Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-12-15

/ TqIlQ10nH QAn9Q
OF Christianity, has been persisfentIv and
contemporary violated ever since its en-
actment: Indeed, In spite of commenda.
bic efforts on the part of the anthorities
who represent the United States in that
teIritoryi lne law has in very rare in
ScaiGos so i.e % IGeh enforced, and for q cause,
made o 81 TieI n iS relerenee will presently be
tact that adherents of the Mormon church.
Wnlcn restS upon polygamy as its Corner
stone, nave recently been peopling in Iar0e
numbers Idaho, Arizona and other Of o5r
MeSeetn IN .eIIltorles, is we'll calculated to
eA,'o s;a,, tto ;lvellest interest and apprehen-
executive the duty of EXERCISING AGAINST.
tnlS oarDareus system, all the power which
unoer tne constitution and faw fhev can
WELD for its destruction. ''' S".
reference has already been made to the
1OJectS whlcn the United States officers
violations of law. Prominent amopg the
obstacles Is the difficulty of procuring Ie-
gal evidence sufficient to warrant a cOnyic-
non, even In the case of the most NOT orious
| onender. Your attention is called to the
occupation OF the supreme court of the
Onltea STATES explaining its judgment Of
convicted of bigamy in Utah. The conrt
referred to the fact that the secrecy attend
ing the celebration of marriages in that
territory makes that part OF polygamy
very dlfncult, and the propriety Is sug-
gested OF modifying that law of evidence
t..a WHICH now makes the wife incompetent to
testify against her husband.
II TINS suggestion is approved. recon-
mend also the passing of an act providing
tnat In the territories of the United States
the fact that woman has been married
to person charged with bigamy shall not
dlsqualify her as witness upon his trial
Tor that onense. l further recommend
iiegisiation Dy which any person solemniz-
shall be required, under stringent penalty
for heglect or refusal to file certificate of
such marriage in the supreme court of the
territory, unless congress may devise other
practlcable measures for obviating the diff
| fcultleS which have hitherto attended the
enorts 10 suppress the iniquity. l assure
you OF my determined purpose to cO-operate
with you in all lawful and discreet meas
ares which may be proposed to that end.
EDUCATIONAL.
Although our system of government does
| not contemplate that the nation should
| provide or support system for the edcuca-
| tiOn of our people, no measures calculated to
promote that general intelligence and vir-
tue upon which the perpetuity of our in
stitutiOns so greatly depends has ever been
| regarded with Indifference by congress or
executive. A large portion of the public
domain has been from time to time devo-
| ted to the promotion of education. There
| is now a special reason why, by setting
| apart the proceeds of its sales Of public
lands, or by some other course, the govern
ment should aid the work of education.
Many who now exercise the right of suf-
| frage are unable to read the ballot which
they cast. Upon many who had Just emerg-
ed from a condition Of slavery, where sud-
denly devolved the responsibilities Of cit
| iZen-Ship in that portion of the country
most impoverished by war. l have been
| pleased to learn from the report of the
commissioner of education that there has
been lately considerable increase OF in
| tereSt and effort for their instruction, but
all that can be done by local legislation
and private generosity should be supple
mented by such aid as can be constitution
ally afforded by the national government.
If any fund be dedicated to this purpose
it may be wisely distributed in different
states according to the ratio of illiteracy,
are most in need of such assistance will
reap its especial benefit.
AGRICULTURE.
| The report of the commissioner OF agri-
] culture exhibits reuSltS of the experiments
in which that department has been engaged
| during the past year. 1t makes important
suggestions in reference to the agricultural
|
increase of our population, and the conse-
quent addition to the number of those en-
gaging in the pursuit of husbandry, are
giving to this department a growing dig
nifty and imorptance. The commissioners
suggestion touching its capacity for great.
| er usefulness deserves attention, as II
more and more commends itself to the In
terest which it was created to promote.
COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS.
| r. Al - <~F =, &c
sioner of pensions that, since 1860 789, ,06'
original pension claims have been filed
45O,949 of these have been allowed and in.
scribed on the pension roll; 72,5s9 have
been rejected and abandoned, being 13 plus
per cent. OF the whole number of claims
settled there are now pending for settle
ment 265,575 original pension claims,
227,O40 of which were filed prior to July J.
1880. These, when allowed, will involve
the payment of arrears from the date OF
discharge in the case of an invalid, and
right. In all other cases from all the data
obtainable, it is estimated that 10 per cent
of the number of claims now pending will
be rejected or abandoned. This would
show the probable rejection of A,040 cases
and the probable admission OF 193OO(
claims, all of which involve the payment
of arrears of pensions. With the present
force employed, the number of adjudica
tions remaining the same, and no new
business intervening, this number o1
claims, $4,000, could be acted upon in q
period of six years, and taking January !
1884, as a near period from which to eSti
mate in each case an average amount
arrears, 1t is found that every case all0we,
would require for the first payment upol
it the sum of $780, Multiplying this
amount by the whole number of probable
| oA iccin rrix ha
quired for the first payments. This rep
resentS the sum which must be paid before
| July !, 1882, and are now pending and en-
titled to the benefits of the arrears act
| From this amount, S250,000 900, there mus
be deducted from S10O00,0OO to $4,000 OOO
for cases where, the claimant dying, there
| is no person who under the law would bt
entitled to succeed to the pension, leaving
S230,000O0O as the probable amount to bt
| paid. In these estimates no account has
been taken of the $500 cases filed since
| June 30, 1880, and now pending, which
must receive attention in current business
| but which do not involve the payment Of
any arrears beyond the date of filing the
claim. Of this number it is estimated tha
S6 per cent will be allowed.
AS has been stated, with the present
force of the pension bureau, six hundred
and seventy-five clerks, it is estimated tina
it will take six years to dispose of the
commissioner of pensions that by an ad
dition of $50 clerks, increasing the adju
| dicated force rather than the mechanical,
double the amount of work could be &C
conplished, so that these cases could be
acted upon, within three years.
Aside from the considerations of justic,
which may be urged for speedy settle
| ment of the claims now on the files of tn,
| pension Office, it is no less important OF
the score of economy inasmuch as full,
one-third of the clerical force of the officl
is now wholly occupied in giving attention
to correspondence with the thousands o.
claimants whose claims have been on filt
| for the last eighteen years. The fact tha
| sum so enormous Is to be expended by
4 the government to meet demands for arrear,
| of pensions is an admonition to congres!
and the executive to give continuous con
sideration to any similar project In the fu
ture, the great temptation TO the presents
| ton of fictititiouS claims, afforded by the
| fact that the average sum obtained upon
each application is 81 $50, leads 10 suggest
the propriety Of making some special ap
preparation for the prevention Of frauds. /
advise appropriations for such internal i'm
provements as the wisdom Of congress may