The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-12-07
ent and earnest efforts on the part of the


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
national bankrupt law
INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
The report of the secretary of the interior,
with its accompanying documents presents
full statement of the varied operations or
that department.. In respect TO Indian af-
fairs nothing has occurred which has
changed or seriously modified the views
to which l devoted much space in a former
communication 10 Congress. | renew the
recommendations therein contained as TO cx-
tending TO the Indian the protection of
the law, alloting land in severolty to such as
desire il, and making suitable provision for
the education of youth. Such provision, as
the secretary forciby maintains. will prove
uuayailirg unless it is broad enough to IL
clude all those who arc able and willing 30
make use of it, and should not solely re late
to intellectual training, but also to instruc-
ton in such manual labor and simple indus
trial arts as can be made practically avail
able.
Among other important subjects which are
included within the secretary's report, and
which will doubtless furnish occasion for
congressional action, may be mentioned the
neglect of the railroad companies TO which
large grants of land were made by the acts
of 1862 and 1864 to take title thereto, and
their consequent inequitable exemption from
local taxation.
ILulrEBiCY.
No survey of our material condition con
fail TO suggest inquiries rs to the moral and
Intellectual progress of the people. The
censue returns disclose an alarming state of
illiteracy in certain portions of the country
where the provision for schools is grossly ln-
adequate. II is n momentous question for
the decision of Congress whether immediate
and substantial aid should not be extended
by the general government for supplement
ing the efforts of private bencficcncc and of
state and territorial legislation i'll behalf of
education.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
The question of Interstate commerce has
already been the subject of your deliber-
stions. One of the incidents of the marvel
oUs extension of the railway system of the
country has bsen the adoption Of such meas
ures by the corporations which own or con-
troll the roads SIS has tended TO impair
the advantages of healthfGl competi-
ton, and to make hurtful Determinations in
the adjustment of freighiaEe. These
inequalities have been corrected i'll several
of the States Ivy appropriate legislation, the
effect of which is necessarily restricted To
the limits of their own territory. So far as
such mischiefs affect commerce between the
States or between any one of the States and
foreign country, they are subjects of ma
tional concern, and Congress alone can af-
ford relief,
poLYGAMY.
The results which have thus far attended
the enforcement of the present statute
ior the suppres Non OF polygamy lii Inc
Territories are reported by the secretary
OF Inc INTERIOR lL Is not probable that
any aVuiuohal leiEiSl9lon III inns regard Will
he deemed desirable until the effect of
eMSllhG ii'WS shAii DC more closely observed
ailu SluuiVu' 'ohST3Iulate you ihal the
com Solll'ilissl1lerS unoer Whose supervision lnose
| laws have been put III operation are encour-
aged 10 believe that the evil Mt which they
/ are aimed may be suppressed without resort
/ 10 suSh ra"icai measures rs IN some quarters
! nave peVA lhoHEhi hauISVehSaoic lor success
THE TERRITORIES,
The close relation of the reneral govern
uent 10 the 'Tcrritories nrenarin1 10 hs
! GREAT states may well enonra vonr enec;ni
attention. II Is there that thc Tndion dis
! turhnncos mainly. ncn,r nud tLat ,,,ivoar,,v
has found room for lis rrowth. | cpmnot
/ douht tbat.a carcC,,l survey of territorial leo
| islation would be of the hi .shest utiIity Life
ana nrorerty would hernn1e moro secure
/ the liability of onihrr7Ls between Indians
nnd whites world he lrssnred tho ,ublic
domain would be more secureiy Guarded. and
Lattar ,,r,,rrnss Lo ,,,,l II, tLc f
the Young.
Alaska is still without nnv form of civil
government. If means were provided for
the education Of lis rco9le ana for the pro-
lection of their lives and ur0pertv, the
. immense resources of th. re.-ion y,ouId invite
permapcnt settlements and ouon new folds
for industry and cntcrpr;Se.
AcE5cG-I'71-R,T
The report of the commissioner Of nrricuI-
turr presents an ACCENT of tLc labors Of
that depaTtmeut duriur the mast vear. and
includes Information Of much i1tcrest 10
tEe general i,ullic The co1,djtin,, of tho
forests of the country. and ihe waste.
full manner in which their destruc-
ton is taking place. Give cause for
serious npprchensi6n. Their action i'm pro-
tectinu thc cartL's ssrfare. in 'noiifyino tbo
extremes of climate. ana in reruIatinr and
sustaining the flow of sDrinrs and streams.
is now we'll understood. and their i'm
portance in relation TO the ,Trowth and pros
perity of the country cannot be safely
disreGarded. They are fast disappearinn
/ before destructive tircs and the legitimate re-
ouircments Of our increasing pouulation. and
their total extinction cannot be long DELAYED
unless bettcrmethoa than nov prevail shall he
adopted for their protection and cultivation.
The attention of Congress is Invited To the
necessity of additional legislation 10 secure
The preservation of the valuable forests still
remaining on the public domains sDecially
in the extreme Western States and Ter
rtories. where the necessity for their
preservation is greater lhan in less noun
tainous regions, and where the prevailing
dryness of the climate renders
their restoration, if they are once de-
stroyed. well nigh impo
TINS CIyII. SERVICE.
The communication which made 10 Con
greSs at its first session in December last con.
tanned a somewhat full statement of my sen
timents in relation 10 the princiDles and
rules which ought TO govern apDointments tC
public service RcfCrrinJ 10 iLe yarions