Huntsville gazette., 1888-12-08

cAnt the saving of two per cent. made for the
people by the purchase or sucn pohas tne loss
will appear to be S55, ,760 050. This calculation
would seem to demonstrate that II excessive
and unnecessary taxation is continued ana tne
Government is forced to pursue pol
icy of purchasing its own bonds at
the premiums, which it will be neceS-
sary to pay. the loss to the people
will be hundreds of millions of dollars. Since
the purchase OF bonds was undertaken as men
toned. nearly all that have been offered were
at last accepted. 1t has been made quite ap,
parent that the Government was IN danger OF
being subjected to combinations TO raise tnelr
price. Notwithstanding the sum thus paid out,
the surplus i'll the treasury on the 30th OF NO
yember, 1888 was So, 23i $40 01. after deductlnS
about s20,00OOO Just drawn out Ior Inc pe5
ment OF pensions.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The Secretary OF War reports that the army,
at the date of the last consoldated returns;
consisted OF Z, 169 officers and 2t,549 enlisted
men The actual expenditures Of tbs War De
partrnent for the fiscal year ended June ~ 1855
amounted to 81, 165, 10.07 OF which sum S9,l5S
5l4 SO was expended for public works, Including
river and harbor improvements. . A
we shall have our own gun factory next
year Civil-Service reform is recommended
for the army service General Sheridan ;
death is lamented as an irreparabie loss.
Eighty-threC men, 10 women, 10 boys ana %
girls, all Indians, are held as prisoners OF war.
The Indian schools are doing nicely.
PENSIONS REDUCE THE SURPLUS.
The number of pensioners added to the rolls
during the .ftsc1f year ended June 80, 1888, is
| s,ose, ana increase OF pensions was granted in
| IS 7l6 cases. The names OF 1879 pensioners
were Gropped. The number OF persons receiV
| ing pensioT+s' was 452,557; OF these there
| were $40 survivors of the war or lsl2,
! 10757 widows OF those who served IN
| that war; 16,U5) soldiers cf tre Mexican war
and :. .10i widows of said soldiers. 8ne hunured
| and two different rates OF pensions are paid 10 10
these benehciaries, ranging from AZ ~ sFle. 20
per month. The amount paid for pensions assf-
| ing the fiscal year was SIS, 7f5,S 81 being an
trTerease over the preceding year OF S3,30S,2oO22
! The expenses utrCn1ling the maintenance ana
? 5pofaftion OF the Pension Bureau during lhat
period we're s. 20 52i 67, mailing the entire eX-
| pendtures or tlre bureau SS2,03S-556 81, being
| 51I per cent. OF the gross income and nearly II
| per cent. OF the total expenditures OF She Gov
| ernment during the year. -4
Il am thoroughly convinced that orr general
| pension laws should Dc revised and aGAtsted 10
| meet as far as possible in the light OF OCT eX-
pcrience all meritorious cases" says SFr'
| Cleveland. "The fact that lJ2 different rates
| of pensions are paid can not, in my opinion, pc
| made consistent with Justice to the pensioners
| or to the Government, and the numerous pr1-
| vate pension bills that are passed predlcateti
! upon the lmperlection OF general laws while
| they increase, in many cases existing lnequal-
| ity and injustice, lend additional force to
| the recommendation for REVISION OF
| the general laws on this subject.
| THE NAVY.
| The reconstruction of the navy is being
| pushed forward rapidly. The Charleston, Bal
| timore Yorktown. Vesuvius and Petrol are III
| the water and rapidly approaching complexion
| The Philadelphia, San Francisco, Newark,
| BenIiiigton Concord and the HerreshoH tor
| pedo boat rrf Under contract. Eleven vessels
! in all will pc Incorporated in the American
! navy within the next twelve months.
| Notwithstanding the large expenditures Tor
| ne~ construction and the additional labor they
| insol@'' the TOTAL ordinary or current expendi-
ture of the oeFartment for the three years,
| ending June 81, 1855, re less by more than
| twenty per cent, than suol Expenditures for
| the three years, ending June 80, jSsl'
THE POSTAL SERv CE.
| The number OF post-offices on July |, 1888
| was 1886, an increase of 6,124 in three years
| and of 2219 for the last fiscal year The latter
| mentioned increase is classified as follows:
| New England States, 5; Middle States. 1S ;
| Southern States and Indian Territory (41,
| 14O6 the States and Territories Of the Pacific
! coast, 19); the ten States and Territories OF
| the West and Northwest, 435; District OF
| Columbia 9; total, 22l9. The railway mail
| and free !, delivery service and ney-order
| service have developed; so has the foreign ser
| wise.
| DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Though prior TO March, 1885, there had been
| but SIX convictions the Territories OF Qtah
and Idaho. under the laws of 1862 and 1857, pun
| ishing polygamy and unla"ful cohabltaton rs
| crimes. there have been since That date nearly
| SIX hundred convictions under these laws an q
the statutes OF 1887, and the opinion is oppressed
| that under such 4 firm and vigilant execution
tn the tfe9g age and the advance OF IDEAS 2pPRi tie
United States is virtually at an end.
| PUBLIC LANDS
| 81 can not too strenuously insist on the i'm
pOrtance OF proper measures TO insure right
disposition of our public lands, the President
| says. mot only as matter OF present justice,
but in forecast of the consequences TO future
| generations. The broad, rich acres OF
| our agricultural plains have been long
preserved by nature to become her un-
| trammeled gift to people civilized and
free upon VIII ch should rest, in we'll -distribut-
| ed ownership the numerous homes OF Ell
lightened, equal and fraterna citizens. They
came to National possession with the warning
foil of
| landed proprietorship which other countries
have permitted and still suffer We
have no excuse for the violation OF
| principles cogently taught by reason and
| example, nor for the allowance Of pretexts
| which have sometimes exposed our land to
| colossal greed. Laws which open door to
| fraudulent acquis tion, or administration which
permits and favorS apaclouS seizure oy favored
few of extended areas that many should en-
| 10y are accessory to oIenses aga nst our Ma
tional welfare and humanity not to be too
severely condemned or punished.
| ALLOTMENT IN SEvERALTY TO INDIANS.
| The condition of our Indian population con-
tinueS to improve, and the proofs multiply
that the Transforming change SO much to be
desired which shall substitute for barbariSm
| enlghtenmenJ and civiiiZing education, is in
| favorable progress. Our relations with these
| people during the year have been disturbed
by no serious disorders but rather marked by
| a better realization OF their true interests, and
| increasing confidence and good Will. These
! conditions testify to the value OF the higher
| tone of consideration and humanity which has
| governed the later methods or dealing with
| them, and commend its continued observance.
| Allotments in s.veralty have been made on
| some reservations until all those entitled to
| land thereon have ha1 their shares assigned
| and the work is still continued.
| But no agency for the amelioration OF this
| people appears To me so promising as the ex-
| tension urged by the secretary of such com
| pete facilities of education shall at the ear
lest possible day embrace all teachable Indian
youth of both sexes and retain them with a
| kindly and beneficenJ hold until their
characters formed and their faculties
trained to the sure pursuit OF some form
Of useful industry. The capacity Of the
Indian no longer needs demonstration.
II is established. It remains to make the most
Of 1t, and when that shall be done the curse
| VIII be lifted, the Indian race saved and the
sin of their oppression redeemed. The time of
| its accomplishment depends upon the spirit
| and justice with which it shall be prosecuted
| 1t can not be too soon for the Indian nor for
| the interests and good name of the Nation.
| The average attendance Of Indian pupils on
| the schools increased by over nine hundred
| during the year, and the total enrolment
| reached 15,212. TIE cost of maintenance WAS
| not materially raised. The number of teach
! able Indian youth is now estimated at 10000.
| or nearly three times the enrolment Of the
| schools, II S believed the obstacles in the way
! Of instruction are all surmountab!e, and that
| the necessary expenditures would be meas
| ure of economy.
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