The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-13


state of illiteracy in certain portions of the
country, and again submit for the considera-
ton of Congress whether some Federal aid
should be extended 10 public primary eduea-
ton where ever adequate provision therefor
has not already been made.
UTAH
The Utah Commission has submitted to the
Secretary of the Interior its second annual re-
port. As result of its labors in supervising
the recent election I'm the Territory pursuant
to the act of March - 1SS2. il appears that the
persons by that act disqualified. TO the number
of about l2,0OO, were excluded from the polls.
This fact, however, affords little cause for
congratulation, and fear that IL is far from
indicating any real and substantial progress
toward the eXtirpatiOn OF polygamy. All of
the members of the Legislature are MOrmonS
and there is grave reason to believe that they
are in sympathy with the practices that this
Government is seeking to suppress, and that
its efforts in that regard will be more likely to
encounter their opposition than to receive
their encouragement and support Even il
this view should happily be erroneous, the
law under which the Commissioners have
been acting should be made more effective by
the incorporation OF some such stringent
measures as they recommended and were in
cluded in bill No. 2S3S on the calendar 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 proftless to attack with any but the
stoutest weapons which constitutional legisla-
ton can fashion. / favor, therefore, the re-
peal of the act. Upon the existing Govern
ment depends the assumption by the National
Legislature of the entire political control OF
the Territory and the establishment of a Com
mission with such power and duties as shall
be delegated TO it by law.
AGRICULTURE
The Department of Agriculture is accom-
plishing much in the direction of agricultural
development on the country, and the report
of the Commissioner giving the results of his
investigations and experiment will be found
convention of those interested in the cattle
industry of the country was lately held at
Chicago. The presence of pleuro-pneumonia
and other contagious diseases of animals was
one of the chief topics of discussion. A COM
mittee of the Convention will invite your CO.
operation in investigating the causes OF these
diseases and providing methods for their pre-
vention and cure.
trust that Congress viii not fail in its pres
ent session to put Alaska under the protec-
ton of law. Its people have repeat
eddy demonstrated against our neg
lect to afford them the maintenance
by the terms of the treaty whereby
that Territory was added to the
United States. For sixteen years they have
pleaded in vain for that which they should
have received without the asking They have
no law for the collection OF debts, the sup
port of education, the conveyance OF proper
ty, the administration of estates or the en-
forcements of contracts-none indeed for the
punishment of criminals, except such as are
afforded against certain violations of the Gus
TOMS of commerce and the navigation acts.
mines and lumber are considerable In number
and capable of large development, while its
geographical situation is one OF political and
commercial Importance. The promptings OF
interest, therefore, as well as considerations
of honor and good faith, demand the estab-
lishment of civil government in that Territory.
THE RAILROADS.
Complaints have lately been numerous and
urgent that certain corporations controlling
in whole or in part the facilities of the inter-
state carriage of persons and merchandise of
hp country
sorted, in their dealings with the public, TO
divers measures unjust and oppressive IN
Governments have aattcked and suppressed
these evils, but in others they have been I'M
able to afford adequaterrelief because OF the
jurisdictiOnal limitations which are imposed
upon them by the Federal Constitutions. The
question of how far the National Government
may lawfully interfere in the premises and
what, if any, supervision or control
it ought to exercise, is one which
merits your careful consideration. While
we can not fail to recognize the 1mpor-
lance of the vast railway systems of the coun-
try and their great and beneficial influences
upon the deyelopmentof 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 inter-
est of any other citizen class of citizens. The
right of these railway corporations 10 q ra1r and
profitable return upon their investment and
to reasonable freedom in their regulations
must be recognized. But it seems only just,
so far as its constitutional authority will per-
NIT, that Congress should protect the people
at large in their Interstate traffic against acts
of injustice which the State Governments are
powerless to prevent.
FORESTRY.
In my last annual message l called atten-
ton to the necessity of protecting by suitable
legislation the forests situated upon the pub
lie domain. In many portions of the West the
pursuit of general agriculture is only made
practicable by recourse to irrigation, while
successful irrigation is impossible without
the aid afforded by the forests in contributing
to the regularity and constancy OF the supply
of waters. During the past year severe suf-
fering and great loss of property have been
occasioned by profuse floods, followed by pc
RODS of unusually low waters in many of the
ties were, in great measure, caused by the
removal from about the sources or the
streams in question of the timber by which
the water supply had been nourished and pro.
tected. The preservation of such portion of
such forest on the national domain as essen
TALLY contributed to the equable
flow of important water courses is
of the highest consequence. Impor-
tant tributaries of the Missouri. the
Columbia and the Saskatchewan rise in the
mountains of Montana, near the Northern
Blackfeet and Flathead Indian Reservations.
This region is unsuitable for settlement, but
upon the rivers which flow from it depends in
the future agricultural development of vast
tract of country. The attention of Congress is
called to the necessity of Withdrawing from
public sale this part of the public domain and
establishing there 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 announcements OF these
enterprises had been made public through the
foreign agencies of the Government The In
dustrial Exhibition at Boston, and the South
ern Exposition at Louisville, were largely
attended by the exhibitors of foreign coun-
tries, Notwithstanding the absence of any pro-
fesSional character in these undertakings. |
The Centennial Exposition to be held next |
year at New Orleans, in cOmmemoration of
the first centenary of the first shipment OF cot !
ton 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 that Exposition to be national !
and international in its character, all foreign |
Governments with which the United states |
maintains relations have been invited to par
ticipate. The promoters of the Important |
have already received assurance |
of the lively interest which it excites abroad |
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
The report of the Commissioners of the Dis |
trict of Columbia is herewith transmitted, !
ask for it your careful attention, especially |
for those portions which relate to assessments |
of arrears of taxes and the water supply.
CIVIL SERVICE.
The Commissioners who were appointed /
under the act of January Is, 1888, entitled AN /
act to regulate and improve the civil service |
of the United States" entered promptly upon |
the discharge of these duties as soon as the /
rules framed in accordance with the spirit of
the statute were approved and promulgat
by the President. 1t will be observed that |
they discountenance any political or religious
tests for admission to the public service to
which the statute relates. The act IS limited
in its original application to the classified
in the several Executive Depart
ments at Washington. numbering about $500,
and similar positions in custom districts and
where as many as fifty persons
are employed. A classification of these posi-
tons analogous to that existing in Washing
ton Offices was duly made before the law went
into effect Eleven custom districts and
twentv-three post-ofices were ahus brought |
under the immediate operation Of the statute.
animal q the Civil SarxicR Com