The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-12-08

| - THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
| The report of the Secretary Of the Interior
| with its accompanying documents, presents {
fun statement Of the varied operations o.
that department. says-A
| In respect to Indian affairs nothing ha,
occurred which has changed or serious
ly modified the views to which
devoted much space in former com
munication to Congress. renew the recon-
mendations therein contained as to extending
to the Indian the protection OF the law; al
lotting land In severalty to such as desire ii
and making suitable provision for the educa
| tion Of youth. Such provision as the Score
| tary fOrcibly maintains will prove unayailine
unless 1t is broad enough to include all those
who are able and willing to make use of 1t,
and should not solely relate TO intellectual
training, but also to instruction In such man
ual labor and simple industrial arts as can be
made practically available.
| RAILROADS.
Among other important subjects which are
] included within the Secretary's report. anC
which will doubtless furnish occasion for Con
| gressional action, NAV be mentioned the ne
glect OF the railroad companies to which large
grants were made by the acts of 1862 and 1854,
| to take title thereto and their consequent
| inequitable exemption from local taxation
| One OF the incidents Of the marvellous extern
sion Of the railway system of the country has
| been the adoption OF such measures by the
corporations which own or control the roa1s
| as has tended to impair the advantages OF
healthful competition, and made hurtful dis
ordinations in the advancement of freights.
These inequalities have been corrected in seve-
| raj of the States by appropriate Legislation,
the effectOf which Is necessarily restricted to
the limits OF their own territories.
PoLYGAMY-THE TERRITORIES.
The results which have thus far attended the
enforcement OF the recent statute for the sup
preston OF polygamy In the territories, are
reported by the Secretary of the Interior. II
is not probable that any additional legislation
I'm this regard will be deemed desirable until
the effect of the existing laws shall be more
clearly observe and studied. congratulate
you that the Commissioners, under
whose supervision these laws have been
put in operation, are encouraged to believe
that the evil to which they are aiming may
be suppressed without resort to such radical
measures as in some quarters have been
thought indispensable for success.
The close relations of the General Govern
ment to the Territories preparing to be great
States may well engage your special atten-
ton. 1t is there that the Indian disturbances
mainly occur, and that polygamy has found
room for its growth. l cannot doubt that a
careful survey of territorial legislation would
be of the highest Utility. Life and property
would become more secure, the liability OF
outbreaks between Indians and whites would
be lessened, the public domain would be more
securely guarde !, and better progress would
be made in the instruction of the young.
Alaska is still without any form of civil
government. If means were provided for the
education Of its people, and for the protection
of their lives and property, the immense re-
sources oil that region would invite permanent
settlements and open new fields for industry
and enterprise.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The report of the Commissioner of Agricul-
ture presents an account of the labOrs
Of that department during the past year,
and includes information of much in
terest to the general public. The condi-
ton of the forests of the country and
the wasteful manner in VIII oh their destruction
is taking place give cause for grievous appre-
hensiOn. Their action In protecting the earth's
surface, in modifying the extremes of climate
and regulating and sustaining the flow of
springs and streams is not well understood,
and their importance in relation to the growth
and pros Gritty OF the country cannot be safely
disregarded. They are fast disappearing
before destructive fires and the legitimate
requirements of our Increasing population,
and their total extinction cannot be long de-
layed unless better methods than now prevail
shall be adopted for their protection and Guilt
walton. The attention of Congress is invited
to the necessity of additional legislation to
secure the preservation of valuable forests
still remaining ON the public domain, especially
where the necessity for their preservation is
greater than in less mountainous regions,
and where the prevailing dryness of the climate
renders their restoration, if they are once de-
stroyed, well nigh impossible.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The communication which / made to Con-
greSs at its first session in December last con-
tanned a somewhat full statement of my senti-
ments in relation to the principles and rules
which ought to govern appointments to the
public service. In referring to the various
rlans which had therefor been the subject of
discussion in the National Legislature-plans
which in the main were modelled upon the sys-
TEN which obtains in Great Britain, but which
lacked certain of the prominent features
whereby that system is distinguished, felt
bound to intimate my thoughts whether they
or any of them would afford an adequate rem
edy for the evils which they aimed to correct.
declared, nevertheless, that il the proposed
measures should prove acceptable to Congress
they would receive the unhesitating support
of the Executive. Since the suggestions were
submitted for your consideration, there has
been no legislation upon the subject to which
they relate, but there has meanwhile been an
increase in the public interest upon that sub
ject, and the people of the country, appar-
emily without distinction of party, have in
various ways, and upon frequent occasions,
gwen expression to their earnest wish for
prompt and definite action. In my Judgment
aCtiOH sHcuiu pOStpOneu.
may add that my own sense of its pressing
Importance has been quickene1 by Observa-
ton in the practical phase Of the latter, to
which attention has more than once been
called by my predecessors.
The civil list now comprises about 100000
persons, the larger part of whom must, under
the terms Of the Constitution be selected by
the President, either directly or through his
appointees. In the early years of the admin
istration Of Government, the personal Girec-
tion of appointments to the civil ser
vice may not have been an irksome task
to the Executive, but now that the
burden has increased fully hundredfold,
it has become greater than he ought to bear,
and it necessarily distracts his time and at
tention from the proper discharge of other
duties no less delicate and responsible, and
which, in the very nature of things, cannot be
delegated to other hands. In the Judgment
of not few, who have given study and rehec
ton to this matter, the nation has outgrown
the provisions which the Constitution
has established for filling the minor
offices in the public service; but what
ever may be thought of the wisdom or expedi-
ency of changing the fundamental law in this
re lard, II is certain much relief NAV be af
fordel, not only to tie President and to the
heads OF the departments, but to Senators
and REPRESENTATIVE in Congress. By discreet
legislation they would be protected in a great
measure by the bill now pending be'ore the
Senate, or by any other which should embody
its important features from the pressure of
personal importantly and from the labor of
examining conflicting claims and p:etensions of
candidates. --..4---
trust before the close Of the present ses-
SION some decisive action may be taken for
the correction of the evils which is in the
present methods of appointments, and as
sure you of my hearty cooperation in any
measures which are likely to conduce to that
end. As to the most appropriate term and