Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-12-05

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! tlOnal limitations which are imposed upon them
| by the federal constitution. IL G question how
! far the national government may lawfully in
! terfere in the premises, and what
| II any, supervision or control it
! ought to exercise. is one which merits your
! careful consideration. While we can't fail &c
recognize the importance of the vast railway
! systemg of the country and their great and
benetlcfai influence upon the development of
our material wealth, we should, on the other
hand, remember that no individual and no
corporation ought to be invested with absolute
power over the interest Of any other citi-
zen OF class of citizens. The right
Of those railway corporations to receive
any profitable return upon their investments
and to reasonable freedom in their regulations
must be recognized, but it seems only just that.
SO far as its constitu ional authority viii per
mlt congress should protect this people at large
IN their Interstate trafc against acts of injas-
tlce which the state governments are p0Werless
to prevent.
Protection of Forests.
In my last annual message I called attention
to the necessity of protecting by suitable legis-
latlon the forests situated upon the public de-
main. In many portions Of the Rest the pur-
suit Of general agriculture is only made prac-
tCable by resort TO irrigation: while successful
irrigation would be impossible without the aid
afforded by forests in contributing TO the reg
ularlty and the constancy of its supply of
water, During the past year severe suffering
and great loss of property have been occasiOned
by profase floods followed by periods Of unus-
ually low water in many of the great rivers e
| the country. These irregularities were, IL
great measure, caused by tho removal
| from about the sources Of the streams in ques-
| ton of the timber by which the water supply
had been nOurished and protected. The pres
ervatioE of such portion of the forest on the
national domain as essentially contributes to
| the equable flow of important water courses is
! OF the highest consequence. Important tribu
| taries of the Missouri the Columbia and SAG
katCheWan, rise in the mountains of Montans,
near the northern boundary Of the United
States, between the Blackfeet and Flathead
Indian reservations. This region is unsuitable
! for settlement, but upon the rivers which flow
from it depends in the future the agricultural
| development of vast tract Of country. The
attention Of congress is called to the necessity
| Of withdrawing from the public sale this part
| of the public domain and establishing there
| forest preserve.
| The Industrial exhibitions which have been
| held in the United States during the present
year attracted attention in many foreign coun-
! Tries when the announcement OF those enter
prises had been made public through the for
! eign agencies of this government. The indus
| trial exhibit at Boston and the southern ex-
| hlbit at Louisville, were largely attended by
the exhibitors of foreign countries, notwith-
! standing the absence of any professional char
acter in those undertakings. The centennial
exposition to be held next y8aEat New Orleans, in
| eo1nmemoratIon Of the centenary of the first
| shipment of cotton from port of the United
| States, bids fair to meet with like gratifying
! success. Under the act of congress of the 10Th
| of February, 1883, declaring the exposition to
be national and international III its character, for
eign governments with which the United States
maintains relations have been invited to paI-
ticipate. The promoters Of this important
undertaking have already received assurances
| Of the lively interest which it excites abroad.
/ District of COIT1ToI1ia
The report of the commissioner Of the Dis
trict of Columbia is herewith transmitted. I
| ask for it your careful aGtntion, especially for
| those portions which relate to the assessments
of arrears of taxes and water supply.
The Civil Service
| The commissioners who were appointed under
the act Of January 16, 1888, entitled Gan act
to regulate and improve the civil service of the
United States, entered promptly upon the dis
| charge of these duties. a series OF rules,
| framed in accordance with the spirit of the
statute, was approved and promulgated by the
| President. In some particulars, wherein
they seemed defective, those rules
| were subsequently amended. It viii be
perceived that they discountenance any po-
| itical or religious tests for admission to the
offices of the public service to which the
statute relates. The act is limited in its
| original application to the classified clerksbip
| in the several executive departments at Wash
ington, numbering about 5, 500, and to similar
| positions in customs districts and postofices
| where as many as fifty persons are employed.
! A classification of these positions analo-
| gous to that existing In the Washington
] offices was duly made before the law went
| into effect. Eleven customs districts and
/ tWenty-three postofices were thus brought IN
| der the immediate operation Of the statute.
| The annual report OF the civil service commits
| sion which will soon be submitted TO congress,
| will doubtless afford measure of more definite
| judgment than am now prepared to ex-
press as to the merits Of the new sys-
| tenn I am persuaded that it's effects
| have thus far proved beneficial. Practical
methods appear to be adequate for the ends
| proposed, and there have been no serious diff
| cultles in carrying them into effect. Since the
18th of July last, no person, 80 far as / am
! aware, has been appointed to the pablo service
| in the classified portions thereof and any Of
| the departments, or at any Of the pogtOffces
! and customs districts above named, except
those certified by the commission to be COM
| petent on the basis Of the examination held IL
conformity to rules.
Presidential Succession.
At the time when the present executive en-
tered upon his Office, his death, removal, resig-
nation. or inability to discharge his duties,
would have left the government withOuta con-
stitutional head. It is possible, Of course that
similar contingency may again arise, unless
| the wisdom of congress shall provide against
! its recurrence. The senate. at its last session.
to this subject, which viii now, I trust,
commend itself to the approval of both houses
of congress-, The clause Of the constitution
upon which must depend any law regulating
the presidential succession presents also for
solution other questions of paramount import
ance. These questions relate to the proper in
depreciation of the phrase Inability to dis.
charge the powers and duties Of said
office; our organic law providing that where
| the President shall suffer from such ina
| bility the presidential Office shall devol7e
upon the wee president who must himself IN
der the circumstances give place to such officer
as congress may by law appoinfto act as Presi
dent. need not here set forth the numerous
and interesting inquiries which are suggested
by these words of the constitution. They were
fully stated in my first communica-
! ton to congress and have since been
the subject of frequent deliberations IN that
body. It is greatly to be hoped that these mo-
mentous questions will find speedy solutions,
lest the emergency may arise when longer de-
| lay viii be impossible and any determination
but the wisest may furnish cause for anxiety
and alarm.
Against Omnibus Bills.
N II, e,,IT ..