The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-12-13
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
EVILS TO BE REMEDIED.

| Auu!au 9ueouOn, 10 MS RECOMMENDATIONS lOf
tile repeal Of the pre-emption and timber cul-
ture acts and far more stringent legislation to
prevent frauds under the pension laws The
statutes which prescribe the definition and pun
isbments Of crimes pertaining to pensions, could
| doubtless be made moro effective by certain
amendments and additions, which are pointed
| out in the secretarv's report. have pravi-
ously referred to the alarming state of litter
acy in certain portions of the country, and
again submit for the consideration of congress
whether some federal aid should not be extended
| to public primary education wherever ade-
quate provision therefor has not already been
made.
The Utah commission has submitted to the
| secretary of the interior its second annual re-
port As result OF its labors supervising
the recent election in that Territory, pur-
suant to the act of March 22, 1882,
it appears that the persons by that act
! disqualified, to the number OF about IL, 600,
we're excluded from the polls. This fact, how
| ever, affords little cause for coDgratuiation,
| and I fear that it is far from indicating any
| real and substantial progress toward the extir-
| patton of poiygamy. All of the members of
the legislature are Mormons. There is grave
reason to believe that they are in sympathy
with the practices that this government is seek
| ing to suppress, and that its effort in that
| gard will be more likely to encounter their
| opposition than r. ceive their encouragement
| and support Even if this view shorld
| happily be erroneous, the law under
which the commissioners have been acting,
should be made more effective by the incoIpor-
| alton of some such measures as they recon-
| mend and as were included in bill No. 2, 23S
on the calendar of the senate at its last session.
-! am convinced that polysamy is 60 strongly
lntrenched in the Territory of Utah that it Is
profitless to attack with the state weapons
| which constitutional legislation provide. IA
vor, therefore, the repeal Of the act upon which
| the government depends, the assumption by the
| national legislature of entire political control
OF the Territory aud the establishment Of a
| commission with such powers and duties as
shall be delegated to it by law.
| THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
10 accomplishing much in the direction of the
! agricultural development of the country, and
the report of the commissioner giving
and experiments. will be found inter.
esting and valuable At his instance
| convention of those interested in the cattle III
| dustry of the country was lately held at
Chicago. The prevalence of pleuro-pneu-
monia and other contagious diseases of AMI
mails was one OF the chief topics of dis
! cusson. committee of the convention
WILL invite your cooperation III invesigat-
| ing tho causes of these diseases, and PRO-
yldlng methods for their prevention aud cure.
session to put Alaska under the protection of
| laws Its people have repeatedly demonstrated
| against our neglect to afford them the mar-
tsnauce and protection expressly guaranteed by
the terms of the treaty, whereby that territory
was coded to the United States For sixteen
years they have pleaded in vain for that which
they should have received without ask
! collection of the debt. the suppo:t
of schools the conveyance Of property, the
cont'acts-none indeed for the punishment of
criminals except such as are afforded by GER
tam customs, commerce and navigation acts.
The resources OF Alaska, especially IN fur,
mines and lumber, are considerable in extel
and capable Of large development while its geo
graphical situation is one Of political and COM
mercial importance. The promptings of inter-
est therefore,, as we'll as considerations Of horor
and GOOD faith, demand the immediate estab-
lishment of civil government in that Territory.
RAILWAYS.
Complaints have lately been mum erous and
urgent that certain corporations controlling in
whole or rart t'lo -f>Hiitias for the Interstate
carnage Of merchandise by the great railways
with the public to divers measures unjust
and oppressive in their character. In some
instances the State governments have attacked
and suppressed these evils, but in
Others they have been unable to af-
jurisdictional limitations which are imposed
upon them by the federal constitution. The
question whether the national government may
lawfully interfere in the premises, and what,
! If any, supervision of control 1t ought to exer-
else, is one which merits Your careful coIsid-
Grafton While We cannot fail to recog-
nize the importance OF the vast rail
| way systems Of the country. and their
great and beneficial influence upon the
development Of our material wealth. We
should, on the other hand, remember that no
individual corporation ought to be invested
with absolute power over the interest of any
other citizen or classof citizens The right Of
those railway corporations to any profitable re-
turn upon their investment and to reasonable
recognized, but it seems only just that, so far
as its constitutional authority will permit. con-
gress should protect people at large in their
interstate traffic against an act Of mi Justice
| which State governments arc pOwerless to
prevent
In my last annual message called attention
to the necessity of protecting by suitable legis-
| lation the forests situated upon the public do
main. In many portions of the West the pur-
| suit Of general agriculture is only made prac-
ticable by resort to irrigation. While success
| full irrigation would be impossible without the
aid Afforded by forests in contributing to the
| regularity and constancy OF the supply of
water. During the past year severe suffering
and great loss Of property have been occa-
Of unusually low water in many Of the great
rivers Of the country; these Irregularities were,
in 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 protected. The preserva-
ton Of such portions of the forests on the ma
! tional domain as essentially contribute to the
equable flow of important water courses is of
ME highest consequence. Important tributaries
of tho Missouri, the Columbia and the Sas-
katchewan, rise in the mountains of Montana,
now the northern boundary of tho United
States, between the Blackfeet and Flathead H.
dian reservations. This region is unsuitable for
settlement, but upon the rivers which flow from
it, depends in the future the agricultural
development Of a vast tract Of country. The
attention Of congress is called to the necessity
Of Withdrawing from the public sale this part
Of the public domain, and establishing there a
forest preserve.
INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITIONS
The industrial exhibitions which have been
held in the United States during the present
year attracted the attention of many foreign
countries, where the announcement OF those
enterprises had been made public through the
foreign representatives. of this government.
The Southern exhibits at Louisville were
largely attended by the exhibitors of foreign
countries, Notwithstanding the absence of
any professional character in those undertake
| ings. The centennial exposition to be held
next year at New Orleans, in commemoration
| of the century Of the first shipment of cotton
from port Of the United States, bids fair to
| 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 it's character,
the foreign governments with which tho
United States maintains relations, have been
| invited to participate. The promoters OF this
| important Undertaking have already received
assurances Of the lively interest it has excited
| abroad
| Tho report of the commissioner of
the District Of Columbia il herewith trans
mitted. ask for it your careful attention, es-
pecially for those portions which relate to as
sements for taxes and water supply.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
WORKINGS OF THE LAW.
| The commissioners appointed under the act
Of Jan 16, 1883, entitled 'An act to regulate
and improve the civil service of the United
states," entered promptly upon the discharge
Of their duties. A series of rules framed in a.
cordance with the spirit of the statute
WAS approved and promulgated by the
president In some particulars whore