The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-12-11

/ Issued Dy our National banks compared with
/ the amount the law permits them to issue
upon deposit of bonds for their redemption,
/ Indicates that the volume of our circulating
| medium may be largely increased through
I tnlS nstrumentality. Nothing more important
| than the present condition of our currency
and cu1nage can claim your attention. Since
| February, 1915, the Government has under
the compulsory provisions of law, purchased
I silver bullion and coined the same at the rate
of more than 2,001000 every month. BY this
process up to the present date 2l5, 759, 49, sill
| yer dollars have been coined. Every monsh
! $2.G00,OU of gold i'll the public Treasury is
| paid out for two million or more of silver OIL
| lars to be az ded to the idle mass already ac-
! cumulated. If continued long enough this
! Cperat on will result in the substitution of
| silver for all the gold the Government owns
| applicable to its general purposes. 1t will not
i DO TO rely upon the receipts of the Govern
ment to make good this!drain of gold because
! the silver thus coined having been made legal
i tender tor all debts and dues, public and pri-
/ waite, at times during the last six months fifty
eight per cent OF the receipts for duties have
! been in silver or silver cert fcates, while the
/ average within that period mas been twenty
per cent.
TIE proportion of silver and its certificates
| received by the Government will probably in
crease as tine goes on, for the reason that the
/ nearer the period approaches when it will be
obliged to offer silver in payment Tor its obi
| CATIONS the greater inducement there will be
| to hoard gold against depreciation In the value
! Of silver, or for the purpose of specializing.
| Th1S boarding OF gold has already begun.
| w Hen Tue time comes JndL SOlQ mas DecQ WlJn-
drawn from circulation theE will be apparent
| the difference between the real value of the
! silver dollars and the dollar in gold, and the
two coins will part company Gold, still the
| standard of value and necessary in our deal
| ings with other countries, will be at Il pro-
| MUM over silver. Banks which have substi-
| tuted geld for the deposits of their customers
may pay them with silver bought with such
| gold, thus making a handsome profit; rich
/ spectators will sell their boarded gold to
their neighbors, who need it to liquidate their
| foreign debts. at rulnOus premium over sill
| yer, and the laborng mea and women of the
land, most defenseless of all, will find that the
/ dollar received for the wages of their toll has
| sadly shrunk in its purchasing power. So If
| this liver coinage be continued we may rea.
! sonably expect that gold and its equivalent
| will abandon the field of circulation to silver
| alone. This, of course, must produce Sc
/ we're contraction of our circulating medium
| instead of adding to it.
| The President goes on to mention our par
| ticipation in the conference of the Latin
union, and refers to the failure of that effort.
| He recounts sending q delegate to look into
! that the attitude OF the leading European
countries has not been changed on financial
| subjects since 1881 and that these views are
| supported by public opinion He then says:
| The steps thus taken have therefore only
more fully demonstrated the uselessness of
| further attempts at present TO arrive at any
| agreement on the subject with other nations.
| The condition in which our treasury may be
| placed by persistence in our present course
is a matter of concern to every patriotic citi-
| zen who does not desire his Government to
i pay in silver such of its obligations as should
I be paid in gold. Nor should our condit on be
such as to oblige us, In prudent manage
| ment of our affairs, to discontinue the calling
/ in and payment of interest. bearing obligations
| which we have the right now to discharge and
thus avoid the payment OF further interest
| thereon. That disaster has not already over.
| taken us furnishes no proof that danger does
/ not wait upon continuation of the present
silver coinage. recommend the suspension of
| compulsory coinage of silver dollars, directed
| by the law passed in February, 1878
| THE NAVAL SERVICE.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
gives history of the operations of his de-
partment and the present condition of tho
| work committed to his charge. He details in
full the course pursued by him to protect
| the rights of the Government in respect of
| certain vessels unfinished at the time of his
| accession to office, and also concerning the
| dispatch boat Dolphin, claimed to be COM
| pieted and awaiting the acceptance of the De-
| partment. No one can fail to see from re.
| citals contained in his report that only the
application OF business principles has been
| insisted upon in the treatment of these sub
jects, and that whatever controversy has
| arisen was caused by the exaction on the
4 part of the Department of contract ohliga-
| tons as they were legally construed. In the
| case OF the Dolphin with entire justice to
| the contractor, an agreement has been en-
tered into providing for the a6certainment
| bya judicial inquiry of the complete or par
| tial compliance with the contract in her con-
| struction, and further providing for the as,
sessment of any damages to which the Gov
| eminent may be entitled, on account of q
partial failure to perform such contract, or
| the payment Of the sum still remaining I'M
paid upon her price in case full perform
| aDce is adjudged The contractor, by rea-
| son of his failure in business, being unable
| to complete the other three vessels they
were taken possession of oy the Government
| in their unfinished state, under clause in
the contract permitting such a course, and
are now in process of completion in the
| yard of the contractor, but under the super
vision of the Navy Department.
al must admit the importance of an effec-
| tive navy to nation like ours having such
an extended seal coast to protect Yet we
have not single vessel OF war that could
| keep the seas against a tirSt-class vessel of
| any important power.
The conviction is forced upon us with the
certainty of mathematical demonstration
| that before we proceed further in the restora-
ton of the navy we need thoroughly reor-
| ganized Department. Unquest.onably,if VIC are
/ content with the maintenance of o Navy De.
| partment simply as an ornament to the Gov
some of the scandal and abuse which
have found their way into our present
| organization, and it's incurable waste
may be reduced to the minimum. But if we
| desire to build ships for present usefulness
instead of naval reminders of the days of the
past we must have department organized
for the work, supplied with all the talent and
! ingenuity our country affords, prepared to
/ take advantage of the experience of other
| nations, systematized so that all efforts shall
| unite and lead In one direction, and fully i'm
| bued with the conviction that war vessels,
| though new, are useless unless they combine
| all that the ingenu ty of man has up TO this day
| brought forth relating to their construction.
/ Earnestly commend the portion of the Secre-
| tarys report devoted TO this subject to the
| action of Congress, IN the hope that the sug-
| gestions touching the reorganizat ons of his
| Department may be adopted as the first step
| toward the reconstruction OF our navy.
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The affairs of the postal service are eXhlb-
tied by the report of the Postmaster General,
/ which will be laid before you. | approve the
| recommendation of the Postmaster General
| to reduce the charges on domestic money
! orders of five dollars and less from eight to
five cents The free delivery system has been
extended to nineteen additional cities during
the year, and l78 now enjoy its conveniences.
| Experience has commended it to those who
| enjoy its benefits, and further engagements
| of its facilities is due to other communities to
| which it is adapted. 1t was decided,
with my appreciation, after sufficient
| examination, to be inexpedient for the Post
office Department to contract for carrying
/ our foreign mails under the additional au-
thoriry given by the last Congress. approve
| the recommendation of the Postmaster en-
| erdl that another Assistant be provided for
| his department. invite your consideration
| to the several other recommendations con-
| tanned in his report.
THE INDIANS.
1t is useless to diIate upon the wrongs of
the Indians, and as useless to indulge in the
heartess belief that because their wrongs are
| reyenged in their own atrocious manner,
therefore they should be exterminated.
| They are within the care of our Govern
| ment and their rights are or should be pro-
| tected from invasion by the most solemn obi
| cations. They are properly enough called the
| wards of the Government and II should be
borne in mind that this gard involves
| on our part efforts for the Improvement of
| their condition and the enforcement of their
| rights. There seems to be general concur
renee in the proposition that the ultimate OBJ
ject of their treatment should be their civili-
| zation and citizenship.
recommend he passage of a law authoriz-
ing the appointment of six commissioners,
three of whom shall be detailed from the array,
| speetion, from time to time, of all the In
| dams upon our reservations or subject to the
| care and control of the Government with a
| view by discovering their exact condition and
needs, and determining what steps shall be
| taken on behalf of the Government to i'm
prove their situation in the direct ON Of self
| support and complete civil Zatien; that they
ascertain from such inspection what, if any,
/ of the reservations may be reduced in area,
| and in such cases what part, not needed for
Indian occupation, may be purchased by the
| Government from the Indians and disposed
of for their benefit.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
It is not for the common benefit of the
| United States that a large area of the public
| lands should be acquired, direstly or through