Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-12-14

MUM aud what 1t would have paid FOR inter
est at the rate specthrd on the oon,is II tSar
had run to their maturity, IL about s27. ~
600. At Arst sight this would seem 10 ~
OF the government, but ss suggeste,i Nv
the secretary OF the trasury, the surn,n..
thus expended for the purchase of bonds Va
money drawn from the p. ople In exeesa If
any actual need Of the 8 vernment ana vss
so expended rather than sllsw il to remsis
idle. II this surplus uuder the oresation " ~
ojust and equitable laws had heen left in ths
hands Of the people It wpHid have been worth
in their business at least per c+nr. per An.
mum, deducting from the amount Of interrst
on tie principal and premium of these bonds
for the time they had to run at the rate Of q
per cent. the saving of 2 per cent. made for
the people BY the purchase Of such bonds. thu
loss will appear to be SIS 76o, 900. This cal.
culation would seem to demonstrate that II
excessive and unnecessary taxation IL con-
sue this policy Of purchasing it's own honda
at the premiums which 1t will b. necessary IN
pay, the loss to the people will be huudrcds
of millions of dollars. Since the purchase Of
bonds y as undertaken 30 mentioned, nearly
all that have been offered were at last ac.
the government was In danger of being sub
jected to combinations to raise
their price, as appears BY the instance
cited by the secretary Of tn" Offering of bonds
at the par value of only 1926, 0O0 SO often that
the aggregate of the sums IL mauded for their
purchase amounted to more than e19, 100 CO.
Notwithstanding the large sums paid out in
the purchase OF bonds the surplus in the treas
ury on the 30th dag Of November, 1855. was
&52,234, $40 0l after deductiug about $4,000
OO0 just drawn out for the payment of pen
eions. At the close Of the fiscal wear ended
June 30, 1887, there had been coined under
the compulsory silver coinsg. act 1866 9SS. 2sO
In silver dollars, SIS, 5O4 $40 of which were in
the hands of the people. On the3 'th day Of
June. 1888, there had been coined $299, 7OS,79O
and of this $5s, $50 .3O3 was In circulation In
coin and $500, 3S7, 376 in silver certificates for
the redemption Of which silver dollars to that
amount were held by the government. On
the 3O'h day OF November, 1888, $312, s75,Q9O
had been coined, of which Is ,975, 800 Of tie
silver dollars We're actually IL circulation and
$3.50 AIS, 346 in certificates. The secretary re-
commends the Suspension of the further coin
age Of silver and in such recommendation I
earnestly concur. For further valuable In
formation and timely recommendation I ask
secretary's report
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The secretary of war rep jrts that the armv
at the Gate of the last consolidated returns
consisted of 2, 1S9 officers aud 24549 enlisted
men. The actual expenditures If the war de-
partment for the fiscal year eo,ied June 30,
1883. amounted to al, 165, 1917 7 Of which sum
V0S1CSSOlO.OO was CApCutcu lOE pubic WOrKe.
including river and harbor improvements ana
Notifications provided for under the act ap-
proved September 90 last. Pans aud specia-
cations for procuring forgings for s, 10 and
II inch guns under provision OF section 4, and
also for pouring 10 inch oreech loading
mortare, cast iron, hoped with steel, under
the provisions of section of the said act,
were submitted to the secretary of war for
reference to the board, by the ordnance de-
Pertinent. The plans and specifications having
been PROMPTLY approved ny the BOARD and the
secretary Of war, the necessary authority to
publish advertisements inviting proposals in
the newspapers throughout the country wac
granted by the secretary November 10, and on
November ID the advertisements were sent
out to the different newspapers designated.
The bids for the steel forVfngs are to be
opened on December 20, 1888, and for the
mortars on December Is, 1883.
A board OF ordnance Off GERS was convened
at the Watervlett arsenal on October 4, 1888,
to prepare the necessary plans and spsciRca-
lions for the establishment of an army gun
factory at that point, the preliminary report BORT
OF this board with estimates for shop build
fnKs and officers quarters was approve d by
the bosrd of ordnance aud fertilization Nov
ember and 8. The specification and form
of advertisement and instructions to bidders
have been prepared and advertisement invit-
ing the proposals for the excavation for the
shop buildings and erecting two sets of officers
quarters have beer published Tho detailed
drawings and specifications for the gun fac
tory building are well In hand and viii be fln
iehed within three or four mon hs when bids
will be invited for the erection of the build
ing. The list of machines, ETC., is made out
and 1t is expected that the plans for the large
lathes, etc, will be completed within about
OF ordnance and fortfications, bids for finish
ing same will be invited. The machines and
other fixtures will be completed as soon az
the shop is In readiness to receive them, prob
ably about 1890 Under the provisions Of the
army bil for the Of
sary specifications are now being
prepared and advertisements for proposals
will be issued early in December. The guns
will probably be Of fifteen inches caltbre and
fire projeetile tina will carry charge each
with full calibre prof cte. the guns will
probably be delivered in from six to ten
months from the date OF the contract, so that
all the guns of this class that can be procured
under the provisions of this law will be pur-
that the recommendations contained in the
secretary's report, all Of which are, In my
opinion, calculated to increase the usefulness
and discipline OF the army, may receive the
consideration of the congress. Among these
the proposal that there should be provided q
tneir fitness for promotion ts Of the utmost
Importance. This reform has been before
recommended, and its exprdiency is 80 fully
demonstrated by the argument presented In
It's favor that Its adoption should no longer
be neglected.
The death of Gen. Sheridan in August last
was a national affllctton. The army then lost
the grandest of It's chiefs; the country lost q
brave and experienced soluier, wise and
discreet counsellor and modest and sensi-
BILE man. Those who in any manner came
within the range of his personal association
will never fail TO pay deserved aud willing
homage to his greatness aud the glory of his
career, but they will cherish with more ten
der sensibility the loving memory Of his SIM
pie, generous and considerable nature.
THE APACHES.
The Apache Indians, whose removal from
their reservation In Arizona was followed by
the capture Of those Of their number who en-
gagged in a bloody and numerous raid during
part Of the years 1885 and 1885,. are now held
as prisoners Of war 1t Mount Vernon barracks
in the state Of Alabama They numbered ON
the 3lst day OF October, the date Of the last
report, eighty-tnree men, seventy women,
seventy boys and ffty-seveD girls, In all 1888