Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1884-02-21
be disposed to provide suitable facilities and
plans for the manufacture OF such guns rs are

state militia organization by the national gov.
ernment would be followed by very gratifying
results and would afford it in sudden eIner-
gencies the mid OF n llrge body Of volunteers,
educated in the performance of military duties.
The Navy. s 1f
The secretary of the navy reports that under
the authority of the acts OF August 5, 1889, and
March y. 1888, the work of strengthening our
navy by the construction of modern vessels has
been ausplciously begun. Three cruisera are in
progress of construchon-the Chicago, of
a,5uO tons displacement, and the Boston aud
Atlanta, each of 800 tons. They are to be
built OF steel with the tensile strength and due
tiiity prescribed by law and in combin .tion of
speed, endurance and armament, are expected
to compare fayorably with the best unarmed
war vessels of other nations. A fourth vessel
the Dolphin, is to be constructed
OF similar materials and is intended to
serve as fleet dispatch boat. The
double-turretted monitors Puritan, Amphitrte,
and Terror have been launched OF the Della
war River and contract has been made for
the supply of their machinery. A similar mon-
tor, the Monadnock, has been launched in CAL
ifornia. The naval advisory board and thesec-
retary recommend the completion of the moni-
tors, the construction of four gunboats, and
also of three additional steel vessels like the
Chicago, Boston, and Dolphin as an important
rotary urges the immediate creation OF
an interior fast line of water ways
across the peninsula of Florida, along
the coast from Florida to Hampton Roads, be-
tween Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River
and through Cape Cod. feel bound TO i'm
press upon the attention Of congress the neces-
sty of continued progress in the construction
of the navy. The condition of the public
treasury, as have already intimated, makes
the present an auspicious time for putting this
branch of the service in a state of efficiency.
1t is IN no part of our policy to create and
maj int t,p
other great powers Of the world. We have no
wish for foreign conquest, and the peace which
we have long enjoyed s in no seeming danger
of interruption. But that our naval strength
should be made adequate for tho defense of
orr harbors. the protection OF our commercial
honor is q proposition from which no patriotic
citizen can withhold his assent. S
The Postofiice Department.. LID.
! tains gratifying exhibit of the condition and
prospects OF the interesting brauch of the pub
lie service committed to his care. 1t appears
that on June 80, 1888, the whole number OF
postotfices was 47,S63, Of which 1852 were es-
tablished during the previous fiscal year. The
number of Offices operating under the system
of free delivery was 154. At these latter CT
fees the postage on local matter amounted to
"a, 1876, 230.52, sum exceeding by 81, ,02l ,S9i,-
OIL the entire cost of the carriers service in the
| country. The rate of postage on drop letters
passing through these offices is now fixed by law
attwo cents per half ounce or fraction thereof.
| In offices where the carrier system has not
been established the rate is only half as large.
| 1t will be remembered that i'll 1868, when free
| delivery was first established by law, tho uni
| form single rate OF postage upon local letters
was one cent, and SO it remained until 1872,
! when, in those cities where the carrier service
| was established, it was increased to defray the
expense of such service. 1t seems to me that
| the old rate may now, with propriety, be re-
stored, and that, too, even at the risk Of dimin-
ishing, for a time, at least, the receipts from
postage upon local letters. can see no rea-
son 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 collection and delivery of all other classes.
and 1 am confident after full consideration OF
| the subject that the reduction of the rate
would be followed by such growing accession
| of business as to occasion but slight and tenn
porary loss to the revenue of the postoflice.
The postmaster general devote, much of his
| report to the consideration in its various as
poets of the relations of the government to the
| telegraph. Such reflections as have been able
toglve to the subject since my last annual
message has not led me- to change the view
| which l then expressed in dissenting from the
recommendation of the postmaster general
that the government assume the same control
over the telegraph which it has always occu-
pied oyerthe mail. Admitting that its author
ity in the premises is as ample as as
not, in my Judgment, be q wise step
to give authority to purchase or assume the
control of existing telegraph lines or to con-
struct others, with q view of entering into gen.
ecal competition with private enterprise. The
objections which may be justly urged against
this project, 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 example, that congress might
wisely authorize the postmaster generalto con-
. tract With some private person or corporation
for the transmission Of messages at
specified rates and under government
supervision. Various schemes of the
same general nature, but widely differing in
their special characteristics, have been sug-
Il gested in the public prints ard the arguments
by which they have been supported and OPP
posed have doubtless attracted your attention.
II is likely that the whole subject will be con-
sidered by you at the present session. In the
nature of things it involves SO many questions
of detail that your deliberations would prob
ably be aided slightly, if at all, by any particu-
ayow my belief, hoWeYer, that the government
should be authorized by law to exercise court
supervision over Interstate telegraph Gem.
munication and l express the hope that for at
tanning that end some measure be devised
which will receive your appreciation
The Department of Justice. q.
The attorney general crticses in his report
the provision of the existing law fix
ing the fees of jurors and witnesses il
the federal courts. These provisions are chiefly
contained in the act of February &C. 1855
though some of them were introduced into the
act from statutes which had been passed
many years previous. It is manifest that such
Irnp t,ulo
enacted have been just and reasonable would il
many instances be justly regarded at the presen
day as inadequate. concur with the attorney
general in the belief that the statutes should b.
revised by which these fees are regulated; 30 tot
should be the laws regulating the compensa
tion of district attorneys end marshals. They
should be paid wholly by salary instead in par
by fees, as is now the Gaze The change woult
prove TO be a measure of economy and woult
discourage the institution of needless and OF
pressive legal proceedings which it is to b.
feared have in come instances been conducted
+ for the mere sake of personal gain.
The Interior Department..
u Much interest aRd varied informationi is con
tanned in the report of the secretary OF the in
terror. l particularly call your attention t
his presentation of certain phases Of the Iu
. dian question, to his Recommendation for III
3 repeal of the pre-emption and timber cultur
acts and for more stringent legislation to pre-
sooei iLauue uiuSt lile pcuslOu laWs. lUe SCat
0 utes which prescribe the definition and pun
: ishments of crimes relating TO pensions cou
$ doubtless be made more effective by certal
! amendments and additions which are ponte
: out in the secretary's report.
haveipreviously referred to the alarmin
r state of illtteracy in certain portions of th
: country, and again nsubmit for the consderatio
/, Of congress whether some federal aid shoul
be extended to public primary educatio
wherever adequate provision therefor has nc
i. already been made. y .ly4 !. r.
f The Mormon Question.
e The Utah Commission has submitted to Ii
S secretary of the interior its second annual r,
!. port as result of its labors in supervising th
recent election in that territory pursuant to til
b act of March 20, 1882. It appears that tll
i persons by that act disqualified to the numbe
s of about 1000 were excluded from the POLL
c This fact, however. affords little cause for COZ
8 graduation and 1 fear that it is far from ind
/, eating any real and substantial progress towar
s the extirpation of poygamy, all Of the men
y bers of theleeislature are Mormons There
It grave reason to believe that they are i'll syn
pathy with the practices that this governme1
IS seeking to suppress and that its efforts i
r6 6txti1 kfa f1,aI,,