The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-12

into maritime warfare, and II they are
not put in an efficient condition we may
easily be subjected to humiliation BY 4
hostile power greatly inferior to our our
selves. As germane to this subject /
call your attention to the Importance Of
psrfecting our submarine torpedo de-
lenses. The board authorized by the
last Congress to report on the method
which should be adopted for the manu-
facture of heavy ordnance adapted to
modern warfare has visited the princi-
pal iron and steel-works in this country
and In Europe. It is hoped that its re- /
port will aoon be made, and that Con-
.efsess will thereupon Be disposed to pre- I
vide suitable facilities and plans for the /
manufacture Of such guns as are now
impefafiyely needed.
STATE MILITIA.
On several occasions during the past
year officers Of the army have, at the re-
anest of the State authorities, united
| their military encampments fer inspee-
lion az the troops. From the reports of
these officers 7 am induced to believe
that the encouragement Of the State
militia organization BY the National
Government would be followed by very
gratifying results, and would atford 1t
in sudden emergencies the aid OF large
body Of volunteers, educated In the per
Torrance of military duties.
POSTAL MATTERS
The report OF the Postmaster General
contains q gratifying exhibit Of the con-
dition and prospects of the interesting
branch Of the public service committed
to his care. It appears that on June
so. 1888. the whole number Of postof1ces
was 1858, of which 1892 were estab-
lished during the previous fiscal year.
| The number of Offices operating under
the system of free delivery was l54 At
these latter offices the postage on local
matter amounted to 81, 1875, $50, 50, a sum
exceeding by $1,02l ,S94,0l the entire
cost of the carrier service of the country.
The rate Of postage on drop letters pass
| ing through those offices IL now fixed by
! 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. II will DC
| remembered that in 1854, when free de-
livery was first established by law the
uniform single rate postage upon local
| letters was one cent, and 80 1t remained
until 1872. when ia those cities where
carrier service was established il was in
creased. To defray the expense of such
service. Ii seems to me that the old
rate may now with propriety ne restored,
and that, too, even at the risk OF dimin-
| ishing, for time at least the receipts
| from postage on local letters, | 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 collect
| ion and delivery Of all other classes, and
lam confident, after full consideration
of the subject, that the reduction Of the
rate would be followed by such grow
Jag accession Of business as to occasion
but slight and temporary loss to the
revenues of the postofice.
POSTAL TELEaRAPHY
The Postmaster General deyotes much
of his report to the consideration, in its
various aspects, of the relations of the
Government to the telegraph. Such re-
Fiction as / have been able to give to
this subject since my last annual message
has not led me to change the view which
there 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 ever
been claimed for it, it would not, in my
Judgment, be wise use of that author |
ity to purchase or assume the control of
existing telegraph lines, or to construct |
others with a view of entering into gen.
eral competition with private enterprise. |
The objections which may be Justly |
urged against either of these projects, /
and, indeed against any system which /
would require an enormous increase in |
the civil service list, do not however,
apply to some of the plans which have /.
lately provoked public comment and
discussion. 1t has been claimed, for ex-
ample, that Congress might wisely au-
thoriZe the Postmaster General to con-
tract with some private person OF cor
poration for the transmission of mes
sages at specified rates and under Govern
ment supervision. Various such
schemes of the same general nature, but
widely differing in their special character
istics, have been suggested in the public
prints, and arguments by which they
have been supported and opposed have
doubtless attracted your attention. 1t
is likely that the whole subject will be
considered by you at the present session.
In the nature Of things, it involves SO
mary questions of detail that your de-
alterations would probably be aided
slightly if at all, by any particular
suggestions which might now submit.
/ avow my belief, however that the
Government should be authorized by
law to exercise some sort of supervision
over interstate telegraph communica-
ton, and express the hope that for
attaining that end some measure may be
devised which will receive your appro- :
baton.
THE MoRMoNs.
The Utah Commission has sub
mitted to the Secretary of the Interior
its second annual report as result Of d,
its labors in supervising the recent cleo
ton in that Territory, pursuant to the
act of March p, 1882. 1t appears that '
the persons by that act disqualified, to \
to the number of about 1900, were ex- '
eluded from the polls. This fact, how
ever, affords little cause for congratula- :
ton, and fear that il is far from in
dicating any real and substantial pro-
gres toward the extirpation of polygamy.
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 a
seeking TO suppress, and that it's efforts
IN that regard will be more likely to
their opposition than receive n
their encouragement and support. Even
f this view should happily be enron r
aous, the LAVENDER which the commits
ion have been acting, should be made a
more effective by the incorporation of
lome such stringent measures as they j
as were included in bill No.
.23S on the Calendar of the Senate, at its K
ast session. ! am convinced, however.
hat polygamy has become so STRONGLY l.
in the Territory Of Utah.
hat il Is proftless TO attack il with any r
ut the strongest weapons which con-
titutional legislation can fashion.
avcr, therefore, the repeal of the act CO
pom which the existing Government y
epends, the assumption by the National
.gislatiou of the entire political control
the territory and the establishment
commission with such powers and
uties as shall be delegated to it by To-
w. Il
CIVIL RIGHTS. ~
The Fourteenth amendent to the Con w,
tuition confers the rights Of citizenship =
pom all persons born or naturalized ia rel
e United States and subject to the in
thereof. It was the special
lrpose- of this amendent to insure To
embers Of the, colOred race the fnll an.