Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-12-15

dollars. The time seems suspicious for some
reduction In the rates of postage. In what
shall tnat reduction Consisti A review of the
legislation which has been had upon this sub
1ect during the last thirty years discloses that
domestic letters constitute the only class OF
mail matter which has never been favored by a
substantial reduction of rates. am CON
WINGED that the burden Of maintaining the
service Tails most unequally upon that class
and that, more than any other. it Is entitled to
the present relief, that such relief may be ex-
tended without hurt to other public interests
will be discovered upon reviewing the results
of former reductions.
Here follows review of former rates of
postage.
II Congress should approve these sugges-
tons, it may be deemed desirable to supply to
some extent the deficiency which must for q
time result by increasing the charge for carry
ing merchandise, which is now only sixteen
cents per pound. But even without such an
increase am confident that the receipts under
the diminished rates would equal the expend-
| itures after the lapse Of three or four years.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The report OF the Department OF Justice
brings anew to your notice the necess ty of
charging the present system Of Federal juris-
prudence so as effectually to answer the re-
Quirements of the ever increasing litigation
with which 1t is called upon to deal. The
| Attorney-General reuews the suggestions of
his predecessor that in the interests Of justice
better provision than the existing laws afford
fixing the tees of witnesses and jurors. In my
message OF December last, / referred to the
pending criminal proceedings growing out of
the alleged frauds In what is known as the
! Star Route serv ce of the Postotfice Depart
ment, and advised you that / had enjoined
upon the Attorney General and associate
counsel, TO whom the interests of the Govern
ment were intrusted, the duty of prosecuting
with the utmost vigOr of the law, all persons
who might be found chargeable with those
offences. A M nf hQ
since occurred. 1t occupied for many weeks
the attention of the Supreme Court of
this District, and was conducted with
! great zeal and ability. 1t resulted in a disa-
greement of the jury, but the cause has been
again placed upon the calendar and will shol +
~ be retired. II any guilty persons shall
! finally escape pun shment for their offenses,
1t will not be for the lack of diligent and earn
est efforts on the part Of the prosecution.
trust that some agreement may be reached
which will speedily enable Congress with the
concurrence of the Executive to afford the
commercial community the benefits of q ma
tional bankrupt law.
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT..
The report of the Secretary of the Interior
with its accompanying documents, presents a
full statement of the varied operations of
that department.
In respect TO Indian affairs nothing has
occurred which has changed or serious
ly modified the views to which /
devoted much space in a 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 it
and making suitable provision for the educa-
ton of youth. Such provision as the Secre-
tary fOrcibly maintains will prove unavailing
unless it is broad enough to include all those
who are able and willing to make use of it,
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, and
which will doubles, furnish occasion for Con-
gressional action, may 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
1nequitable exc nption 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 roads
as has tended to impair the advantages of
healthful competition, and made hur tful dis
examinations in the advancement Of freights.
These inequalities have been corrected in seve-
raj of the States by appropriate legislation,
the effect Of which is necessarily restricted to
the limits OF their own territories
PoLYGAMY-THE TERRITORIES.
The results which have thus far attended the
en- orcement OF the recent statute for the SUI
preston of polygamy in the territories, are
reported by the Secretary of the Interior 1t
is not probable that any additional legislation
In this regard will be deemed desirable until
the effect of the existing laws shall be more
clearly observe and studied. l 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 NAV
be suppressed without resort to such radical
measures as in some quarters have been
thought indispensable .or success.
The close relations of the General Govern
ment to the Territories p eparing 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 inst uction of the Young.
Alaska Is still without any form of civil
| government. III means were provided for the
education or its people, and for the protection
| OF their lives aud property, the immense re-
sources OF 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,
/ anu includes information or much
terest to the general public. The condi-
1 ton OF the forests OF the country and
! the wasteful manner in VIII ch their destruction
Is taking place give cause for grieyous app E.
hension. Their action in protecting the earth's
surface, in modifying the extremes of climate
and regulating aud sustaining the flow of
springs and streams is not wen understood,
and tucir 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 cult
walton. The attention of Congress is invited
to the necess ty OF additional legislation to
secure the preservation of valuable forests
still remaining On the public domain, especially
| in the extreme western States and Territories,
where the necessity for their preserv. ton is
greater than in less mountainous regions,
and where the prevailing dgyness of the climate
renders their restoration, If they are once de-
stroyed, well nigh impossible.
MISCELLANEOUS.
! The communication which I made to Con-
gress at it's first session in December last con-