Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-09-02


supplies necessary for the practical OPP
Grafton of that great department of the
Government.
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Was the Interior Department ever
under more able management than un-
der Secretary Lamar? Look at every
branch of it. In the Indian Office un-
der the control of that honest chief,
General ATKINS. He had not been at
the head of the Indian Office three
months before. he instituted much
dred thousand dollars to the govern
ment on the very first contract he made,
for flour and beef and other Indian sup
plies, and prevented an Indian war by
doing simple justice to the Indians and
dealing firmly with them. He ignored
the claims of the cattle syndicate to
pasture the public lands under the cov-
er of fraudulent leases.
The Land Office has ignored fraudu-
lent leases and entries and restored mil
lions of acres of the public lands to the
national domain, and thus preserved
the public lands as heritage for hon.
est settlers instead of a camping ground
for foreign capitalists and land mo-
nopolists.
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT,
under the administration of Governor
Coleman, has not been behind the other
bureaus in the Interior Department;
the record of investigation has become
the hobby of former commissioners,
such for instance as sugar and the cul-
ture of tea and coffee, etc., in the pro-
duction of which in this country there
is neither good sense nor reason.
This was the next question to which
the present Commissioner gave his at
tention. His has broader view of the
possibilities of the department. One by
one he organized branches for investiga-
ton into subjects which, when COM
pleted, will appeal not to the specula-
tive adventurer but to the practical,
sound, business-like sense of the Ameri-
can farmer. Among these may be
mentioned branches for information
concerning the dairy, pomology, horti-
culture, ornithology, and for the recep-
ton, collation. and dissemination of in
formation from agricultural colleges.
The present administration of the De-
partment struck at the very root of the
farmers welfare and the country's pros
perity when it determined to give more
force than had before existed to the act
of Congress establishing the several
agricultural colleges of the United
States. The Commissioner realized in
fullest sense the importance of agricul-
tural education to every man who tills
the ground, and he set about to bring
the agricultural colleges into sympythy
with each other, and in harmony with
the Department.
AS indicative of the confidence re.
posed in the present administration OF
the Department it may be stated that
all of the most important recommends
tions-such as the restriction of the sale
of oleomargariHe, enlarged powers oftht
Bureau ofanimal industry, the recogni
ton of the Pathological industry, tht
acknowledgement of the importance o
forestry, in the establishment of the
office of Chief of the Forestry Division
the provision for experiments with for
eign medical plants, with a view to theil
introduction int, this country, the in
vestigation of fungodi diseases of plants
and vestigation in this South and Wes
with respect to the discovery and intro
duction into cultivation of new forage
plants and grasses, have become the
law of the country.
THE PENSION BUREAU.
I desire to call your attention now tt
the operations of the Pension Office
Every soldier who served in the late wa
is interested in it. Every citizen is inter
ested in it. Every man, woman ant
child in the union is interested in it
The present Commissioner of Pensions
Gen. John G. Black, is a maime(
soldier himself; he is besides an abl,
lawyer and patriotic man. He is able
industrious, conscientious and honest
I want to show a little comparison o
that office under Gen. Black and hi
Republican predecessors. In July last
made speech on this subject from
which I quote. I then said: "Let u
see what has been the administration O
the Pension Bureau under Democrat,
and Republican rule. hold in my
hand table which is official, an(
which shows the number of claims al
lowed in the fiscal year ending June 80
1882, 1896; number of claims allowed
in fiscal year ending June 80, 1883, 81,
704 number of claims allowed in tn,
fiscal year ending June 80, 1884, 1880
That was when the department was un
Il the administration of q Republican
commissioner. The number of claim
allowed in the fiscal year ending Jun,
30, 1885, first year Of Gen. Blacks ad
ministration, 81, ,452. Number of pen
sions certificates issued from March II
1884, to March II, 1885, 1869; numbe
of pensions certificates issued March II
1856, to March II, 1865, the first year o
Gen. Blacks administration, 82,977.
During the last year of the Republi
can administration there were clerk
employed, 1865, and the first year o
Gen. Blacks, 1885. With 126 les
clerks from six to eight thousand claim
were settled and allowed than ever be
fore in any one year. The following to
BILE from the records of the Secont
Auditors Office in connection herewith
also show the soldier how his bushes
| is being attended by Democrats.
| In the Second Auditors office durin,
the twelve months ending June 80
1886, the average number of clerks EN-
ployed was ten less than in the previou
| fiscal year, and there was a decrease o
more than $40, 900 in the expense.
In the matter of claims for arrears o
pay and bounty there was an increas
of 1918 in the number settled and o
S247, ,552.T8 in the amount allowed, tn
total amount certified in 1885 beinl
$40, ,064.52, and in 1885, $786, ,717.30.
The records of money accounts audi
ted show, an increase of 632 in mum