The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-10

IN the case of the most notorious oIenueiH'
Your attention is called to tue opihi' vi
the Supreme Court OF the United Sla" eA
planning its Judgment of reversal IN the 'ase
nf Miles who had been convicted OF bli my
in Utah The court refers to the fact una the
secrecy attending the celebration OF marriages
in that territory makes the suppression OF 'hat
part OF polygamy very diihcult, ana 'ne pro-
priety is suggested OF modifying mat law Oh
evidence which makes wife incompetent 10
testify against her husband ms suggestion
Is approved. | recommend also 'he passage
of an act providing tina, III the territories ol
these United States the fact that woman has
been married to person charged with bigamy
shall not disuualify her as "a witness upon his
trial for that ottense. | further recommend
legislation by which any person solemniZlng
marriage in any of the territories shall be re-
uured, under stringent penalatles tor negiect
or refusal to file certificate OF such marriage
In the Supreme Court of the territory, unless
congress Shall make or devise other practical
measures for obviating the difficulties when
have hitherto attended the efforts to suppress
this iniquity. assure you Oh my determined
purpose 10 cooperate with you IN any LAWFUL
and discreet measures which may be proposed
70 that end
EDUCATION.
Although our system OF government
does not contemplate that me na'loh
should provide or support system ior lne Gu
ucatiOn ot our people, no measures caiCuia.eu
10 provide that general intelligence ana virtue
upon which the perpetulty OF our institutions
so greatly depend have ever been regarded
with indifference by congress or the executive
A large portion of the public domain has been,
from time to time, devoted to the cause Oh eu-
ucatiCn. There Is now special reason why.
by setting apart the proceeds OF the sales Oh
public lands, or by some other means, 'he
government should aid the cause OF education
MANY who NOW exercise the right OF suffrage
are unable to read the ballot when they cast
Uuon many who have just emerged from a
condition of slavery were suddenly devolVed
the responsibilities of citizenship III that p0r-
ton Of the country most Impoverished ny
war | have been pleased to learn from inc
report of the commissioner OF education lhat
there has lately been cOmmendable increase
of interest and effort in their instruction; but
all that can be done by local Legislation ana
private generosity should be supplemented by
such and as can be constltutionalIy ailorded oy
the the national government. l would suggest
that if any fund he dedicated TO this purpose
il may be wisely distributed IN the different
states according IN the ratio OF i|li'cTC as ny
This means those locations Whi - alc most ~
need of such assistance will r , lie especial
benefit.
AGRICULTURE.
The report of the commissioner OF agrlcul
turc EXHIBITS results OF the experiments III
which that department has been engaged our
ing the past year and makes important sug-
sessions in reference to the agricultural devel-
Opment Of the country. The steady increase
Of our population and the consequent addition
10 the number of those engaged in the pursuit
of husbandry are giving TO this department Il
growing dignity and Importance. The com
missioncrs suggestions touching its capacity
for greater usefulness deserve attention, as it
more and more commends itself to the interest
which 1t was created to promote.
THE PENSION BUREAU.
Itappears from the report OF the commits
soner of pensions that since 1860 1S9,O63 orig.
NAL pension claims nave been filed; 400 949 OF
these have been allowed and inscribed upon
the pension roll 1858 have been rejected
and abandoned beng - per cent. OF the whole
number of claims settled. There are now
pending for settlement 2G6, 157 original pension
claims % 104 of which were filed prior to in
ly1 1880. These, when allowed, Will involve
the payment of arrears from the date OF the
discharge in the case of an invalid, and from
the date Of death or termination OF prior
right IN all other cases. From all the data OBJ
taiDable it is estimated that ID per cent OF the
number of claims now pending will be reject
ed or abandoned This would show the prob
able detection OF 81 ,040 cases and the probable
admission of about 1913 600 claims, all OF which
involve the payment OF arrears OF pensions
With the present force employed, the number
of Authorizations remaining the same, and NJ
new business intervening this number o.
claims 1913 600 could be acted upon IN peri
cd of SIX years and taking Jan. |, 1850, as {
near period from which to estimate IN cacl
case an average amount OF arrears, II Is louho
that every case allowed would require tor The
first payment upon it the sum of $3.50 Mul
tipying this amount by the whole number o
probable admissions gives $2J0,0O0,0OO as The
sum required for first payments This repre-
SCENTS the sum which must he paid on claims
which were filed before July l, 1880, and arr
now pending and entitled TO the benefits o
the arrears act From this amount (S25O,
OOOOO0) may be deducted from SlOOO0UOO Il
$1,000 600 for cases where, the claimant dying
there is no person who under the law would b'
entitled TO succeed to the pension, leaving $50,
600 600 as the probable amount to be paid. II
these estimates no account has been taken OF thu
IS 500 cases filed since June 81, 1851, and nov
pending, which must receive attention as curren
business but which do not involve payment o
any arrears beyond the date of filing the claim
OF this number it is now estimated that 80 pc
cent. will be allowed, as has been stated WIN
the present force Of the pension bureau, Ca
clerks, it is estimated that it will take six year.
to dispose of the claims now pending. II Is sta
ted hy the commissioner Of pensions that II al
addition of $50 clerks be made increasing Thu
adiudcating force rather than the mechanica)
double the amount of work could be accomplish
ed so that III csc cases could be acted upon with
in three years. Aside from the considerations o
Justice which may be urged for a speedy settle
ment of the claims now on the files OF the pen
sion office, it is no less important on the score o
economy, inasmuch as fully one-thrd OF the cler
ica force of the office is now wholly occupied IL
giving attention to correspondence with thous
ands af claimants. whose cases have been on Thu
files for the past eighteen years. The fact that
sum so enormous may be expended by the gov
eminent to meet the demands for arrears of pen
sons is an admontion to congress and the exec
utive to give cautious consideration to any simi
lar project in the future. The great temptation
to the presentation Of fictitious claims afforded
hi In TACT That the nhtained NnNI