Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-12-04
constitutional amendment permitting the
president to veto Objectionable portions of

| bill.
The Jsannelte's Dead-sayal AfAirs.
As tribute to those who perished the
message records the names of those who
died on the Jeanette expedition. In the
reconstruction of our navy the
cruising vessels should be gradu-
ally replaced BY iron or steel
ships, the monitors by mod
ern armored vessels and the armament
by bigh-power rifled guns. Methods Of
reviving American ship building and OF
restoring our flag in the ocean trade should
receive the immediate attention of Con.
gress. We have the mechanical skill and
the material, and for our foreign traffic
We should not depend ON foreign vessels.
Postal Affairs and the star Route 1rial.
The receipts of the postof1ice depart
ment last year exceeded the expenditures.
The president withholds his concurrence
from the postmaster generals observation
regarding governmental control Of the
telegraph. Reduction in the rate of let.
ter postage to two cents por half ounce
would be for the best interest of the pub
lie, and the president recommends q re-
ductiOn of fifty per cent. in postal rates.
Reference is made to the the Star Route
trial and disagreement of the jury, but the
person escapes it will not bo for lack Of
Bankrupt Law.
The president hopes that Congress may
soon afford the commercial community
tho benefit Of u national bankrupt law.
The Indian Question.
The president repeats his recommenda-
tons Of last year concerning the govern
ment and care of tho Indians.
Freight Determinations.
He calls attention to the question Of in |
ter state commerce as affected by tiiscrim- |
ination in railroad charges. Congress |
alOne can afford relief
PoIygamy.
Polygamy in Utah seems caiah'.. t.;
being suppressed without recourse t" >,..ii |
radical measures as in some quarters We're |
Indispensable.
Preserving our Timber Lands.
The attention of Congress is. directed to
the question of preserving our forests, es,
pecially in the West.
Civil Service Reform
Since the president in his last annual
message called attention to civil service
there has been no legislation ON that sub
ject, but public interest has increased
and the people, without regard to
party, seem to demand prompt and
definite action. The nation has out
grown the constitutions provisions
for filling micor public offices
and the president and others should
be saved the personal importantly ard the
labor of examining conflicting claims and
pretensions of candidates. Whatever the
tenure of Office be fixed at it should not de-
pend on zeal in the service of party or
fidelity to the fortunes of an individual.
The president feels bound to correct
as to the frequency with
which he has displaced officeholders, and
quotes figures to show that during four
years preceding Mr.. Garfield's &C.
cession, tho changes necessitating the
removal Of previous incumbents We're
nine per cent. and in four months Of Mr.
Garfield's administration tho removals
were SO or 2S.7 per cent. Precisely the
same number of removals-S9-has taken
place in the fifteen months since then.
Political Assessments Denounced.
In the concluding. portion of his message
the president calls attention to the col
lection of assessments for political pur-
pOses. and asserts that such practice
should be forbidden by law.