Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-14

state carriage of persons and merchandise of
We g.eat railroads of the country have re-
sorted, in their dealings with the public 10
divers measures unjust and onnressj,e in
tneIr cnaracter In some instances the State
governments have aattcked ana suppressed
shIe 70 I'D 5ut IN others they have been I'M
Jurisdictional limitations which are imposed
upon them by the Federal Constitutions The
gu n.s , OF now far the National Government
ide Id"iuIy interfere in the premises and
WHAT, IL any, supervision or control
ought To exercise, is one which
~, nicri US. your careful consideration. While
we can not fail To recognize the impor-
lance OF the vast railway systems of the coun-
Try ana their great and beneficial influences
uPoh inc development of our material wealth.
We should, on the other hand remember that
no individual and no corporation ought TO be
invested with absolute power over the inter
~ ol any other citizen or class of citizens. The
rlHnt OF these railway corporations to a fair aud
prontable return upon their investment and
10 reasonable freedom in their regulations
must be recognized. But il seems only just
SO lar as us constitutional authority will per-
init, that Congress should protect the people
at large in their Interstate traffic against acts
OF injustice which the State Governments are
poWerleSs to prevent.
FORESTRY.
In my last annual message 1 called atten-
ton 70 the necessity of protecting by suitable
legislation the forests situated upon the pub.
TIC domain. In many portions of the West the
pursuit OF general agriculture is only made
practlcaoie by recourse to irrigation, while
successful irrigation is impossible without
the aid afforded by the forests in contributing
10 the regularity and cOnstancy of the supply
OF waters, During the past year severe suf-
1erlng and great loss of property have been
occaSioned by profuse floods. followed by pc
riods of unusually low waters in many of the
great rivers of the country. These irregulari-
ties were, IN n great measure, caused by the
removal from about the sources of the
streams in question of the timber by which
the water supply had been nourished and pro-
ffnfnd ion NJ oh
such forest on the national domain as essen
TALLY contributed TO the cquable
flow of important water courses is
tant tributaries of the Missouri, the
Columbia and the Saskatchewan rise in the
mountains of Montana, near the Northern
Blackfect and Flathead Indian Reservations.
This region is unsuitable for settlement, but
upon the rivers which flow from it depends in
the future agricultural development of Il vast
tract of country. The attention of Congress is
called to the necessity of withdrawing from
public sale this part of the public domain and
establishing there forest preserve.
INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITIONS
The Industrial Exhibitions which have been
held in the United States during the present
year attracted attention in many foreign
countries, where the announcements of these
enterprises had been made public through the
foreign agencies of the Government The In
dustrial Exhibition at Boston, and the South
ern Exposition at Louisville, were largely
attended by the exhibitors of foreign coun-
tries, Notwithstanding the absence of any pro-
fesSional character in these undertakings.
The Centennial Exposition to be held next
year at New Orleans, in commemoration of
the first centenary of the first shipment of cot
ton from port of the United States bids fair
10 meet with like gratifying success. Under
the act of Congress of the 10th of February
1883, declaring that Exposition to be national
and international in its character, all foreign
Governments with which the United States
maintains relations have been invited to par
tcipate. The promoters of the important
undertaking have already received assurance
OF the lively interest which il eXcites abroad.
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
The report of the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia is herewith transmitted,
ask for II your careful attention. especially
for those portions which relate TO assessments
OF arrears of taxes and the water supply.
CIVIL SERVICE.
The Commissioners who were appointed
under the act of January Is, 1883, entitled IAN
act to regulate and improve the civil service
OF the United States" entered promptly upon
the discharge of these duties as soon as the
rules framed in accordance with the spirit of
the statute were approved and promulgated
by the President. 1t will be observed that
they diScOuntenance any political or religious
tests for admission to the public service to
which the statute relates. The act is limited
in its original application to the classified
clcrkships in the several Executive Depart
ments at Washington, numbering about $780,
and similar positions in custom districts and
post-oihces, where as many as fifty persons
are employed. A classification of these posi-
tiOnS analogous to that existing in Washing
ton Offices was duly made before the law went
into effect. Eleven custom districts and
twcnty-three post-Offccs were thus brought
under the immediate operation of the statute.
The annual report of the Civil Service Com
mission, which will soon be submitted to Con
greSS, will afford the means of more definite
judgment than am now prepared to express
rs To the wants of the new system. / am per-
suaded that its effects thus far have proved
beneficial. The practical methods appear to
be adequate for the ends proposed, and there
has been no serious difficulty i'm carrying
them into effect. Since the 18th of July
last, no person, so far as L aware,
has been appointed to the public ser,
vice in the classified portions thereof
at any of the departments at any
of the pOst-oflices and custom districts above
named, except those certified by the Commits
sion to be the most competent on the basis
of the examinations in conformity to the
rules.
THE PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION.
At the time when the present Executive en-.
tered upon his Office. his death, removal, res
ignation, or inability TO perform his duties
would have left the Government without n
constitutional head. 1t is possible. of course,
that a similar contingency may again arise,
unless the wisdom of Congress shall provide
against its recurrence. The Senate at its last
session, after full consideration. passed an act
relating to this subject, which will now,
trust, commend Itself to the approval of both
Houses of Congress. The clause of the Con
stitution upon which must depend any law
regulating the Presidential succession pre-
sents also for solution other questions of par
to the proper Interpretation of the phrase,
inability to discharge the powers and duties
of said Office our organic law providing
that when the President shall suffer from
such inability the Presidential Office shall de.
volve upon the Vice-Prcsident, who must him
self, under like circumstances, give place to
to act as President. j need not here
ct forth the numerous and interest
ing inquiries which are suggested by
these words of the Constitution. They
were fully stated i'm my first communion
ton to Congress, and have since been the sub
ject of frequent deliberation in that body. II
is greatly to be hoped that these momcntous
questions will find some speedy solution. lest
an emergency may arise when longer delay
will be impossible, and any determination
albeit the wsest, may furnish cause for
anxiety and alarm,
THE VETO POWER
For the reasons fully stated i'm my last an
nual message, repeat my recommendation.
that Congress propose an amendment TO that
provision of the Constitution which prescribed
the formaliticS for the enactment of laws
whereby, in respect to bills for the appropria-
ton of public money, the Executive may be
enabled, while giving his approval to particu-
lar items to interpose his veto as to such
others as do not commend themselves TO his
Judgment.
The Fourteenth Amendment of the Consti-
tuition confers the rights of citizenship upon
all persons born or naturalized in the
United States and subjected to the iuris-
dction thereof Ii was the special
purpose of this amendment to insure the
members of the colored race the full enjoy
ment of civil and political Fights. Certain
statutory provisions intended to secure the en-
fOrcemeht of these rights have been recently
declared unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court. Any legislation whereby Congress
may lawfully supplement the guarantees
which the Constitution affords for the equal
enjoyment by all citizens OF the United States
of every right, privilege and immunity of cit
izenship, will receive my unhesitating APP
prevail.