Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-12-04

light of our experience all merHorio..
cases. The fact that 102 different ras..
Of pensions are paid cannot, in NV oni,
ion, be made consistent with iustice !.
the pensioners or to the government. al
the numerous private pension bills that a.
passed, pre- Heated upon the imperfection !,
general laws, while they increase in man
cases existing inequality and injustice le,s
additional force to the Recommendation for,
revision of the general laws on this subieo,
The laxity of ideas prevailing among,
large number of our people regarding nan
sions is becoming every day more mariel
The principles upon which they should n
granted are in danger of being altogetbs
ignored, and already pensions are Often
claimed because the applicants are as mpS
entitled as other successful applicants ratba,
than upon any disability reasonably A.
tributable TO military service. If the estaA
lishment of vicious precedents be continuea
if the granting of pensions be not divorsS
from partisan and other unworthy and irra
evant considerations, and if tho honoralh
name of veteran unfairly becomes hy th,S
means but another term for one who con-
stantly clamors for the aid of the govern
ment, there is danger that injury with
done to the fame and patriotism of manv
whom our citizens all delight TO honor. ami
that prejudice VIII be aroused unjust a
meritorious applicants for pensions
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The department of agriculture has eontin.
ued, with a good measure of success, its 4
forts to develop the processes, enlarge the n
suits, and augment the profits of American
husbandry 1t has collected and distributed
practical information, introduced and tested
new plants, checked the spread of contagious
disease of farm animals, resisted the al
vance OF noxious insects and destructive fun.
gus growths, and sought to secure to agricul.
tural labor the highest reward of effort and
the fullest immunity from loss. lis records
of the year show that the season of ISIS IA,
been one Of medium production gener
Gus supply of the demands Of consump,ioa
has been assured, and a surplus for exporta.
ton, moderate in certain products and bonn.
tiful in others, will prove benefactiun aik,
to buyer and grower.
-Four years ago it was found that the grea,
cattle industry of the country was endan
gered, and those engaged in it were alarmed
at the rapid extension Of the European un,
plague of pleuro-pneumonia. Serious out.
1 breaks existed in Illinois, Missouri anl Ken
/ lucky, and in Tennessee animals affected
were held in quarantine. Five counties in
: New York and from one to four counties IN
| each of the states of New Jersey. Pennsyl
vania, Delaware and Maryland were almost
| equally affected
! ERADICATION or PLEURo-PNEUMoNrA
! With this great danger upon us, and with
the contagion already in the channels of com.
merce, with the enormous dire t and indirect
! losses already being caused 10y it, and when
only prompt and energetic action coul be
successful, there were in none of these states
any laws authorizing this department to
eradicate the malady or giving the state
officials power to cooperate with it for this
purpose The department even lacked both
the requisite appropriation and authority
By securing state cooperation in conncc.
ton with authority from congress- the work
of eradication has been pressed successfully,
this dreaded disease has been extirpated from
the western states and also from the eastern
states, with the exception of few restricted
areas, which are still under supervision. The
danger has thus been removed, and trade
and commerce have been freed from the yex.
atious state restrictions which were deemed
necessary for a time.
During the past four years the process Of
diffusion, as applied TO the manufacture Of
been introduced into this country and fully
perfected by the experiments carried on By
the department of agriculture. This process
is now universally considered to be the most
economical one, and it is through it that the
sorghum sugar industry has been established
upon firm basis, and the road to its future
success opened The adoption of this diiTu
sion process is also extending in Louisiana
and other sugar producing parts of the coun-
try, and will doubtless soon be the only
method employed for the extraction of sugar
from the cane.
An exhaustive study has also, within the
same period, been undertaken of the subject
of food aduteration and the best analytical
methods for detecting it, a. part of the re
suits of this work has already been published
by the department, which, with the matter
in course of preparation, will make the most
, complete treatise on that subject that has
ever been published i'll any country
The department seeks q progressive de
velopment It would combine the discovers
of science with the economies and ameliora.
ton of rural practice A supervision of The
endowed experimental station system re
Gently provided for, Is a proper function 0.
the department, and is now in operation
This supervision is very Important, AMI
shoul he wisely and Wig .lantly directed to
the end that the iecuniary all of the govern
ment in favor Of intelligent agriculture
should be so applied as to result in the ger
oral good and to the benefit of ali our people
thus jusiifying the appropriations made from
the public treasury.
RAILROAD AFFAIRS.
The adjustment of the relations between
the government an the railroad companies
which have received lard grants AMI the
guaranty OF tho pubic credit in aid Of tbs
construction Of their roads should receive
early attention. The report Of majority
the commissioners appointed to examine the
affairs and indebtedness Of these roads, ID
which they favor an extension Of the tDs
for the payment OF such Indebtedness IN al
least one ease where the corporation appear
to be able to comply with well guarded anu
exact term; of such extension, and the rem,
fore smelt of their opinion by gentlemen o.
undoubtel business judgment and experf
fnl 10. fba interests OF