The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-12-09

e~~~~SSNessO"A
fore repeat what Wa said in ths annual me-.
sage Of last year. that fhe retirenent iron
circulation Of Unitsd gaaAss notss, With -
capacity OF legal tender in psivate oontracas,
: u steP 70 g taken IN or progress towards
safe and stable ceErsneY. whleh shosh be ac-
copied q: TIE policy asddsty OF the govern.
nsnt s.d the inter,nt aed security Of tha
A ths tina Of The psssass Of ths ast now ia
force reqciRine tho ooanaee of silver dollszs,
axiug their value aad giving them . leRal e..
der character, Il Was Aelie1ed BY na1y sap.
porters OF the meesurs that tho oliver dollas
which It authorized woeh speedily become,
value to the gold dollar. There vege othee
supporters of the bill who. while they doubeed
~ to tho probability OF shis result neve1thelsoa
were willing to give The pFoposed s1poxinsnt
fair trial With . visw H. stop The coinage il
experience should provo tie silver dol
Lar authorised by the bill oontiuaed
daed gold doilar. Ths ooinaee Of sii1er diver
dolla!s under The aot referred 70 began in
March. 1873. and has bssa ooatinued - requir-
ed BY the act. Tbs average rate pee month 20
the present time has bsen o2,17e, ,4oQ. The
to<a! amount eoined psioe % tie 1st of Novem-
ber lat was 81, 81. .75o. OF this aaaounS OF.
76S. .29l are In the hands Of The people. A Con-
slant effort haa besn made TO keep th:s ourrsn-
~ In circulation and considerable expense
this purpose: but it. ' return to- to
the treasury IL prompt and sure. Contrary to
the oondden. snticipation of the friends OF tho
measure ut the time Of its adoption. tho value
Of the silver dollar containing 4i9X ersins Of
silver has not increased. During che wear
prior to The passage OF the bill aut6oeixiue its
coinage tho market value of The silvsr which il
contained VA from ninety to ninety-two cents,
~ compared with tho stand.
ard gold dollar. During tho last year tho aver-
ago market valas of tho silver dollar has been
eighty 4 .y :isht .od one-h.lf eents. i i" ob.i-
s'o i va. based i'''': on 80 40 ,s;i.,..:s 1:s =:
!1se In the value OF silver - result OF that
legtslation haa failed to produce tho effect then
Predloted. The longer the law remains in
force requiring - it does tho coinage of NOM
greater becomes the danger that this country
will be first to accept . single metal - tho raj
legal standard OF value in circulation. and thia
standard of less value than it purpoets to b.
worth in tho recognised money Of tho world.
The constitution of the United States. souud
financial principles, and our best interests Ill
require that tho country should have
gold and silver coin of IN intrinsic value q
bullion, equivalent to that which upon its faoe
It purports to possess. The constitution in
express terms recognizes both gold and silver
- the only true legal tender money, To
banish either OF these metals from our curren-
cy 10 to narrow or limit the circulating medi-
portsnt interests. The United States produces
more silver thsn any other country and il di-
rectiy interested in maintaining il q one of
tho two precious metals which furnish the
coinage OF the world. Il will in my judgment
contribute to this result if Congress Win n
sx..on .. %s1a 9saa Of th os. tho s1ne :s!e
dollars containing only 4l215 grains of silver,
and in it, stead will authorize the secretary OF
the treasury to coin silver dollar. OF eauivs-
lent value ~ bullion with gold dollars. This
vii! defraud no man and will be in accordance
with familiar preoedents. Oongress, on eev-
erei occasions, has altered the ratio of
value between gold and silver, In order to e.
tablish it more nearly in accordance With the
actual rate OF value between the :wo metals.
In financial legislation every measure in the
direction of greater fidelity in the discbsrps of
pecuuiaEy obligations has been found bY OK.
perienoe to determine tho rate of inherent debt-
ors have to pay and to increase tho facility
With which money can be obtained for every
!eRitimate purpose. Our own recent financial
history shows how surely money becomes
abundant whenever confidence in tho exact
performance OF moneyed 0bliRations 10 estab-
ished.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT..
The secretary Of war reports that tho expeD-
ditures of the war department for the fiscal
year ended June so. 1880, were @s9, ,924, 77s.Os.
The appropriations for this department for the
ervice year amount to "a, ,99s, $50. 40. With
espeot to the army the secretary invites atten-
tion to tho fact that its strength is limited bv
section 116, revised statute l9, 70 not moro than
81. OOO enlisted men, but that . proviso oon-
tained in tho appropriation billa have limited
the expenditures to the enlistment of but 49,
0oO. 1t 10 believed the full legal strength il
tho least posaible foros ut which The present
organization can bo maintained. having in view
efficiency, discipline and economy. While tho
enlistment of this force would add somewhat
to the appropriation for pay of the army, tho
saving made in other respects would be more
than an equivalent for this additional outlay,
and tue efhclency OF the army would be greatly
The rapid exteusion of tho railroad sytem of
the Missouri and Aississippi rivers, and the
great tide of emigration which has flowed in
on new territory has imposed on the military
an entirely new change of policy. Tho estab-
1snment or posts along wagon roads aud roads
frequently Travelled 10 NO longer necessary.
Permanent quarters ut points selected of
more substantial character than those hereto.
fore constructed will be required. Under ex.
isting laws permanent buildings cannot be
erected without the sanction OF Congress, and
when sales of military sites and buildi1gs have
been authorised tho moneys received have
reverted to the treasury aud could only
become available through new appropriation.
It il recommended that provisions be made by
: general statute for the sale Of such sban-
doned military posts and buildinga - are
found to be unnecessary, and for the spplica-
tion OF the proceeds to tho construction Of
other posts. While many of tho present posts
are OF but sliRht value for military purposes.
owing to the changed conditions of the ooun-
try, their occupation ID continued st great o.
pense and inconvenience because they afford
Tie only available shelter for tho troops.
ABsENT OFFICERS.
The absence of . large number Of officers of
tho limo in active duty from their regtments
is a serious detriment to the maintenance of
tho service. The constant demand fos small
detachments, each Of which should be COM
manded by . commissioned officer, and the
various details of officers for necessary service
away from their commando, oooasions Q scare.
ity in tho number required for company duty.
With view to lesssning thia drain to some
extent. it il recommended that the law author
izing the detail of officers from the active list
- professors of tactics and military science It
certain colleges and universities, be 10 amend
ed q to provide that oil such details be made
from the retired list OF the army.
THE MILITIA.
Attention il asked to the necessity OF pro.
viding by legislation for organizing, armins,
and disciplining the tive militia of tho ooun-
try. and liberal appropriations are recon-
mended in this behalf. The reports of the ID
jutant general of the army and The chief of
ordnance touching this subject fully set forth
its importance.
ARMY SCHOOLS.
The report of the officers in charge of educa-
tion in the army shows thst there are seventy
eight schools now in operation in the army,
with IN aggregate attendance of 2,S06 enlisted
men and children. The secretary recommends
the enlistment of $50 school masters, With the
rank and pay Of commissary sesgeants.
JUDGE ADVOCATES.
An appropriation 10 needed to supply the
judge advocate of the army with suitable Ii
braries, and The eecresary Recommends that
the corps of judge advocates be plaeed upon
the same footing = to promotion With the 9TH
er staff corps of the army. Under existing
Lawn the bureau OF military justice eonsists Of