The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-12-10

~ 4NONe.nucr last Was $1Z,S4i,750. o
this amount 81, 064. 40 remain in til.
treasury. and only S25. 76S, 291 are in thu
nanos OF the people. A constant effor
mas been made to keep this currency II
IStrc9iatlon, and considerable expense
mas been necessarily incurred for thi,
purpose, but its return 10 the treasury /.
prompt and sure. Contrary TO the con
hcent anticipation of the friends of The
measure at the time of its adoption. the
value OF the silver dollar, containe 4i915
grains of silver. has not increased. Dur
ing the year prior to the passage of the
Dali authorizing Its coinage, the marke,
value OF the silver which it contained
was from ninety 10 ninety-two cents. as
compared with the standard gold dollar
During the last year the average make;
value OF the silver dollar has been eighty.
eight and half cents.
1t Is obvious that the legislation of the
last congress in regard to silver, SO far as
II was based on an anticipated rise in the
value of silver, as result of that legis.
lation, has failed to produce the effect
then predicted. The longer the law re
mains In force. requiring as il does the
coinage of q nominal dollar, which, in
reality, is not a dollar. the greater be-
comes the danger that this country will
De forced TO accept single metal as the
sole legal standard of value in circula-
ton, and this standard of less value than
II purports to be worth in the recognized
money of the world.
DOUBLE AND SINGLE: STANDARD
The constitution of the United States,
sound financial principles and our best
interests, all require that the country
should have as Its legal-tender money,
botL gold and silver coin, of an intrinsic
Salue, as bullion, equivalent to that
winch, upon Its face, il purports to pos
sess- The constitution, in express terms,
recognizes both gold and silver as the
only true legal-tender money. To BAN
1sh either of these metals from our cur
rencY is TO narrow and limit the circula-
ting medium OF exchange to the dispar-
agement OF important interests. The
United States produces more silver than
any other country, and il is directly in
terested In maintaining it IS one of the
TWO precious metals which furnish the
coinage OF the world. 1t will, in my
Judgment, contribute to this result if
congress will repeal so much of existing
legislation as requires the coinage of sill
yer dollars containing 4121$ grains of
silver, and in its stead will authorize the
secretary of the treasury TO coin silver
dollars of equivalent value as bullion,
with gold dollars. This will defraud no
man, and will be in accordance
with familiar precedents. Congress,
on several occasions, has altered the ratio
OF value between gold and silver in or
der to establish it more nearly in accor-
dance with the actual ratio of value be-
tween the two metals.
In financial legislation every measure
in the direction of greater fidelity in the
discharge of pecunlary obligations has
been found by experience to deminish
the rates of interest which debtors are
required to pay and to increase the IA
City with which money can be obtain
cd for every legitimate purpose. Our
own recent financial history shows how
surely money becomes abundant when
ever confidence in the exact performance
of moneyed obligations is established.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The secretary of war reports that the
expenditures of the war depart
ment for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1880. were $3o, 1924, 773O3.
The appropriations for this department
for the current fiscal year amount to
al, 993, 5000. With respect to the
army, the secretary invites attention to
the fact that its strength Is limited by
statute (section Ills, revised statutes) to
not more than 10000 enlisted men, but
that provisos contained in appropriation
bills have limited expenditures to the
enlistment of but $4,000. It is believed
the full legpl strength is the least posi-
BILE force at which the present organiza-
ton can be maintained, having in view
efficiency, discipline and economy.
While the enlistment of this force would
add somewhat to the appropriation for
of ha hn cd IN,
other respects would be more than an
equivalent for this additional outlay, and
the efficiently of the army would be
largely increased.
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 aggregate attendance of 2,305 en-
listed men and children. The secretary
the enlistment of $50
with the rank and pay of
sergeants. An appropria-
tion is needed TO supply the judge advo-
Gates of the army with suitable libraries,
and the secretary recommends that the
corps Of judge advocates be placed upon
the same footing, as to promotion, with
the other staff corps of the army. In
justice consists of one officer, the judge
advocate general, and the corps of judge
of eight officers of equal rank
(maiors,) with a provision that the limit
of the corps shall remain at four when
reduced by casualty or resignation to
that number. The consolidation of the
bureau of military justice. and the corps
of judge advocates, upon the same basis
with the other staff corps of the army,
would remove an unjust discrimination
against deserving officers. and subserve
the best interests of the service.
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
The president next favors judicious
use of the public money for the improve
ment of our great water courses.
The two great rivers of the North
American continent, the Mississippi and
the Columbia, haye their navigable
waters wholly within the limits of the
United States, and are of vast importance
to our internal and foreign commerce.
The permanency of the important work
on the south pass of the Mississippi
river seems now TO de assured. There
has been no failure whatever in the
maintenance of the maximum channel
during the six months ended August 0,