The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-12-08
President Arthur's Message.
Eron, the baltimore san.

From the Baltimore SuR
The President $ message, delivered to Con-
gress on Tuesday, opens with the usual refer
ence to the foreign relations OF the United
States. which he is able to state are every
where peaceful. OF more immediate interest,
however Is the recommendation, made by the
Secretary of the Navy and Endorsed by the
President, as important measure OF national
defense in case of war with any foreign power,
that immediate steps be taken for the creation
of an interior coast line of waterways across
the peninsula of Florida, along the coast from
Florida to Hampton Roads, between the
Chesapeake bay and the Delaware river, and
through Cape Cod, thus recognizing more or
less directly the national character OF the pro
iected Chesapeake and Delaware ship-canal.
Commercial treaties have been made with
Servia, Roumania, Corea and Madagascar;
legations have been established in Persia,
Corea and Siam, and it is recommended that
the interests of American citizens resident or
trading in Bulgaria and the Central American
States be cared for by the presence of consul
lar representatives of the United States.
Reference is made to the Brazilian export
duty on coffee, and to the penalties for
technical faults applied to American vessels
and cargoes in the Antilles, and the sugges-
ton is made that retalatory measures applied
to Spanish vessels and cargoes from Cuba and
Puerto Rico might not be barren Of good re-
Suits Attention is called to the work of the
International African Association in the Con-
go valley, and Congress is reminded that 1t
NAV be advisable for us to cooperate with
other commercial powers in promoting the
rights of trade in that region "free from the
interference or political control OF any one
nation" No large reduction of revenues is
advised. Congress is reminded that tariff
1 tba re Of
which are not vet sufficiently apparent to war
rant further modification of the tariff or in
ternal revenue laws. He states, however,
that the legislation referred to has cut down
the income of the government some fifty or
sixty millions of dollars statement at var1-
ance with that made by the Secretary of the
Treasury, who puts the net reduction at but
$50, 600 600 The surplus of revenue over ex-
penditure, which the President estimates at
$50 O00, 600, it is recommended should be
spent in rehabilitating our navy and providing
coast defenses. The suggestion of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury as to the proper method
of perpetuating the national bank system is
approved. 1t is accordingly recommended
that che tax of per cent on the circulation
of the national banks be repealed, and that
the amount of the circulation allowed on-bonds
deposited for security be increased to 80 per
cent on the market value of such bonds.
The effect of this would be to make it profta-
bic to the banks to base their circulation on
per cents, which are not redeemable till
1907. With respect to the disposition to be
made of trade dollars the President and See.
rotary of the Treasury, while not favoring ex-
actly the same plan, are in subtantlal agree
ment. The former recommends that the trade
dollar be accepted by the treasury and the
minis as bullion at a small percentage above
the current market price of silver OF like fine
ness The Secretary suggested simply that
the standard silver dollar be exchanged, dol
lar for dollar, for the trade dollar, the latter to
be regarded as so much bullion bought under
the act of 1878. Approval is given also the
Secretary of the Treasury plan for the con-
solidation of certain customs districts, and 1T
is added that by the reduction of internal rev.
enue districts, recently perfected, their num-
Der has been reduced from 126 to SO. Dwell
ling on the unprotected condition ofour extend
ed sea-coast, the number of large and wealthy
cities with which it is dotted, the age and
weakness of our works of defense, their in
ferior armament and imperfeettorpedO equip
ment, the President urges the reconstruction
of our navy and the building of plant for the
manufacture of heavy ordnance, and points to
the overlooking condition Of the treasury as
fact that renders the present the proper time
for the inception of so patriotic work. At
tention is called to the growth of the number
of postoffices from 46, 231 in 1882 to AZ, 1868 in
1888. The recommendation is made, adver-
sely to the views of the Postmaster General,
that the rate of postage on drop letters, which
at present is two cents where the carrier sys-
tenn is established and one cent elsewhere, be
made uniform by reducing it everywhere to
one cent. Reference is made to the long
mooted proposition that the government should
assume the same control over the telegraph
that it has always exercised over the mail,
but the President is unable to accord his APP
proval to the project. The suggestion is
made, however, that the government should be
authorized to exercise some sort of supervis-
ion over interstate Geographic communica-
ton. The fees of jurors and witnesses IN the
Federal courts, fixed by laws OF old date, are
insufficient. 1t is recommended that they be
increased, and that district attorneys and
marshals be paid by salaries, rather than as
at present by fees-a change which, it is sug-
gested, may diminish the number of prosecu-
tons made NEARLY for the sake of fees. Con-
gress is invited to consider the important ques-
ton whether Federal aid may not with pro-
priety be extended to public primary educa-
ton in parts of the country where the percen-
tage of illiteracy is high. The failure of the
anti-polygamy legislation OF March, 1857, IS
cited, and the strong recommendation is made
that Congress repeal the act upon which the
existing government of Utah depends, assume
control Of the Territory, and establish IN au-
thority commission with powers fitting it to
deal effectively with the Mormon problem
The question of regulating interstate commerce
is presented for consideration. fhe right OF
railway corporations to reasonable profits is
conceded, but Congress should protect the
people from injustice The effects of the
civi-service act in the short time during which
it has been in operation are pronounced ben
efcial The act passed by the Senate at its
last session regulating the presidential success
sion is recommended to the favorable consid-
Grafton of the present Congress. 1t is asked
that the Executive be empowered to veto
particular items of an appropriation without
imparing the validity of other items which
meet his approval. In concluding, the Pres
ident recommends the passage of a new civil
rights bill guaranteeing to the coored citizen
the right secured to him by the fourteenth
amendment.