Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-02

between the different Indian tribes and as
! between the Indians and the whites, the past
| year has been one OF unbrOken peace. In TINS
! circumstance the President is glad TO ind
| Justification for the policy of the gOvernment
in its dealing " tn the Indian question, ana
| confirmation OF the views which were fully
/ expressed in his first communication to the
FOrty-seventh Congress. The Secretary urges
! anew the enactment Of a statute for the
punishment Of crimes committed on
| the Indian reservations, and recommends the
! passage of the bill now pending in the House
! of Representatives for the purchase of 3 tract
/ of lS 600 square miles from the Sioux re- erva-
| ton. Both of the measures are worthy of ap-
prOval. I concur with him also in advising
| the repeal of the pre- -emption law, the enact
ment Of statutes resolving the present legal
I complications touching lapsed grants to rail
road companies, and the funding of the debt
/ of the several Pacific railroads under such
guarantee as shall ehectuany secure its ulti-
mate payment.
POLYGANIY'S SUPPRESSION.
The report of the Utah Commission will be
! read with interest. 1t discloses the results of
| recent legislation looking to the prevention
and punishment of polygamy in Utah. still
| believe that if that abOminable practice can
| be suppressed by law, 1t can only be by the
most radical legislation consistent with the
| restraints OF the constitution. / again recon-
/ lutte political control of the territory of Utah
| and provide for the appointment
| of commissioners with such governmental
4 powers as in its judgements may
TRADE WITH NEARBY COUNTRIES.
In the course of this communication refer
| cree has more than once been made to the
| policy of this government as regards the eN-
| tension of our foreign trade. 1t stems proper
! to declare the general principles that Should,
| in nv opinion underlie our national efforts
in this direction. The main conditions of the
| problem may be thus stated: We are people
apt in mechanical pursuits ana fer
tile in invention; we cover a vast extent
| of territory rich IN agFlcUl-
tural products, aud in nearly all
the raw materials necessary for successful
! manufacture, we have q system Of productive
establishments more than sufficient to supply
! cur demands. The wages of laborers are
nowhere greater. The scale of living Of our
artizan classes is such as tends ito secure their
! personal comfort, and the development Of
! those higher moral ana intellectual qualities
! that go to the making of good citizens. Our
! system of tax and tariff legislation is yielding
| revenue which is in excess Of the personal
| needs of the government.
THE CRADLE OF THE MERCHANT MARINE.
These are the elements from which il IS
! sought to devise a scheme by which, without
! unfayOrably changing the condition of the
/ wOrklngman, our merchant marine shall be
raised from Its enfeehled condition, and rev
| markets provided for the sale, beyond our
| borders, of the manifold fruits of our indus
trial enterprises: The problem is complex,
| ami can be solved by no single measure OF IN
! nOvatlOn or reform. The countries of the
| American continent and the adjacent islands
/ are TO the United States the natural mart of
| supply ana demand. 1t Is from them that
| we should obtain what we do not produce, or
| do not produce IN suflicency. andlt Is TO them
J that the surplus productions of our fields, cur
mills and our workshops, should flow under
conditions that VIII eGualize or favor them in
comparison with foreign competition.
HOW TO REACH THE END.
Four paths Of policy seem to point to this.
! first. series Of reciprocal commercial trea-
| ties with the countries of America, which
lafr al
percd movement of trade. The conditions
or these treaties should be the
free admission Of sUch merchandise as this
country Goes not produce. IN return for the
admission free. or under 3 favored scheme Of
duties OF our own products. the benefits of
sucn exchange to apply only to goods carried
under the flag Of the parties 10 the contract,
the removal, on both sides, from the vessels so
privileged of all tonnage dues and national
Imposts, so that those vessels may ply u1hn-
dered between cur ports and those Of the
Otner cOntrac ing parties, though without in
ringing on the reserve home COasting trade,
the removal or reduction of the burdens on
the exported products of those countries
coming Wlthln the benefits OF the treaties and
the verdance of the technical restriction and
penalties by which cur Intercourse 18th those
countries is at present hampered.
SecOndty. he establishment of the consul
lar service Of the United States on q salaried
footing thus permitting the REIMBURSEMENT
OI consular fees, not only as respects vessels
under the national Gag. but also As respects
vessels OF the treaty nations carrying goods
entitled to the beneuts of the treaties.
IhUdty, The enactment of measures 10 ia
Yor the construction and maintenance Of 4
steam carrying marine under the flag Of the
United States.
Fourth1y, The establishment Of an uniform
currency basis for the countries Of America
20 that the cOlnei products of our mines may
circulate on equal terms throughout the whole
system OF commemorative. This would re-
qulre monetary union OF America, whereby
the output of the huliiOn-prOduCing countries
and the circulation OF those which yield
neither gold or SILVER could be adjusted in
conformity with the population, wealth and
commercial needs of eaoh. As many Of tie
countries furnish no bullion to the common
STOCK, the surplus production Of our mines
ana lnlnts might thus be utilized and a step
taken toward the general reconciliation Of
silver.
WORKING FOE THIS OBJECT.
To the accomplishment of these ends, so far
as they eau be attained by separate treaties
the negotiations already concluded and now
IN progress have been directed. AMI the favor
winch this enlarz ed policy has thus far re-
ceIved, warrants the belief that its operations
viii ere long embrace all, or nearly all. the !
countries OF tins hemisphere. 1t Is by 10
means desirable, however, that the policy I'M
der consideration should be applied TO these |
countries alone. The healthful enlargement
II our tr de with Europe, Asia and Africa
should be sought by reducing tariff burdens /
on such OF their wares as neither we nor the /
other American States are fitted TO produce,
ana thus enabling ourselves to obtain IN re-
turn a better market for our supplies Of food. !
of raw materials, and of the manufactures in
which we excel 1t seems to me that
many or the embarrassing elements
in the great national conflict between
protection and free trade may tAus
be turned to good account, that the
revenue may be reduced so as no longer to
OyertaX the people. that protective duties |
may be retained without being burdensome.
that our shipping interest may be jadiciously
encouraged, the currency fixed on q firm
basis, and. above all, such an unity Of inter
ests established among the States Of the Ame-
rican system, as viii ca great and ever in
creasing advantage to them all. All treaties
IN INC line of the policy which have been ne
1ciotiat5on, contain provision
deemed to be requisite under the clause of the
constitution limiting to the House Of Repre-
senfatives the authority to originate bills Tor
raising revenues.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
On Feb. % last / transmitted to the Con
gross the first annual report Of the Civil Ser
vice Commission, together with communica-
lions from the heads OF the several executive
departments Of the government, respecting
the practical workings of the law under which
the comm ssion had been acting. The good
results therein foreshadowed have been
more than realized. The system
has fully answered the expectations
OF its friends IN securing competent and faith
full pubic servants and in protecting the
appointing officers Of the government from
the pressure of personal opportunity and
from the labor OF examining the claims and
pretensiOns Of rival candidates for public en-
plOYment. The law has had the UNQUALIFIED
support of the President and OF the heads Of
several departments and the members of the
commission have performed their duties
with zeal and fidelity. Their report
VIII shortly be submitted and viii
be accompanied by such recommendations for
enlarging the scope II the exIsting statute as
shall commend themselves to the Executive
and the Commissioners charged with its ad-
mieisrati0n.
10 view of the general and persistent de-
mand throughout the commercial communi-
ty for a national bankrupt law. hope that
the differences Of sentiment which have hith-
ertO prevented its enactment may not outlast
the present session.
EUROPE'S PLAQUES.
The pestilence which for the past two wears
has been raging in the countries Of the East,
recently made is appearance in European
ports with which we are now in constant
communication. The then Secretary of the
Treasury in pursuance of a proclamation OF
the President issued certain regulations re-
stricting, and for a time prohibiting the I'M
portat!On Of rags, ana the admission OF bag
gage OF immigrants and Of travellers arriving
from infected quarters. Lest this course may
have been without strict warrant of the law,
/ approve the recommendation of the present
Secretary that the Congress take action in
the premises, and / also recommend the
Immediate adoption Of sDch measures as will
be likely TO ward Of the dreaded epidemic
and to mitigate its severity in case it snail 4