The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-13

Secretary in the belief that the adoption OF
| this plan would afford the necessary relief.
4 The trade dollar, coined for the purpose OF
1 traffic in countries where silver passed at its
| value a. ascertained by weight and fineness
never had n legal tender quality. Large mum
| hers of these coins entered, however, into the
volume of our currency. BY common consent
/ their circulation in domestic trade has now
| ceased and they have thus become disturbing
element They should not be longer permitted
| TO embarrass our currency system. 1 recon-
| mend that provision for their reception by the
| treasury and mints as bullion at a small pei
centage above the current market price OF
| silver of like f1neness-
The Secretary of the Treasury advised q
| consolidation of certain of the customs dis
| tricts of the country and suggests that the
] President be vested with such power in rela.
| ton thereto as is nov given him in respect to
| the collection of int rnal revenue by section
| 314l OF the Revised Statutes The statistics on
| this subject which are contained in his report
| furnish of themselves strong argument in
| defense of his views. At the adjournment OF
Congress the number OF internal revenue col
| lection districts was L3. By executive orders
these districts be consolidated. The result
has been a reduction of one-third of their
number, which at present is but 50.
THE INDIANS.
| From the report of the Secretary of War il
will be seen that in only single instance has
| there been any disturbances OF the quiet con-
| dition of our Indian tribes-a raid from Mex
ice into Arizona by small party of Indians,
|
| thu mountain region from which they had
| cone. 1t is confidently supposed that a
| se'sous outbreak will not occur again, and
| that the Indians which have for so many
years terrified the West will hereafter remain
| at peace.
! COAST DEFENSE
| / again call your attention to the present
| condition of our extended sea coast upon
| which so many large cities, whose wealth and
| Importance to the country would, in time of
| war, invite attack from modern armored
| which existing Defensive
| works could give no adequate protection.
| Those works were built before the introduce
ton of modern heavy ritied guns into mari
| time warfare, and if they are not put in
| efficient condition, we may be easily subject.
ed to humiliation by hostile power greatly
| inferior to ourselves. AS german to this sub
| ject, call your attention to the importance
! OF perfeeting our submarine tor
pedoes. The Board authorized by the last
| Congress to report on the method which
| should be adopted for the manufacture of
| heavy ordinance adapted to modern warfare,
| has visited the principal iron and steel works
| in this country and in Europe, 1t is hoped
| that its report will soon be made and that Con-
! gress will thereHpon be disposed TO provide
suitable facilities and plans for the manufact-
| ure of such guns as are now imperatively
neeced.
THE MILITIA OF THE STATES.
On several occasions during the past year,
officers Of the army have, at the request of
State authorities, visited their military en-
campments for the inspection of the troops.
From the reports of these officers am induced
| to believe that the encouragement of the State
militia organizations by the National Govern
rent would be followed by very gratifying re-
suits and would afford it, in sudden emergen-
cies, the aid of large body of volunteers ed
ucated in the performance of military duties.
THE NAVY.
The Secretary of the Navy reports that uu-
der the authority of the acts of August 5,
1872, and March 3, 1888, the work of strength
efing our navy by the construction of mod
EN- vessels has been auspiciously begun.
Rr1IiSarl m n n
the Chicago of $500 tons displacement,and the
Boston and Atlantic, each of 800 tons. They
are to be built of steel with the tensile
strength and ductility prescribed by law, and
in combination of speed, endurance and orna-
ment, are expected to compare favorably
with the best unarmed war vessels of other
nations. A fourth vessel, the Dolphin, is to
be constructed of similar material and is in
tended TO serve as feet dispatch boat. The
double turreted monitors, Puritan, Amphi-
trite and Terror, have been launched on the
Delaware River, and a contract has been
made for the supply of their machinery. A
similar monitor, the MOnadnock, has been
launched in California. The Naval Advisory
Board and the Secretary recommend the
completion of the monitors, the construction
of four gun boats, and three additional steel
vessels like the Chicago, Boston and Dolphin,
as an important measure of defense. The
Secretary urges also the immediate creation
of an interior coast line of water ways across
the Peninsula of Florida, along the coast from
Florida to Hampton Roads, between
River and through Cape Cod. l feel bound
to impress upon the attention of Congress the
necessity OF continued progress in the recon
struction of the navy. The condition of the
public Treasury, as L have already intimated,
makes the present an suspicious time for put
ting this branch of service in state of eff
cheney. 1t Is is no part of our policy to create
and maintain navy able TO cope with that of
the other great powers of the world. We
have no wish for foreign conquest, and the
peace which we have long enjoyed is in no
seeming danger of interruption, but that our
naval strength should be made adeG.te for
the defense of our harbors, the protection of
of our national honor, is a proposition from
which no patriotic citizen can withhold his
assent.
THE POST-OFFCE DEPARTMENT.
Tie report of the Postmaster-Generalc con-
tains gratifying exhibit of the condition and
prospects of the interesting branch of the
public service committed to his care. 1t APP
pears that on June 80 1885, the whole number
established during the previous fiscal year.
The number of offices operating under
the system of free delivery was 154. At
matter amounted to 81, l95, S3O.52, sum ex-
ceeding by 81 OH .S94 OF, the entire cost of the
carrier service of the country. The rate of
postage on drop letters passing through these
offices is now fixed by law at two cents per
half ounce or fraction thereof. In Offices where
the carrier system has not been established,
the rate is one-half as large. 1t will be re-
membered that in 1863 when free delivery was
first established by law, the uniform single
rate postage upon local letters was one cent,
and so it remained till 1872, when in those
cities where carrier service was established il
was increased in order to defray the expense
of such service. 1t seems to me that the old
rate may now with propriety be restored, and
that, too, even at the risk of diminishing, for
a time at least, the receipts from postage upon
local letters. L can see no reason 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 col
lection and delivery of all other classes, and
am confident, after full consideration of the
followed by such growing accession of bust
ness as to occasion but slight and temporary
loss to the revenues of the post-office.
POSTAL TELEGRAPHs.
The PostmaSter-General devotes much of
his report to the consideration, in its various
aspects, of the relation of the Government to
the telegraph. Such reflection as l have been
able to give to this subject since my last an
nual message has not led me TO change the
view which L then expressed in dissenting
from the recommendation of the Postmaster
General, that the Government assume the
Same control over the telegraph which it has
always exercised over the mail. Admitting
that its authority in the premises is as ample
as has been claimed for it, it would not, in my
judgment, be a wise use of that authority to
purchase or assume the control of existing
telegraph lines, or to construct others with a
view of entering into a general competition
with private enterprise. The objections
which may be justly urged against either of
these projects, and, indeed, against any sys-
TEN which would require an enormous in
crease in the civil service list, do not, how
ever, apply to some of the plans which have
lately provoked public comment and discus
sion. 1t has been claimed. for example, that
Congress might wisely authorize the Postmas-
ter-General to contract with some private per-
sons or corporations for the transmission of
messages at specified rates and under
Government supervision. Various such
schemes of the same general nature, but wide
" m sneeial
have been suggested in the publics prints,
and the arguments by which they have been
supported and opposed have doubtless at
traeted your attention. 1t is likely that the