Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-12-11

% dealt with through genera laWe
These conditions fully Justify application
70 the congress and special enacements Bot
resort to the congress for . special pension
act to overrule the deliberate and careful
determination Of the pension bureau on the
merits, or to secure favorable action when e
could not be expected under the most liberal
execution OF general laws, II must be adj
mitted, opens the door to the allowance Of
Questionable claims, and presents 30 The
legislative and executive branches OF the gov
eminent applications concededly not within
the law, and plainly devoid OF merit, but so
surrounded by sentiment and patriotic feel
ing that they are hard TO resist .s{-v
l suppose 1t will not be denied that many
claims for pensions are made without merit
and that many have been allowed upon
fraudulent representations. This has been
declared from the pension bureau not only 10
this but In prior administrations. The use
fulness and the justice OF any system for the
distribution of pensions depend upon the
equality and uniformity of its operation. Il
will be seen from the report of the commits
sioners that there are now paid by the gov
eminent 1871 different rates Of pension.
| Estimates from the best information we
can obtain show that 0 900 Of those who have
served in the army and navy OF the United
States are now supported, in whole or In
part, from public funds or by organized
charities, exclusive OF those In soldiers
homes under the direction and control OF The
government. Only ID per cent of those are
pensioners, while OF the entire number of
men furnished for the late war something
like % per cent, including their widows and
relatives, have been or now are In receipt of
pensions. The American people with pa
triotic grateful regard for our ex-soldlers too
broad and too sacred to be monopolizsd by
any special advocates, are not only willing
but anxious that equal and exact jtstice
should be done TO all honest claimants for
pensions. @ 'i
avery patriotic heart, y he says, ''responds
TO tender consideration for those who, hay
ing served their country long and we'll, are
reduced to restitution and despondence, not
as an incident of their service but with ed
vancing age and misfortune. We arc all
tempted by the contemplation Of such con-
dition to supply relief, and are often impa-
tient OF the limitations Of public duty.
| Yielding to no one in the desire to indulge
this feeling OF consideration, cannot rid
myself of tho conviction that IL these ex-
soldiers are to be relieved, they and their
cause are entitled TO the benefit of an enact
ment under which relief may be claimed as a
right and that such relief should be granted
under the sanction Of law, not in evasion OF
IL; nor should such worthy objects Of care,
all equally entitled, be RENTED to the un-
equal operation Of sympathy, or the tender
mercies of social and political influence with
their unjust discrimination. G# K
i On the 4th OF March, 1885, the current bu-
siness Of the patent Office was, on an average,
I five and half months behind At the close
Of the last fiscal year such current work WAS
but three months in arrears, and it Is as
serted and believed that in the next few
months the delay in obtaining an examina-
ton of an application for patent viii BE-
but nominal The number of applications
for patents during The last fiscal year, includ
ing reissues, designs, trademarks and labels
equals 40, CTS, which is considerably in excess
of the number received during any preceding
year. The receipts Of the patent Office during
the year aggregated Sl,25, 1870, enabling
the office to turn into the treasury surplus
revenue, over and above all expenditures, Of
about sl6S,7io.3a tY a& .
The numbtr OF patents granted during Oh,
last fiscal year, including renewals, trade
! marks, designs aud labels, was Is, 619-a mum
: Der also quite largely in excess of that Of any
! preceding year. The report Of tbs commits
] sioner shows the office to be in prosperou.
condition and constantly increasing in it
business. No increase Of force is asked for
The amount estimated for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1885, was $500, 76n The amour
estimated for the year ending June 80, 1887
was 1928, $40. The amount estimated for tn
! fiscal year ending June so, 1888. Is SITS, 770
OF the Pacific railroad debt extension
) proposition, he says, that congress ia con
/ sidering the plan suggested by the secretar,
Of the interior, and endorsed by the board O
4 government directors, the sole matters whicl
should be taken into account are "the situa
:. ton Of the government as a creditor and tn
surest way to secure the payment of tn
J principal and interest of It's debit
4 OF interstate commerce he says that b,
, recent decision OF the supreme court Of tn
: United States, 1t has been adjudged that tn
4 laws OF the several states are imperative Il
regulate rates OF transportation upon rail
e roads, II such regulation interferes with th
d rate of carriage from one state into another
d This important field of control and regula
J. ton having been thus left entirely unoccu
/ Pied the expediency OF Federal action upol
!, the subject Is unworthy Of consideration.
The relations Of labor and capital, and O
b laboring men TO their employers, are Of the nj
e most concern TO every patriotic citizen
7, When these are strained and distorted unjl
|. tifiable claims are apt TO be insisted upon b
u both, and in the controversy which result
IS the welfare Of all and the prosperity Of tn
# country are jeopardizsd. Any intervsntio
o OF the general government, within the limit
r of It's constitutional authority, to avert sue
,, condition should be willingly accorded. 4
d special message transmitted to the congres
at its last session / suggested the enlarge
is ment of our present labor bureau, and ado
E ing 10 its present functions the power of al
u bitration in cases where differences arise b,
tween employer and employed. ~
st When these differences reach such stag
l. as to result In the interruption Of commerc
N between the states. the application of tn
a. remedy by the general government might /
re regarded as entirely within It's constitution.
L. powers. But after all has been done by Ii
A. passage Of laws either Federal or state, |
70 relieve q situation full of solicitude muc
re more remains TO be accomplished by the r,
4, instatement and cultivation of true Anne
ID lean sentiment which recognizes the equalit
Of American citizenship tt
"a Thia a., tha nohk NJ .,s,r fr.Aftsons IA 1