The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-12-16

, peculiar ratio to such an extent a
will render US an undesirable party
| to any future monetary conferenc,
Of nations.
Returning to a discussion of th'
question at home,t the President say
. We have now on hand all the silve
t dollars necessary to supply th'
present needs of the people and tC
satisfy those who from sentiment
wish to see them in circulation. /
their coinage is suspended they car
be readily obtained by all who de
sire them if the need of more is a
any time apparent coinage can bt
renewed.
The President discusses the silvel
, question exhaustivelv, devoting
more space to it than to any other
subject in his message, and closes
discussion with the following words
THAT disaster has not already over
taken Us furnishes no proof that
danger does not await upon con
tinuation of the present silver coin
age. We have been saved by the
most careful management and unus'
ual expedients, by a combination ol
fortunate conditions and by a conf
dent expectation that the course OF
the government in regard to silver
coinage would be speedily changed
by the act of Congress. Prosperity
rests upon our threshold because OF
dangers and uncertainties surround
ing this question. Capital timidly
shrinks from trading and investors
are unwilling to take chances of the
questionable shape in which their
money will be returned to them,
while enterprise halts at q risk
against which care and sagacious
management do not protect. As a
necessary consequence labor lacks
employment, and suffering and dis
tress are visited upon a portion of
our fellow-citizens, especially enti-
tied to the careful consideration of
those charged with duties of legis-
lation. No interests appeal to Us so
strongly for a safe and stable curren-
cy as the vast army of the unem-
ployed."
Reviewing the report of the Sec
retary of War, the President recon-
rnends reform in court-martial pro-
ceedings, a remedy to the present
defenceless condition of our sea
coasts and law prohibiting the con-
struction OF bridges over our navi-
gable rivers in such a manner as to
obstruct navigation.
Referring to our navy he express
es the hope that the day is not far
distant when we will have a navy
which BELTS our standing among ma
tions, but before we proceed further
in the restoration OF the navy we
need thoroughly reorganized navy
department. Ii We desire to build
ships fJr present usefulness, instead
of naval reminders of days that are
past, we must have department or
ganized for work. He earnestly
commends the portion of Secretary
Whitney's report devoted to this
subject to the attention OF Congress
in the hope that his suggestions
touching the reorganization OF the
Navy Department may be adopted
as the first step toward the recon-
struction of our navy.
OF postal affairs he says that the
anticipated and natural revival of
postal revenues has been oppressed
and retarded by the unfavorable bus
mess condition of the country, of
which the Postal Service is faith
full indicator. The gratifying fact is
shown, however, by the report of the
Postmaster General, that our return
ing prosperity is marked by a gain
of s3S0,000 in the revenue of the
latter half Of .he past year over the
corresponding period of the preced-
ing year. and he confidently anticl-
pates that after a short period of re-
awakened prosperity, by proper
economy even the present low rates,
now as favorable as any country af-
fords, will be adequate to sustain
the cost OF the service.
Of ocean subsidies he thinks that
if such gift of the public money is
to be made for the purpose of aid
ing any enterprise in the supposed
interest of the public, the amount to
be paid and the beneficiary should
be determined by Congress.
The President endorses the plan
suggested by the Attorney General
in his report for remedial legislation
to relieve the overburdened Courts
of the United States, and favors pay
ing United States marshals and dis
:;.sict attorneys salaries instead OF
compensation by fees.
OF the Indian question, the most
difficult subject in charge of the In
terror Department, he feels satisfied
some progress may be noted in the
condition of the Indian. There
seems, he says, to be a general con-
currence i'll the proposition that the
the ultimate object in the treatment
of the Indian should be their civil
zation and citizenship. No attempt
should be made to apply fixed and
unyielding plan of action to their
varied and varying needs and cir
cumstances. He recommends the
passage of law authorizing the ap-
pointment of six commissioners,
three of whom shall be detailed from
the army. to be charged with care
ful inspection of all the indians up
on our reservations or subject to the
care and control of the Government.
with view of discovering their ex-
act condition and needs and deter
mining what steps shall be taken Oh
behalf of the Government to i'm
prove their situation in the direc-
ton of their selfsupport and com-
plete civilization; to ascertain which,
if any, of the reservations may be
reduced in area, and what part, not
needed for Indian occupation, may
be purchased by the Government
from the Indians and disposed of for
their benefit; what, if any, Indians
may, with their consent, be removed
to other reservations with a view of
their concentration and the sale on
their behalf of their abandoned res
eryations. what Indian lands. now