The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-12-07
MANKATo FREE Press.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER, :, 1898.

MANkAlO l. KEE L hEIoS.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER, {, 1888.
Continued from First page.l
powers and duties as Shall DO delegated to
IL by law.
AGRICULTURAL. DEVELOPMENT.
The Department of Agriculture Is &C
compile hing much In the dirtrti u OF the
agricultural development OF the country,
and the report of the commissioner, giving
the results of his investi cations anu eX,
perimentS, will be found Interesting ana
valuable. At his instance, convention
of those Interested in the cattle industry
Of the country was lately held al Chicago;
The prevalence of pleuiO- pneumonia ana
other contagious diseases or animals was
one of the chief topics of discussion, anu
committee If the convention will invite
your cooperation In investigating the
causes OF these diseases, and providing
methods for their prevention and cure.
ALASKA.
trust that congress will not fail, at It's
present session, to put Alaska under Tile
protection Of law. Its people have repeat
Isly demonstrated against our neglect To
afford them the maintenance and protecrr
lion expressly guaranteed by the terms oil
the treaty, whereby that territory was ced
ed to the United States. For six cen years
they have pleaded in vain for thlt which
they should have received without the
us king. They have no law for collection
Of debts, the support OF education, the
conveyance of property, the administration
of estates or the enforcement or con-
tracts, nor, indeed. for the punishment or
criminals, except such aS IL Afforded against
certain customs, commerce ANA Navigation
acts. The resources Of Alaska, especially
.t.aF
10 extent and capable of large devei-
opmen:, while in It's geographical situation
IS one of poiiLical ami commercial Import
ance. The promptingS OF interest, There
fore, rs well rs considerations Of honor
and good faith, demand the Immediate eS-
Establishment of evil government IN that
country.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
Complaints have lately been numerous
and urgent that certain corporations con-
trolling. In whole or in part, the facilities
for the Interstate carriage OF persons and
merchandise over the great railroads of the
country, have resOrted. in their dealings
with the public, tn divers measures uni Just
and oppressive in their character In some
instances the State governments have at
tackled and suppressed these evils, hut in
Others they have been unable to afford ade-
Qllatc relief. because of the juri>dictional
limitations which are imposed upon them
how far the National Government may law
fully interfere in the premises. and what. If
any supervision or control il ought To- cNer-
else is one which merits your careful CON
SiieratiOn. While we cannot fail Ia rccog-
niLc the Importance of the vast railway SyS-
TEN of the country, and their great ami
beneficial influence upon the devrl0pnent ot
our material wealth. we should. on the other
hand, remember that no individual and no
corporation ought 10 be invested with ahs"-
lutte power over the interest of other citizen
or class of citizens. The right OF these rail
way corporations to award amy profitable re-
turn upon their Investments, AMI Ia rra>oha-
bic freedom i'm their regulations must be
recognized. But il seems only just that, 50
lar rs lis constitutional authority will per
Init, Congress should protect the people ut
larrc, i'm their Interstate traffic against acts
of injustice, which the State Governments
are powerlesS to prevent.
THE NATIONS FORESTS.
In my last annual message ! called atten-
ton to the necessity of protecting by suita-
Bile legislation the forests situated upon the
public domain. In many portions OF the
West the pursuit of general agriculture Is
only made practicable by resort 10 irriga
ton, while successful irrigation would be
impossible without the aid afforded by
forests in contributing Ia the regularity and
consistency of the supply of water. During
the past year severe suffering AM, great loss
of property have been 0ccaSioned by profuse
floods, followed by periods OF unusually low
water in many of the great rivers of the
country. These irregularities were III great
measure caused 10y the removal from about
the sources ci The streams III question OF the
timber by which ~" water ~npl.iN had baen
nOurished and protected. The preservation
OF such portions of the forests on the ma
tiOnal domain as essentially contribute to
the cquable flow of important water courses
IL nf thp HIGHEST consequence IIunDrtHnt
tributaries OF the Missouri, the Columbia
and the Saskatchewan rise in the mountains
OF Montana near the northern boundary OF
the United States, between the Blackteet
and Flat Head Indian reservations. This
region i unsuitable for settlement, but upon
the rivers which flow from it depends
the future agricultural development of Il
vast tract Of country. The attention of
Congress is called to the necessity Of with
drawing from public sale this part of the
public domain, and establishing there Il
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 announcement
OF those enterprises have been made public
through the foreign agencies OF this govern
ment.
The industrial Exhibition at Boston and
largely attended by the exhibitors of foreign
countries, notwithstanding the absence OF
any professional character in those under
takingS.
The Centennial Exposition to be held
next year at New Orleans, III cOmmemora-
ton OF the first shipment of cotton from
port of the United States, bids fair to meet
with like gratifying success. Under the
acts of Congress of February 10, 1883, de-
claring that exposition to be national and
International in its character, foreign gov
ernmentS with which the United States
maintain relations have been invited to par
hcipate. The promoters of this important
undertaking have already received aSSur
anceS of the lively interest which is excited
abroad.
DISTRICT OF COLI MBlA.
The report of the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia is herewith transmit
tel. ask for it your careful attention, eS-
pecially those portions. which relate to assess
ments of arrears of taxes and water
supply.
CIVIL SERVICE.
The Commissioners who were appointed
under the act of Jan. III, 1883, entitled IAN
act to regulate and improve the civil SER
vice of the United States, entered prompt
~ on the discharge of their duties. A Sc
rieS of rules framed i'm accordance with the
spirit of the statute was approved and pro-
nulgated by the President, hut in some par
ticulars, wherein they seemed detective,
these rules were afterwards amended. 1t
will be perceived that they discountenance
any political or religious tests for admission
to the offices of the public service to which
the statute applies. The act is limited in its
original application to the classified clerk
ships i'm the several executive departments
at Washington. numbering about 5000, and
to similar positions in customs districts and
in pOStOtficeS where as many as fifty persons
sitiOnS, analogous to that existing in the
Washington offices, was duly made before
the law went into effect Eleven customs
districts and twenty-three paid offices were
thus brought under the Immediate opera
ton of the statute. The annual report of
soon be submitted to Congress, will doubt
less afford the means of q more ditinite
judgment than am now prepared to cX-
press as to the merits of the system. | am
persuaded that its effects have thus far prov
ed beneficial. Its practical methods appear
to be adequate to the ends proposed, and
there have been no serious difficulties in
carrying them into effect. Since the 10th
OF July last no person, SO far as am aware,
has been appointed to the public service, in
the classified portions thereof, at any of the
departments, or any of the poStOtlceS and
customs districts above named, except those
certified by the Commission to be the most
competent Oh the basis of the examination
held in conformity to the rules.
PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION.
AT the time the present Executive entered
upon his Office his death, removal, resigna-
ton or inability to discharge his duties
would have left the Government without
constitutional head. II is possible, of
course that similar contingency may again
arise, unless the wisdom of Congress shall
provide against its recurrence. The Sen
ate at its last session, after full con-
sideration passed an act relating to
this subject, which will now, / trust,