National Republican., 1880-12-07

mcnt fair trial with Gvlcw TO Stop the coinage,
ifeXpCrlencc should provo that tho silver dollar
authorized by the bill continued tO he Of less
mercial value than the standard gold dollar.
The coinage Of silver dollars under the act re-.
fcrrcd to began In March, 1873, and has been con.
tinucd a. required by the act, The average rate
per month to the present time has been S2216ig2.
Ic !oa amept sag coined prior to the ls Of Noyem;
remain In the Treasury, and only 7GJ 2gi are In
the hands of the people \ constant effort has
been made to keep this currency In circulation,
and considerable expense has been necessarily In.
Cured Tor this purpose, but its return tO the
Treasury Is prompt and sure. Contrary to the con.
ldCnt anticipation of the friends of the measure at
the time of It's adoption, the value Of the silver
dollar containing il2l9 grains of silver, has not
Increased During the year prior tO the passage Of
the bill authorizing its coinage, the market value
of the silver which 1t contained was from ninety
TO ninety-tw9 cents as compared with the stand.
ard gold dollar. During the last year the average
market value of the silver dollar has been eighty.
! eight and half cents
II Is obvious that the legislation Of the last Con
grcss In regard TO silver, far II was based
an anticipated rise in the value of silver re-
sHlt OF That lcgslation has failed to produce the
mains In force, requiring as II does the coinage of
| q nominal dollar, which IN reality is not n dollar,
| viii be forced to accept single metal as the sole
legal standard OF value in circulation, and this n
standard of less value than i purpoTts 10 be worth
| In the recognized money of the world.
The Constitution of the United States, sound
financial principles, and our best interests all re-
money, both gold and silver coin, Of mn intrinsic
| value, Hs bullion, equivalent to that which, upon
Us face, it purports TO possess The Constitution,
| ns the only true lcgal.tcndcr money. To ban.
| ish either of these metals from our currency Is
| change to the disparagomont of important in.
| tercsts. The United States produces more silver
in maintaining II as one of thetwo precious metals
which furnish the coinage of the world. II will,
IN my judgment contribute to this result ir
| legislation nS requires the coinage of silver
dollar dY,lor' nG cG9ntGining only II2% grains of
secretary the Treasury TO coin silver dollars of
| equivalent value bullion with gold dollars.
| This will deirand no man, and will be in accord.
cral occasions, has altered the ratio of value be.
tween gold and silver In order To establish II more
nearly In accordance with the actual ratio of value
| between the two metals.
In financial legislation every measure in the di.
rcction ofgrcater fidelity In the discharge of pc.
cuniary obligations has been found by experience
| TO diminish the rates of interest which debtors are
required 10 pay, and TO increase the facility with
| which money can be obtained for every legitimate
purpose. Our own recent financial history shows
how surely money becomes abundant whenever
coinidsInGe IN the SXaSt performance of moncyed
The Secretary of War reports that the cxpcndi.
grGs Of @ the n war s for hs fiscal year
preparations for this Department, for the current
fiscal year, amount TO sil,993630.i0
With respect To the army, the Secretary invites
attention TO the fact that its strength Is limited by
statute (secton ll5, Revised statutes) To not more
than 10000 enlisted men, but that proyisos con.
tanned In appropriation bills have limited eXpcn.
dturcs TO the enlistment of but 25O0O. II Is he.
icvcd the full legal strength Is the least possible
force at which the present organization can he
| maintained, having in view efficiency, discipline
| and economy. While the enlistment of this force
would add somewhat to the appropriation for pay
of the army, the saving made IN other respects
| would bC more than an equivalent for this addi.
tionnl outlay, and the efficiency of the army would
| he largely increased.
The rapid extension of the railroad system west
oftho Mississippi River, aud the great tide of set
tiers which has flowed In upon new territory, i'm.
pose on the military an entire change of policy
| The maintenance of small posts along wagon and
stage routes of travel Is no longer necessary Per.
mancnt quarters At points selected, of more sub
stantial character than those heretofore
Will be required. Under existing laws permanent
buildings cannot be erected without the sanction
| of Congress nnd when sales of military sites and
buildings have been authorized, the moneys re-.
| ccivcd have reverted To the Treasury, and coul,l
only become available through Il new appropra.
ton II Is recommended that provision be made
by general statute, for the sale ofsuch abandoned
military posts and buildings as are found TO he uil.
necessary and for the application Of lhe proceed,
the present posts of but slight value for mill.
tary purposes, owing to the changed condition OF
the country, their occupation Is continued a great
expense and inconvenience, because they afford
the only available shelter for troops.
The absence of large number of officers of the
line, In active duty, from their regiments IL a &C.
rious detrimeni to the maintenance Of the service
The constgns demand for small deiachments. each
officer and the various details of officers for ncccs
s0ry service away from their commands, occasions
u scarcity IN the number required for company
| duties With view to lcsscnlng this drain to some
extent, Is recommended that the law authorizing
ors of tactics and military science M certain Cellcgrs
| and universities, be 50 amended as 10 provide TINT
all such details he made from the retired list of the
| army.
| Attention is asked 10 the necessity of providing
| by legislation for organizing, arming and discipline
proprationS are recommended in ihis behalf. Thc E
reports of the AdiuantGcncral of tn. Army and tn,
| Chief of Ordnance touching this subject fully sci
| The report of the officer in charge of education
| in the army shows that there are seventy eight
| schools now in operation In the army, with an ag
grrgntc attendance of 9sn5 enlisted men md child
| rCn. The secretary recommends the enlistment Ol
one hundred and fifty schoOlmastcrs with rank and
| pay of cOnmisSary-scrgcnnt>, An appropriation Is
| needed Ia supply the iudgcndyocntCS Of the army
with suitable Libraries, and the Secretary recon-.
mcnds that the corps of judgc.0dvOCOlcs be- placed
upon the same footing nS 10 promotion, with the
other Stnil corps of the army. Under existing laws
the bureau of Military Justice consists Of one oil
Ger, the Jndgc-Adr9catc GcnGral, and the corps o
ludgc.ndvOcntcs, of eight officers of equal rank
mNiors) with provision that the limit OF the corp
resignation to that number. The consolidation o
the Bureau of Military Justice and the corps OF
Iudge'ndvocatcS upon the same basis with the other
sinil corps of the army would remote an unjust
discrimination against deserving officers. and sub
serve the best interests of the service.
Especial attention Is asked Ia the report of the
chief of Engineers upon the condition of our M
tiona dcicnscs. From personal inspection OF
many of the iouiilcntions referred TO the Secretary
Is able Ia emphasize the recommendations made
and 10 state that their incomplete and dcfcnselcSs
condition Is discrcditablc to the country While
other nations have been increasing their means for
| carrying on offensive warfare and attacking mari.
| time cities, We have been dormant In preparation
for defense, Nothing ofimPorance has been done
| works since our late civil war, during which the
great guns of modern warfare and the heavy armOr
| of modern iortilcations and ships came into use
among the nations, and our eOrhworks left by II
| sudden failure of appropriations some years since,
| IN all stages Of inGompleton, are now being rap.
| idly destroyed by the elements.
| The two great rivers of the North American con-
tnent the Mississippi and the Columbia, have thor
| navigabe waters wholly within the limits of the
United States and ire of vast importance 10 our in.
| ternal and foreign commerce. The pc1nnnency of
the important work on the South Pass of the Mis-.
sssippi River seems now to he assured. There has
been no failure whatever In the maintenance of the
| maximum channel during the six months ended
| August . last This experiment has opened Il broad
deep highway 10 the ocean, and Is 1n Improvement
| upon the permanent success of which Congratula.
tiOns may be exchanged among people abroad and
| at home, and especially among the communities
| OF the Mississippi Valley, whose commercial cx.
changes float in an un0bsructcd channel safely to
| and from the sea.
and It's tributaries II II mutter of tr0nsCcndcnt I'm.
pOrtancc. These great waterways comprise SyS.
TEN of inland transportation spread Ike network
over large portion of the United States aud nav.
| lgable to the extent of many thousands of miles.
| Producers ana consumers alike have common III
| tcrest In such uncqualcd facilities for cheap trans
| pOHation. Geographically, commercially, and pO.
| liucally they are the strongest ties between the
yaTiOus sections of the country, These channels of
| communication and Interchange are the property
Of the nation, Its Jurisdiction Is paramount over
their waters, and the plainest principles of public
interest require their Intelligent aud careful super.
| vision, with Ylew 10 their protection, improve.
| ment, and the enhancement Of their usefulness
The channel Of the Columbia River for a dis
| Il obstTucted 10y succession of bOIs, which occa-
sion serious delays In navigation, and heavy cX.
| pensc for lightcrngc and tUwRgc. 4 dcpth of ut
lpukt at low titlp should Dg secured and