The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-12-10


70 bring into their homes, and for their i'm
plements of husbandry, they are obliged to
pay price largely increased by an unnatural
profit which, by the action Of the govern
ment, is given to the more favored manu-
facturer. l recommend that, keeping in
view all these considerations the increasing
and unnecessary surplus of national income
annually accommodating be released to the
people by an amendment to our revenue laws
which shall cheaper the price of the neces-
saries of life and give freer entrance to such
imported materials as by American labor
may be manufactured into marketable COM
modlties. Nothing can be accomplished,
however, in the direction Of this much needed
reform, unless the subject is approached In
patriotic spirit of devotion to the interests of
the entire country and with a willingness to
yield something for the public good.
THE COINAGE.
During the fiscal year ended June 30 1886,
there were coined under the compulsory sill
yer coinage act of 1878 80 1885, ,905 silver dol
lars, and the cost of the silver used in such
coinage was $23, ,44S ,960.0l. There had been
coined up to the close of the previous fiscal
year under the provisions of the law 203, SS2,-
6S4 silver dollars, and on Dec |, 1885, the
Total amount of such coinage was S247, 49,
549. The director of the mint reports that
ut the time of the passage of the law of 1873
directing this coinage the intrinsic value of
and that on July 81, 1886, the price of silver
reached the lowest stage ever known, so that
the intrinsic or bullion price of our standard
silver dollar at that date was less than
seventy-two cents. The price of silver on
Nov. 80 last was such as to make these dol
lars intrinsically worth seventy-eight cents
each.- These differences in value of the coins
represent the fluctuations in the price Of sill
yer, and they certainly do not indicate that
compulsory coinage by the government en-
hances the price OF that commodity or se-
cures uniformity in its value. Every fair
treasury department TO distribute this
withdrawal of United States treas
ury notes of small denominations, and
the issuing of small silver certificates have
been resorted to in the endeavor to accom-
plish this result in obedience to the will and
sentiments Of the representatives of the peo-
pie in the congress. On the 9th day Of No
vember, 1856, the people held of these coins,
or certificates representing them, the nomi-
nal sum of $l66, ,S73, ,04l, and we still had s79,-
464, ,345 in the treasury--as against about
el42 S94 ,055 so in the hands of the people and
e72, ,S65, ,376 remaining in the treasury one
year ago. The director of the mint again
urges the necessity of more vault room for
the purpose of storing these silver dollars
which are not needed for circulation by tho
people. / have seen no reason to change the
views expressed in my last annual message
ON the subject Of this compulsory coinage
and again urge its suspension on all the
grounds contained in my former recommen-
dation, reinforced by the significant increase
Of our gold expectations during the last year,
as appears by the comparative statement
herewith presented, and for the further rea-
cons that the more this currency is distribut-
cd among the people the greater becomes our
duty to protect it from disaster; that we now
have abundance for all our needs, and that
there seems but little propriety in building
vaults to store such currency when the only
pretense for its coinage is the necessity of its
use by the people as circulating medium
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The conduct of the department of justice
for the last fiscal year is fully detailed in the
report of the attorney general, and invite
the earnest attention Of the congress to the
same and due consideration Of the recommen-
dations therein contained. In the report sub
mltted by this officer to the last session of the
congress he strongly recommended the erec-
tion of q penitentiary for the confinement of
prisoners convicted and sentenced in the
United States courts; and he repeats the rec
ommendation in his report for the last year.
This is matter Of very great importance and
should at once receive congressional action.
With prisons under its own control, the gov
srnment could deal with the som what vexed
question of convict labor, so far as its con-
victs were concerned, according to plan of
its own adoption, and with due regards to the
rights and interests of our laboring citizens
instead Of sometimes aiding in the operation
of system which causes among them irrita-
tion and discomfort. Upon consideration Of
this subject it might be thought wise to erect
more than one of these institutions, located
In such places as would best subserve the
purposes of convenience and economy in
transportation. / again urge q change in the
federal judicial system to meet the wants of
the people and obviate the delays necessarily
attending the present condition of affairs in
our courts.
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
The recommendations of the secretary Of
the interior and the commissioner of the
general land Office looking TO the better pro-
lection of public lands and of the public sur
veys the preservation Of national forests, the
adjudication of grants to states and corpora
tions and of private land claims, and the in
creased efficiency Of the public land service
are commended to the attention of congress-
To secure the widest distribution of public
lands in limited quantities among settlers for
residence and cultivation and thus make the
greatest number of individual homes was the
primary object Of the public land legislation
In the early days of the republic. This sys-
TEN was a simple one.
1t was soon, however, found that the OBJ
aof 0f tha la WI tad nuIar tha