Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-12-11

Inc C9nStItutlu'; o. ne bulici ptatea SUM-
financial urInc,nl.- au our best interests, all
require that tbs c,nn Is Should nave as IT'S icsai-
tender money hi. Id and silver coin, OF an
intrinsic value, a. iilion. noss. m.
which, upon its 'lc.. tpurpor's To possess: Ut
constitution, i'll e,pie5s terms. recognizes o9tn
gold and silver AZ the only true lesaiIteniei
money. To Danish pl,ber OF tirSe metals from
our currency il Ia marrow amt limit the circu'at-
ing medium of eXchange to me Encouragement Vi
important Interests. The United states pro,
duces more silver than any otner country, aht
Is directly inter. s.ed in maintaining II rs one oil
the two precious metals which iurnish tue ,ln
age of the world. 1t will, in my Judgment. con
tribute to this result if congress will repeal SO
much OF existing legislation Us Erquires !ue
Coinage of silver dollars containing +lsa staln1
OF silver, and in its stead Will authorize me sec.
| retary of the TREASURY TO coin silver dollars of
equivalent value as bullion, with COLO dollars.
This Will deiraud no man, anu WI De ~ az
on several occasions has altered the ratio OF
value between gold and silver, in order 10 IS
tablin it more nearly in accordance win tue
actual ratio OF value between the two metals:
In financial legislation every measure IN thc
direction of greater fidelity IN the discharge Oh
pecunlary obligations has been found ny eN-
perience TO diminish the rates oil interest Whitn
dsb'or are required to pay and to increase the
facility with which money can pc opla'heu 10,
every legitimate purpose. Our own recent
financial history shows how surely money be-
comes abundant whenever confidence In me eS-
act performance of moneyed ophgatiohs 10 Is
tubiished.
The secretary of war reports that the expendi-
lures Of the war department for the fiscal year,
| cnutl June U, 1851. were SDJ, ~ A"S
appropriations for this department Tor me cur
rent fiscal year amount to $4l 1888 $50 ~. WIN
respect to The army, ID secretary invites alien
ton TO the fact that Its strength is Limited oy
statutes %(section LIS, Revised Statutts) 10 not
more than 30, 900 enlisted men, but That pro
visOs contained in appropriation oui5 nave
limited expenditures to the enlistment oil nut
u, 900. Ii is believed the full legal strength Is
the least possible force ut which the present
org sniz alton can be maintained. having IN view
ELI :Iency, discipline and economy. While the
enlistment oil till, force would ad somewhat to
the appropriation for pay Of the army, the
saving made il other respects would be more
thar an e1ulya eut for this additional outlay,
and the eficien;y OF the army would lie largely
increased.
west of The M ssissippi river, and the great tide
of settlers which has flowed in upon new terri
tory, imposed ON the military an entire change oil
policy. Tht maintenance OF small posts along
| wagon and stage routes Of travel Is no longer
necessary. Permanent aurters at points select
ed, OF IL more substantial character than those
heretofore constructed, will be required. Under
existing laws, permanent buildings cannot be
erected without the sanction OF con sress, ana
when sass,o of military sites and bulldinss nave
been authorized, the moneys received nave re
verted t. the treasury. and could only peeoIne
available through II new appropriation. IL Is
recommended that provisions be made, by
general statute, for tile sale of such abandoned
military p psts and buildings rs are found To be
unnecessary. ami Tor the application OF the pro
ceeds to the construction OF other posts. Whiie
many OF the present posts are of but slight
value for military purposes, owing to the
changed condition of the country, their occupa-
ton Is continued ut great expense and tncon-
venisnce, because they afford the only available
shelsr for troops.
The absence of u large number of officers OF
theline, in active duty, from their regiments, Is
Il serious detriment to the maintenance OF the
service. The constant demand Tor small de-
ta;chInents, each of which should be
eu by i commissioned officer, and the various
Il tails of officers for necessary service away
rom their commands. occasions a scarcity IN
the number required for comp my duties. With
, view to lessening this drain to some extent, i
is recommended that the law authorizing the de
tail OF officers from the active II I oil professors
II tactics and military science nj certain COL
leges and universities, be so amended rs to pro-
vide that all such details be made from the re-
tired list of the army.
Attention Is asked to tile necessity oil prOVlu-
ing by legislation Tor organizing, arminS anC
dBcipilning the active militia OF the country ant
liberal appropriations are IN this
behalf. The reports of the ~adjutant general o.
III. army and the chief OF ordinance touching
this subject FULLY set forth its Importance. The
report oil the officer IN charge OF education In
The army shows that there are Seventy-elshl
schools now in operation in the army. with al
aggregate attendance of 2.39o enlisted men and
children. The secretary recommends the enlist.
neat of one hundred and nity schoolmasters
with the rank an pay of commissary sergeants
An appropriation is needed TO supply the Judge
advocates of the army with suitasle libraries,
and the secretary that the corps o.
Judge advocates be placed upon the same foot
ing, as to promotion, with the other stall corps
Of he army. Under existing laws. the bureat
Of military Justice consists OF one officer, thu
judge advocate general, and the corps OF judge
adsscotes, OF eight officers OF equal rank
(majOrs), with u provision that the UNIT OF ths
corps shall remain at tour when reduced by
casualty or resignation to that nu.Lber. Iss
consolidation of the burca. Of military Justice,
and the corps of judge Advocates, upon the same
basis with the other stan corps OF the army
would remove an unjust discrimination aSalns
deserving ofic, rs. and subserve the best inter
SITS OF the service.
Especial attention Is asked to the report OF ths
chief engineer upon the condition OF The M
I - ann .funsn from Il lGr.nntI inRnnrtlnn n
many OF the ioriiicaiians referred To, the presl
lent is able to emphasize the recommendation
made, and to state that their incomplete and de
fenceleSs condition IL di5eredltable to tn,
country. While other nations have been in
creasing their. means tor c rryinS on Unen.Iv,
warfare and attacking maritime cities, We hay,
been dorm III: In preparation Tor defence. nth
ing OF Importance mas been done tOWart
strengthening and iLishing uur gaseI itei WORK
since our iare civil war, during which The greL
guns Of moiern warfare and the heavy a-mor .
modern iOrtiiications and ship; came intb us
among the nalions, and our earthworks leit by
sudden failure u appropriations some year
since, in al! stages OF Incoinp!etion, are nov
being rapidly destroyed by the elements.
The two great rivers OF The North American
continent, the Mississippi and the Columbia
nave their navigabie waters wholly within tn
limits oil tue United States. and are of vast i'm
portance to our internal and foreign
The perman-ncy ot the lmportaIt Work ON tn
s,utL. E:.ss of the Mississippi river, seems now t.
ne assured. There mas been no failure whateve
III the maintenance OF the maximum channe
| L III " lcIlh '. Ah6ooIS othy luSl
FMS experiment has opened u broad, dee
highway to the ocean, and ID an imprOvem II
upon the permanent success of which oongralu
latlons may he exchanged among the people Il
home and abroad, and especially among tn
communities OF the Mississippi valley. who's
commercial exchanges avat III an unOUstructe,
channel safely to and from the sea.
y comprehensive Improvement Of the Mis-
sissIppi and its tributaries is IL matter OF trans
comprise u system of inland transportati0
>pread like Il network over Il large portion c
the United States, and nnvigable to the exter
Of many thousands OF miles. Producer
and consumers alike have n common interest l
such unequuled facilities for cheap Transports
ton. Geographically, commercially and poll
Ically, tncy are the strongest tie bet Seen Ill
various sectiOIs Of the country. Tnese char
nels of communication aud interchange are III
mount over their waters. and The plainest prin
clples OF publie interest require their Garrett
and intelligent supervision with u view to the
protection, improvement and the enhancemeI
OF their usefulness.
The channel of the Columbia river, Tor a dI:
lance OF ahous 100 r?i,es from its mouth, Is oil
structed by u SUGGESTION OF bars which 0ccasio
seriOu, delays in navigation and heavy eXpens.
: for lIghterage and towags. A depth of ut lea
twenty ieet ut low tide shOuld be secured al
maintained, TO Rect the r, qulremenis of the e,
tensive and growing inland and ocean CONNER,
r 1t subserSes. The most urgent need howevel
/ for this great water way Is 4 permanent III
: proreInemt Of the channel ut the mouth Of Il
:. river.
! From Columbia river 10 gan Francisco, a Iii
: tango OF over Geo miles, there is no harbor c
our Pacific coast which can be app cached ,u
+ ing stormy weather. An appropriation
r $50 900 Was made by the forty-huh conyre
: Tor the commencement of Il breukwater III
harb"r oi refuge. To be locate a. some pol
. between the straits OF Enca an,l San Franclsc
n at which the necessities OF commerce local al
general, wiii ~: hest accommodated T.
. amount appropriated is thought to be quite i
# adj, suate Tor the purpose intended. The cost
the work. when finished, Will be very grea
owing 10 The want OF natural advantages for
Sll al IN DIN IN tl4 .lnn-f a NNann fln .lugI
Il mated limits, and II has not been thought TO
i !ylsaDle to undertake the work without II Ia
ger Appropriation. commend the matter
], the attention Of congress.
The completion OF the new building for {
war department Is urgently needed, and the c
Inmates Tor continuing its construction II
especially recommended The collection
books, specimens and records constituting /
army MEDICAL Iuuseum and library ..ie OF II
tIonal Importance. III. library now contui
III about nlty-one thousand five hundred Isl, s.
10 volumes and ilfty-sev.n thousand (J7 ,UOOl pai
phlets relating to medicine, surgery and alii
re topics. The cpn.ents of the amy medical m
rs scum consist OF twenty-five thousand (22 W
l specimens, and are unique in the conpleIen,
g with "l!Ich both military SUI gery and the u
Vi Eases al The ;,rniics age ,lluSraied. Their III
rs t%ructIon would he an lrrepartbie loss, not OF
& 10 The United States. but TO the world. Tn,
~ are iii"d IN the record and pension division o,
Ut sixteen thousand uo. 900 bound volumes of h,
ne pitai records, together with II great quantity
Is papers embracing the original records OF
'e hospitals oil our armies during the civil W:
'i Aside from their historical value, these recoI
III are daily searched for evidence needed in
satlicHisrts Of large numbers of pension a
in other claiAa. for the protection OF the gov.
:, ment against frauds, rs well as Tor the benetl,
er honest Claimants. These valuable c0liectit
p are now IN II building which Is peculiarly
r, posed to tht danger of destruction by fire
IL tnpfpInrp plrne-Ilv r.,.n m f,.E 1.l tbaf IN