The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-12-15

/ and
plans for the manufacture of such guns as are
now imperatively needed.
| On severa occasions during the mast year
| officers of the army have, at the request of the
| state authorities, visited their military en-
CAM ments for the inspection of the troops
I From the reports of these officers / am in
| dueed to believe that the encouragement OF the
| state militia organization by the national gov.
eminent would be followed by very Qrafify,np
results and would afford it in sudden snner-
| gencies the aid OF a large body Of volunteers >.
educated in the Performance of military duties.
The Navy.
The secretary of the navy reports that nnaer
the authority of the acts of August 5. 1882 and
| March 3, 1888, the work of strengthening our
| navy by the construction OF modern vessels has
| been ausplciously begun. Thtee cruisers are in
progress of constucuon-the Chicago, of
| 4,5U0 tons displacement, ana the Boston and
Atlanta, each OF 2,5uU tons. They are to be
| built of steel with the tensile strength ana due
/ tihty prescribed by law and in comhin alton of
speed, endurance and armament are expecte d
| to compare favorably with the best unarned
war vessels of other nations. .ourt l, vessel
| the Dolphin, Is to be constructed
| Of similar materials and ia Intended to
serve as r fleet dispatch boat The
double tuTetted monitors Puritan, Amphitrte
| and Terror have been launched on the Della
war KGver and a contract has been made IT
| ". a
| tor, the Monadnock, has been launched in Cal
ifornia. The naval advisory board and the sec
| rotary recommend the completion of the moni-
| tors, the construction of four gunbCats and
also of three additional steel vessels like the
| Chicago, Boston, and Dolphin as an important
| measure OF maritime defense. The sec
| rotary urges the immediate creation of
| an interior fast line OF water WAYS
across The peninsula OF Florida, along
| the coast from Florida to Hampton Roads, be-
| tween Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River
| and through Cape Cod. I feel bound 10 i'm
press upon the attention OF congress the neces-
shy of continued progress III the construction
| OF the navy. The condition of the public
treasury, AZ l have already intimated, makes
the present an suspicious time for putting this
| branch OF the service IN a state of efficiency.
| 1t Is III no part of our policy 10 create and
maintain navy able to cope with that OF the
other great powers of the world. We have no
wish Tor foreign conquest, and the peace which
we have long enjoyed ID IN no seeming danger
OF interruption. But that our naval strength
should be made adequate for the defense Of
our hsrbors. the projection ofEOur commercial
interests and the malntenance.of our national
| honor is proposition from which no patriotic
citizen can Withhold his assent
The Postoffice Department.
The report of the postmaster general con-
talns gratifying exhibit of the condition aud
prospects OF the interesting branch of the pub
he service committed TO his care. 1t appears
that on June 80, 1889, the whole number of
postofhces was AZ, 1868, Of which ], 632 were es.
tablshed during the previous fiscal wear. The
nun Der of Offices operating under the system
of free delivery was 154. At these latter Ct
fees the postage on local matter amounted to
a 1885, 80, a sum exceeding by Si,O21, S94.-
OIL the entire cost of the carriers service in the
country. The rate Of postage on drop letters
passing through these offices is now fixed by law
of tHVg 10 bale ,,t,r.
In offices where the carrier system has not
been established the rate is only half as large
1t viii be remembered that IN 1863 when free
delivery was first established hy law the mi
form single rate Ok postage upon local letters
was one cent, and so il remained until 1872
when, in those cities where the carrier service
WAS established, 1t was increased to defray the
expense OF such service. IL seems to me that
the old rate may now, with propriety, be re-
stored, and that, too, even at the risk of dimin-
lshlng, for a time, at least the receipts from
postage upon local letters. can see no rea-
son why that particular class Of mail matter
should be held accountable for the entire cost
OF not only Its own collection and delivery, but
the collection and delivery of all other classes.
and | am confident after full consideration of
the subject that the reduction of the rate
would be followed by such growing accession
of business as to occasion buta slight and tenn
pOrary loss TO the revenue OF the postofice.
The postmaster general deyOteS much of his
report 10 the consideration III its various as
poets Of the relations Of the government to the
telegraph. Such IT Elections as have been able
to give 10 the subject since my last annual
message has not led me 10 change the view
which then expressed in dissenting from the
recomme ndat oa of the postmaster general
that the government assume the same contro.
| over the telegraph which It has always occu-
pied over the mail. Admitting that its author
ity III the premises is as ample a.
alz cd f1N 4
not, in my judgment, be a wise step
| 10 give authority u purchase or assume the
control OF existing telegraph lines or to con
strucc others, with a view of entering into gem
eral competition with private enter p1ise. The
objections which NAV be ju-tl7 urged against
this project, and, indeed. against any system
which would require an enorIbouL increase I'D
the civil service Ilst do not, however, apply to
some of the plans which have lately provoked
pubic comment and discussion. 1t has b. en-
claimed. for example, that congress might
wisely authorize the postmaster general to con-
tract with some private person or corporation
for the transmission # messages at
specified rates and under government
SUPERVISION. Various schemes Of the
same general nature, but widely differing in
their special characteristics, have been sUg-
gested IN the public prints aud the arguments
by which they have been supported ana OPP
posed have doubtless Attracted your attention.
II is likely that the whole subject viii tie con
sidered by you at the pretent session. In the
nature of things II involves many questions
of detail that your declarations would prob
ably be aided slightly, if 1t all, by any particu-
lar suggestions which l might now submit.
avOH my belief, however, that the government
should be authorized bylaw to exercise court
supervision over interstate telegraph COM
munication and L express the hope that for at
ia ming that end some measure be devised
which will receive your APPRECIATION.
The Department of Justice
The attorney general crit cises IN his report
the provision of the ext ting Jaw fix
ing the fees Of jurors and witnesses in
the FEDERAL courts. These provisions are chiefly
contained IN the act of February 20, 1853,
though some of them were introduced into the
act from statutes which had been passed
many years previous. 1t Is manifest that such
corporations as might when tuese laws were
enacted have been just and reasonable would in
many instances be Justly regarded at the present
day as inadequate. I concur with the attorney
general III the belief that the statutes should be
revised by which these fees are regulated; so too
should be the laws regulating the cOmpensa-
tlon OF district attorneys and marshals.s They |
should be paid wholly by salary instead in part
by fees, as is now the case. The change would t
prove to be measure o. economy aud would |
discourage the institution Of needless and OF
pressiye legal proceedings which 1t is TO be |
feared have III some instances been conducted |
for the mere sake of personal gain.
The Interior Department.
Much interest aBd varied information is con-
tsined III The report of the secretary of the in
terror. | particularly call your attention to
his presentation Of certain phases of the Iu-
dian question, to hIs recommendation for the
repeal of the pre-emption and timber culture
acts and for more stringent legislation to pre-
vent frauds under the pension laws. The stat
utes which prescribe the definition and pun
ishments Of crimes relating TO pensions could
doubtless be made more effective by certain
amendments and additions which are pointed
out in the secretary's report.
! have previously referred to the alarming
state of illteracy in certain portions of the
country, and again submitfor the consideration
OF congress whether some federal aid should
be extended TO pubic primary education
wherever adequate provision therefor has not
already been made.
The Mormon Question.
The Utah Commission has submitted to the
secretary of the interior is second annual re-
port az . result of its lab)rs in supervising the
recent election in that territory pursuant to the !
act of March ", 1882. 1t appears that the |
persons by that act disqualified to the number |
OF about 1900 were excluded from the polls. |
This fact, however affords little cause for CON |
graduation and fear that it is far from indi- |