 1t SubS>rv. g. The most urgent di
/ d. however, for this waterway Is a | sci
mont i'm rOYcnent of the cnannal at the TIN