The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-05

erroneous, the law under which the commits
| sion have been acting, should be made more
| effective by the Incorporation of some such
stringent measures as they recommend as
were included in bill No. 9, 23S on the calender
of the senate, at its last session. | am
convinced, however, that polygamy has
become so strongly intrenched in the territory
OF Utah, that it is protitless to attack it with
any but the strongest weapons which consti
| tutional legislation can fashion. | favor.
therefore the repeal of the act upon which the
| existing government depends, the assumption
| by the national legislation of the entire DO
| litical control of the territory and the estab-
lishment of a commission, with such powers
and duties as shall be delegated to it by law
| The department OF agriculture is accom-
| plishing much in the direction of the agricul
tuIal development of the country, and the re-
port of the commissioner, giving the results
| of his Investigations and experiments will
be found interesting and valuable. AT his
| instance. q convention of those interested in
the cattle industry of the country was lately
held at Chicago. The prevalence of pieuro-
| pneumonia and other contagious diseases of
animals was one of the chief topics of discus
! sion and q committee of the convention will
invite your cooperation in investigating the
causes Of these diseases, and providing
methods for their prevention and cure.
| trust that congress will not fail at its pres
ton of law, Its people have repeatedly re
! monstrated against our neglect to afford
| them the maintenance and protection eX-
pressly guaranteed by the terms of the
treaty, whereby that territory was ceded to
the United States. For sixteen years they
have pleaded in vain for that which they
should have received without the asking
They nave no law for collection of debts,
the support Of education, the
conveyance of property, the alminis-
tration of estates, or the enforcement
of contracts, nor, indeed for the punishment
Of criminals, except such as is afforded
against certain customs, commerce and navi-
CATION acts. The resources of Alaska,
| especially in fur, mines and lumber are CON
siderable in extent and capable of large de-
| velopment, while in its geographical situa-
ton it is one of political aud commercial i'm
portance. The promptings of interest," there
lore, as well as considerations of honor and
good faith, demand the immediate establish
ment of civil government in that country
Complaints have lately been numerous and
| urgent that certain corporations controlling,
in whole or in part, the facilities for the in
teTstate carriage OF persons and merchandise
over the great railroads of the country, have
IesOrted, IN their dealings with the public, TO
divers measures unjust and oppressive in
their character. In some instances the Stdta
governments hive attacked and suppressed
these evils, Int in others they have been
unable IL afford 630guate relief, because
Of the jirisdictiOnal limitations which
A. imposed upon them by the federal con
stitutIon. The question how far the national
government may lawfully interfere in tine
premises, and what, if any, supervision or
coL,rA it oacilt 10 exercise, Is one which
merits your careful consideration. While
We cannot FAIL to recognize the Importance
of the vast railway 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 10 Individual and no
corporation uught to be invested with
absolute power over the interest of any other
citizen OF class of citizens. The right Of
these railway corporations to award any
profitable return upon their Investments,
and to reasonable freedom in their regula-
tions, must h. recoT nizei. But 1t seems only
just that 50 far rs Unconstitutional authority
will permit, congress should protect the peO-
ple at large la their Interstate traffic against
acts of injustice, which The stale govern
nentS are poweriesS to prevent,
In my last annual message / cailei atten-
ton to the necessity of protecting, by suitable
legislation, the forests situat, upon the
public domain. In many portions OF the
west the pursuit Of general agriculture is only
made practicable by resort To irrigation,
bic without the aid afforded by forests in
contributing 10 the regularity and consistency
of the supply of water. During the past
year severe suffering ard great loss of prop
, erty have been occGsiOned by profuse floods,
, followed by periods 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
r the highest consequence. Important trib-
, utarieS Of the Missouri, the Columbia
, and the Saskatchewan rise in the
mountains of Montana, near the
northern boundary of the United States, be
tween the Blackfeet and Flat Head Indian
/ reservations, This region is unsuitable for
J settlement. but upon the IiveTs which flow
, from it depends the future agricultural de
: velopment of a vast tract of country. The
5 attention of congress is called to the neces-
, Sity of withdrawing from public sale this part
, Of the public domain, and establishing there
, a forest preserve.
, The Industrial exhibitions which have been
b held in the United States during the present
. year attracted attention in many foreign
2 countries, where the announcements of those
4 enterprises have been mada public through
. the foreign agencies Of the government.
4 The Industrial exhibition at Boston, and
$ the Southern exposition at Louisville were
l largely attended by the exhibitors of foreign
countries, Notwithstanding the absence Of
| any professional character ill those under
t takings.
! The Centennial exposition to be held next
year at New Orleans in commemoration o.
t the centenary Of the first shipment of cotton
ne fJc fol 4.
5 meet with like gratifying success Under the
, act of congress of the 10th of February, 1888
S declaring that exposition TO be national and
p International in its character, foreign govern
l ment with which the United States maintain
S relations have been invited to participate
Tho promoters of this important undertaking
T have already receive assurance of the lively
: interest which it excited abroad
The report of the commissioners of the Dis,
. tTiCt of Columbia is herewith submitted.
+ ask for it your careful attention, especially
/ for those portions which relate to assessment
of arrears of taxes and water supply.
: The commissioners who We're appointed
under the act Of January l6, 1888, entitled
I IAN act TO regulate and improve the CiVi
service of the United States" entered
promptly upon the discharge of their duties
A series OF rules framed in accordance Will
l the spirit Of the statute WAS approved
and promulgated by the president, but il
some particulars, wherein they SCENE,
! defective, these rules were subsequent,
| amended 1t will be perceived tina
they diScountenance any politica
{ or religious tests for admission to the Office
of the public service to which the statute re
lateS The act is limited in its original ap
plication TO the classified clerkships in tht
sev eral executive departments at Washing
: ton, numbering about 5000, and to similar
! positions in customs districts and postofiiee.
where as many as fifty persons are employed
3 A classification of these positions, anala
l gous to that existing in the Washingto.
5 offices, was daily made befor
the law went inio effect. Eleven custom.
, districts and twentythrpa pad offices war,
, thus brought under the immediate oparntiol
of the statute. The annual report Of the civil
service commission, which will soon be sub
! mitted to congress, will doubtless afford tn
means of more definite judgmen
} than / am now prepared to expires
as 20 the merits of the new system. | al
: persuaded that its effects have thus ia
proved beneticiol. Its practical method
: appear to be adequate for the ends proposed
[ and there have been no serious difficulties il
: carving them into effect. Since the 10th o
July last no person, so far as | am aware